There is no conflict of interest.
Citation
Lennon, C. (2021). G.I. Jane goes to college? Female educational attainment, earnings, and the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944. The Journal of Economic History, 81(4), 1223-1253. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022050721000425
Highlights
- The study’s objective was to examine the impact of the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944 (the G.I. Bill) on education and earnings outcomes for women who served in World War II (WWII).
- The study used a nonexperimental design to compare the outcomes of female WWII veterans who benefited from the G.I. Bill and female non-veterans. Using data from the 1980 5 percent Census Public-use Microdata Sample and statistical models, the author compared outcomes of the treatment and comparison groups.
- The study found that female WWII veterans were significantly more likely to complete college and have higher annual earnings compared to their female counterparts who did not serve.
- This study receives a moderate evidence rating. This means we are somewhat confident that the estimated effects are attributable to the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, but other factors might also have contributed.
Features of the Intervention
The Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, known as the G.I. Bill, provided employment and educational benefits to help World War II (WWII) veterans transition to civilian life. The benefits were administered by the federal government and were available to veterans who were honorably discharged after serving at least 90 days. Eligible veterans could receive unemployment assistance, favorable business loans, low-interest mortgages, and educational benefits. The educational benefits aimed to increase the educational attainment and earning potential of WWII veterans, including women. The G.I. Bill covered tuition and living expenses for college or vocational training, facilitating access to higher education through institutions like colleges, universities, and vocational schools.
Features of the Study
The study examined the impact of the G.I. Bill on college completion rates and annual earnings for women who served in WWII. It used data from the 1980 5 percent Census Public-use Microdata Sample, which was the first instance of including questions about female veteran status. The author restricted the main sample to veterans and non-veterans who turned 21 between 1940 and 1946 (women born between 1919 to 1925). Additionally, women who did not have at least a high school diploma were excluded, since those eligible for WWII service needed to be high school graduates.
The treatment group included 9,005 female veterans who benefited from the G.I. Bill, while the comparison group included 247,295 female non-veterans. The majority of the treatment group were White (97.4%), with more than half being married (59.3%) and having attended college (53.8%). The comparison group was also mostly White (93.1%) but had a higher percentage who were married (73.7%) and lower percentage who attended college (33.5%). The author used statistical models to compare the educational and economic outcomes between the treatment and comparison groups.
Findings
Education and skills gains
- The study found that female WWII veterans were significantly more likely to have completed four years of college compared to female non-veterans (a 7.8 percentage point difference).
Earnings and wages
- The study found that female WWII veterans had significantly higher annual earnings compared to female non-veterans (earning $1,887 more annually).
Considerations for Interpreting the Findings
The author noted that while the study examined whether or not the women were WWII veterans, the study did not consider the level of benefits received from the G.I. Bill, and some veterans may have received very few benefits or none at all. The true effects of the G.I. Bill may be understated.
Causal Evidence Rating
The quality of causal evidence presented in this report is moderate because it was based on a well-implemented nonexperimental design. This means we are somewhat confident that the estimated effects are attributable to the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, but other factors might also have contributed.