A new Army Specialized Training Reserve Program which will enable youths under draft age to obtain college training almost in a civilian status at government expense has been announced by the War Department. Although the time spent in school is only three or four months, this is the latest and nearest step toward the Conant-advocated plan of government paid-for education.

Eligible for the program are all who passed the A-12 examination given last April and will not reach their eighteenth birthday until after August 15. Accepted trainees will be sent to specially designated Army colleges where they will take a prescribed basic ASTP course. The Army will provide tuition, housing, food, medical service, textbooks, and transportation to the school. Distinctive from other service training groups, members of the ASTRP will not be in uniform.

Must Join ERC

According to word received by Elliott Perkins '23, director of the War Service Information Bureau here, the candidate must first join the Enlisted Reserve Corps, after which he must make application for the new training unit. To pass the ERC physical exam he must have 20/100 vision or better and have an active duty physique.

Slight discipline is expected for the ASTRP men who will probably have to take the 11 hours of military training and conditioning required in the regular ASTP course, announced Dr. Perkins. He added that the prescribed course will undoubtedly include English, Engineering Drawing, Mathematics, Physics, and the other sciences assigned in the Army basic.

Norwich University, in Norwich, Vermont, was the only New England college on the list of schools to be used as training centers. Since Norwich has an ROTC unit, all men sent there will be required to participate in it.