---
kind: "section"
citation: "10 U.S.C. § 511"
title: "10"
title_heading: "Armed Forces"
number: "511"
heading: "College First Program"
release: "119-102"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/10/511"
units:
  - "Subtitle A — General Military Law"
  - "Part II — Personnel"
  - "Chapter 31 — Enlistments"
---

# §511. College First Program

- (a) **Program Authority.—** The Secretary of each military [department](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-6) may establish a program to increase the number of, and the level of the qualifications of, persons entering the [armed forces](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-4) as [enlisted members](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-6) by encouraging recruits to pursue higher education or vocational or technical training before entry into [active service](/usc/10/101.md?p=d-3).
- (b) **Delayed Entry With Allowance for Higher Education.—** The [Secretary concerned](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-9) may—
  - (1) exercise the authority under [section 513 of this title](/usc/10/513.md)—
    - (A) to accept the enlistment of a person as a [Reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) for service in the Selected [Reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) or Individual Ready [Reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) of a [reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) component, or as a [member](/usc/10/1408.md?p=a-5) of the Space Force, notwithstanding the scope of the authority under [subsection (a)](#a) of that section, in the case of the [Army National Guard of the United States](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-3) or [Air National Guard of the United States](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-5); and
    - (B) to authorize, notwithstanding the period limitation in [subsection (b)](#b) of that section, a delay of the enlistment of any such person in a [regular](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-12) component under that subsection for the period during which the person is enrolled in, and pursuing a program of education at, an institution of higher education, or a program of vocational or technical training, on a full-time basis that is to be completed within the maximum period of delay determined for that person under [subsection (c)](#c); and
  - (2) subject to [paragraph (2)](#d-2) of subsection (d) and except as provided in [paragraph (3)](#d-3) of that subsection, [pay](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-15) an allowance to a person accepted for enlistment under [paragraph (1)(A)](#b-1-A) for each month of the period during which that person is enrolled in and pursuing a program described in [paragraph (1)(B)](#b-1-B).
- (c) **Maximum Period of Delay.—** The period of delay authorized a person under [paragraph (1)(B)](#b-1-B) of subsection (b) may not exceed the 30-month period beginning on the date of the person’s enlistment accepted under [paragraph (1)(A)](#b-1-A) of such subsection.
- (d) **Allowance.—**
  - (1) The monthly allowance paid under [subsection (b)(2)](#b-2) shall be equal to the amount of the subsistence allowance provided for certain [members](/usc/10/1408.md?p=a-5) of the Senior [Reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) [Officers](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-1)’ Training Corps with the corresponding number of years of participation under [section 209(a) of title 37](/usc/37/209.md?p=a). The [Secretary concerned](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-9) may supplement that stipend by an amount not to exceed $225 per month.
  - (2) An allowance may not be paid to a person under this section for more than 24 months.
  - (3) A [member](/usc/10/1408.md?p=a-5) of the Selected [Reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) of a [reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) component may be paid an allowance under this section only for months during which the [member](/usc/10/1408.md?p=a-5) performs satisfactorily as a [member](/usc/10/1408.md?p=a-5) of a unit of the [reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) component that trains as prescribed in [section 10147(a)(1) of this title](/usc/10/10147.md?p=a-1) or [section 502(a) of title 32](/usc/32/502.md?p=a). Satisfactory performance shall be determined under regulations prescribed by the [Secretary concerned](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-9).
  - (4) An allowance under this section is in addition to any other [pay](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-15) or allowance to which a [member](/usc/10/1408.md?p=a-5) of a [reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) component is entitled by reason of participation in the Ready [Reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) of that component.
- (e) **Recoupment of Allowance.—**
  - (1) A person who, after receiving an allowance under this section, fails to complete the total period of service required of that person in connection with delayed entry authorized for the person under [section 513](/usc/10/513.md) shall repay the [United States](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-1) the amount which bears the same ratio to the total amount of that allowance paid to the person as the unserved part of the total required period of service bears to the total period.
  - (2) An obligation to repay the [United States](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-1) imposed under [paragraph (1)](#e-1) is for all purposes a debt owed to the [United States](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-1).
  - (3) A discharge of a person in bankruptcy under [title 11](/usc/11.md) that is entered less than five years after the date on which the person was, or was to be, enlisted in the [regular](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-12) [Army](/usc/10/7001.md) pursuant to the delayed entry authority under [section 513](/usc/10/513.md) does not discharge that person from a debt arising under [paragraph (1)](#e-1).
  - (4) The [Secretary concerned](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-9) may waive, in whole or in part, a debt arising under [paragraph (1)](#e-1) in any case for which the Secretary determines that recovery would be against equity and good conscience or would be contrary to the best interests of the [United States](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-1).
- (f) **Special Pay and Bonuses.—** Upon enlisting in the [regular](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-12) component of the [member](/usc/10/1408.md?p=a-5)’s armed force, a person who initially enlisted as a [Reserve](/usc/10/101.md?p=c-6) under this section may, at the discretion of the [Secretary concerned](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-9), be eligible for all [regular](/usc/10/101.md?p=b-12) special [pays](/usc/10/101.md?p=a-15), bonuses, education benefits, and loan repayment programs.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 108–375, div. A, title V, § 551(a)(1), Oct. 28, 2004, 118 Stat. 1909; amended Pub. L. 118–31, div. A, title XVII, § 1717(b)(6), Dec. 22, 2023, 137 Stat. 655.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 511 was renumbered section 12103 of this title.

### Amendments

2023—Subsec. (b)(1)(A). Pub. L. 118–31 inserted “or as a member of the Space Force,” after “reserve component,”.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Continuation for Army of Prior Army College First Program

Pub. L. 108–375, div. A, title V, § 551(b), Oct. 28, 2004, 118 Stat. 1911, provided that: “The Secretary of the Army shall treat the program under section 511 of title 10, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), as a continuation of the program under section 573 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2000 [Pub. L. 106–65] ([formerly] 10 U.S.C. 513 note), and for such purpose the Secretary may treat such section 511 as having been enacted on October 1, 2004.”