(NewsNation) — The U.S. Navy is yet again making it easier to enlist as it continues to face recruiting challenges.
Applicants will no longer be required to graduate high school or obtain a GED to enlist. All they will need to do is score a 50 or higher on what’s known as the Armed Forces Qualification Test, which all recruits must take.
The last time the service took individuals without education credentials was in 2000.
This is the second time in about a year that the service has opened the door to lower-performing recruits as it struggles to meet enlistment goals.
The decision follows a move in December 2022 to bring in more recruits who score very low on the AFQT. Both are fairly rare steps that the other military services largely avoid or limit, even though they are all finding it increasingly difficult to attract the dwindling number of young people who can meet the military’s physical, mental and moral standards.
The military branch insisted it isn’t lowering its standards, but there are lingering questions about how the new changes could impact readiness.
“This policy update benefits the Navy by expanding the potential applicant pool of highly qualified and motivated future sailors who may have been impacted by COVID-19 trends of non-traditional schooling, early exit from high school to support their family, or a variety of other individual circumstances.
The Navy has not lowered its standards,” U.S. Navy Capt. Jodie Kay told NewsNation in a statement.
Retired Navy Sailor Kenton Kooyenga, who spent four years enlisted, was surprised to hear the news.
“If you have not graduated from high school, that’s usually indicative of the fact that you had some stress in your life and had to quit, but I’m guessing it’s because you had discipline issues or there’s reasons for you not to get to that level of education,” Kooyenga said. “Lowering standards to allow those people in service may be creating problems of its own.”
The Navy is facing historic recruiting shortfalls. Last year, it only brought in 31,834 recruits — well short of its goal of 37,700. It is looking to add 40,600 new sailors in 2024.
The new changes are expected to help bring in anywhere from 500 to 2,000 more applicants.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.