ENHANCING EDUCATION PARTNERSHIPS TO IMPROVE ACCESSIBILITY AND FLEXIBILITY FOR MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES.

SEC. 550. ENHANCING EDUCATION PARTNERSHIPS TO IMPROVE ACCESSIBILITY AND FLEXIBILITY FOR MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES.(a) Authority.—The Secretary of a military department may enter into one or more education partnership agreements with educational institutions in the United States for the purpose of—(1) developing plans to improve the accessibility and flexibility of college courses available to eligible members of the Armed Forces;(2) improving the application process for the Armed Forces tuition assistance programs and raising awareness regarding educational opportunities available to such members;(3) developing curriculum, distance education programs, and career counseling designed to meet the professional, financial, academic, and social needs of such members; and(4) assessing how resources may be applied more effectively to meet the educational needs of such members.(b) Cost.—Except as provided in this section, execution of an education partnership agreement with an educational institution shall be at no cost to the Government.(c) Educational Institution Defined.—In this section, the term “educational institution” means an accredited college, university, or technical school in the United States.