The Army views education as a strategic issue for the country. As such, enlistees in today's Army are required to be high school graduates. The Army wants its soldiers to use education benefits such as Tuition Assistance and the GI Bill. ConAP puts soldiers on track to do so from the beginning of their enlistment.
Colleges participating in ConAP are members of SOC. As such, they agree to use good academic practice in accepting courses from other colleges, use the American Council on Education Guide to the Evaluation of Educational Experiences in the Armed Services (ACE Guide) to award credit for military courses that fit a student's curriculum, and award credit for at least one nationally recognized testing program. Colleges joining SOC primarily to participate in ConAP are exempt from SOC Criterion 2, Academic Residency Requirements and abide by their own residency requirements. The reason is that ConAP soldiers return to their communities as veterans and can meet a residency requirement.
When an applicant enlists in the Army or Army Reserve, recruiters encourage the individual to select a ConAP college and identify a date they intend to enroll during or after their enlistment. Colleges acknowledge the individuals intent and provide guidelines about applying for admission not more than one year before the expected entry date, beginning the college academic experience, using distance learning, and staying in touch by e-mail and the college Web site.