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Military spouses are the backbone of our nation’s military. They’ve made an unwavering commitment to their spouses and the country and demonstrate a high level of bravery and dedication. Their tireless devotion, encouragement, and selflessness make them part of an invaluable support system for our military men and women during both times of peace and war. This unique population is also focused on their own success and personal achievement, which makes them outstanding members to our nation’s workforce.
The Department of Defense (DoD) recognizes the value of today’s military spouses, which is why they offer a clear path to career credentials through the MyCAA Program. It’s just one of many educational benefits available to military spouses.
What is the MyCAA Program? The My Career Advancement Account Scholarship (MyCAA) Program is a workforce development program that offers tuition assistance to eligible military spouses. Through the MyCAA Program, military spouses can get up to $4,000 to pursue or maintain a career-focused (the DoD calls them “portable careers”) license, certification, or associate degree.
The MyCAA Program benefits military spouses by providing them with the financial support needed to complete the education or training necessary to get started in a new career or advance in their current one. But it also benefits the country by helping military spouses lend their talents and skills to our nation’s workforce. It’s a win-win for everyone involved!
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Who’s Eligible for the MyCAA Program?
You can use the MyCAA Program to earn a license, certification or degree necessary to get a new career up and running or to maintain your current credentials. If you’re a spouse of a full-time, active-duty service member (Title 10 military orders), reservist, or National Guard member in pay grades E-1 – E-5; W-1 – W-2; or O-1 – O-2 and you’ve completed high school (with a high school diploma or GED), then you’re eligible to receive benefits through the MyCAA Program.
You won’t be eligible for MyCAA Program benefits if:
- You’re legally separated from your spouse
- Your reservist or Guardsman spouse is in alert, post-deployment, demobilization, or transition status
What Type of Benefits Am I Eligible For Through the MyCAA Program?
You can use the MyCAA scholarship dollars toward the cost of any national licensure or certification examination (including college-level examination program tests) or for course credit leading to a professional certificate, diploma, or associate’s degree.
Choosing a participating, approved school is the easiest and most uncomplicated route to using your MyCAA benefits. You can search the MyCAA school database to easily locate programs available in your area. You can also select a program outside of the CAA school database, but they’ll need to apply to become a CAA-approved school. Therefore, it’s often much easier to simply choose a school that’s already a part of the CAA program.
The maximum benefit is $4,000 for two years, with a cap of $2,000 per year. If the program you choose has an upfront cost that exceeds $2,000, you can apply for a waiver.
Just some of the careers you may pursue through the MyCAA Program include:
- Animal services
- Construction
- Automotive services and transportation
- Education
- Homeland security
- Hospitality
- Legal
- Skilled trades
- Health and human services
We really like their interactive career search portal that allows you to search for careers within a certain field and then easily find schools that offer approved credentialing programs in that field.
You can’t use MyCAA Program benefits toward:
- The reimbursement of any outstanding educational expenses
- Books, supplies, equipment, computers, and other electronic devices
- Deposits or prepayment for future courses
- Student activities, events, and entertainment
- Preparatory courses
- Any fees (parking, registration, technology fees, etc.)
- Non-academic or ungraded courses (e.g., orientation courses, personal enrichment courses, courses taken as part of an internship or apprenticeship, or courses taken on an audit basis)
- Taking the same course more than once
- General studies, liberal arts, and interdisciplinary associate degrees without a concentration or focus
- Study abroad programs (unless they’re offered through MyCAA programs provided on overseas military installations)
- Private licenses
In addition to the $4,000 financial award offered as part of the MyCAA Program, as an eligible spouse, you’ll enjoy an individualized coaching session with an SECO (Spouse Education and Career Opportunities) career coach who will help you set up a personalized Education and Training Plan.
Did you know?
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How Do I Get Started?
It’s a simple setup that you can do online or by calling 1.800.342.9647. It requires a DS logon, which you likely already have to access your TRICARE account. If not, you can sign up for a DS logon. The scholarship application requires answering a few questions and providing your personal information, including your education, training, and employment history. Once you’ve registered, you’ll reach out to schedule a time for your MyCAA coaching session with a SECO coach.
You and your SECO coach will explore your interests, skills, and career goals to find a credentialing program that meets your goals.
If you already have a career in mind, you and your SECO coach can begin building your personalized MyCAA Education and Training Plan, which details your career goal and the school and program you will be completing. Your SECO coach must approve your MyCAA Education and Training Plan before any financial assistance will be disbursed.
