The Navy could begin accepting thousands of recruits who fall into the lowest aptitude test percentile allowed by military standards, Military.com reported.

The service’s new guidelines would allow it to recruit up to 7,500 prospective sailors who have high school diplomas and score within the 10th and 30th percentile on the Armed Forces Qualification Test.

“As we continue to navigate a challenging recruiting environment, changing the AFQT requirement removes a potential barrier to enlistment, allowing us to widen the pool of potential recruits and creating opportunities for personnel who wish to serve,” a Navy Recruiting Command spokesperson told Military.com.

Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Jessica Vargas