Tuition Assistance now Available for all Military Spouses
For some time the Department of Defense has had a pilot program in operation that provides up to $6,000 in educational funding support for the spouses of military personnel on active duty. The program is called the Military Spouse Career Advancement Account - or if you chose to utilize the DoD acronym, the MyCAA.
The program was limited to families stationed in specific states and at specific bases. In May of 2009 the Department of Defense announced that the program is now available across the all branches of service in all areas, providing "access to up to $6,000 in financial assistance to earn a degree. Spouses married to an active duty or activated Reserve Component (Guard or Reserve) Service [member] are eligible to participate in MyCAA. This includes Active Guard/Reserve (AGR) and Coast Guard deployed with the Navy."
Money to Help with Portable Careers
According to the venerable military newsletter Stars and Stripes, this program is targeted at "portable careers," meaning job skills that will be valuable regardless of where the military family is stationed. Education, health services and business credentials travel well, says one military spokesperson familiar with the program.
The financial assistance is meant for tuition, credentialing costs and other education related fees; up to a maximum of $3,000 per year for two years. Participants in other military education support programs can participate, as can spouses who already hold college degrees.
Schools and Tuition Payments
If you're a military spouse you'll need to 'open an account' with MyCAA by filing your student profile and your career goals. There is a school search option on MYCAA website that will provide you with the names of eligible schools; many of the accredited online institutions such as the University of Phoenix have signed partnership agreements and are active participants in the grant program.
The schools are reimbursed directly by the Department, so a school must prove its eligibility and sign a partner agreement with the DoD in order for their students to be eligible. A military spouse who wants to participate can get details from the MyCAA website mentioned above, which reports a large volume of interest already. If you need a counselor on your career choices or on other issues pertaining to MYCAA there are several help lines listed on the Military One Source FAQ Page.
See What Else is Available
Since the military has developed a career counseling service, spouses might as well seek their counsel on other education financial assistance available to military families. Select a career route and school from the online and campus options here on GetDegrees and then talk with a counselor, who can also help with school eligibility if that is an issue.
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