Traditionally, the career focus within a military family is on the military member. But many spouses have a hard time getting trained and established in careers of their own.
Frequent moving and many getting married right out of high school make it hard to work at anything more than a minimum-wage job, if they can find work at all. And, unfortunately, many military members at the lower grades do not make enough money to support all of their family’s needs, so many military families have to supplement their income with food stamps. It is a shame, but true.
However, the Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts (MyCAA) program can change that for eligible members. Qualifying active-duty spouses can use the program to help pay up to a two-year post-secondary education in a variety of fields, thereby increasing their employment opportunities and the amount of disposable monthly income available for their family.
MyCAA
Once trained and graduated from the program, spouses can use their training to work in one of several portable careers. The available career fields are termed portable because regardless where the family moves, that type of work will normally be available. Career training via the MyCAA program opens up myriad employment opportunities for military spouses so they can not only help earn money for their family, but establish themselves in a career of their own.
Portable Career Opportunities
Spouses can choose a career field from thirteen broad fields currently approved for training:
- Aerospace
- Animal services
- Automotive services and transportation
- Business, finance and administration
- Construction
- Education
- Energy
- Health and human services
- Homeland security
- Hospitality
- Information technology
- Legal
- Skilled trades
Within each field are several sub-career fields. For example, within the legal field are both “Paralegal” and “Legal Secretary” options. Training in any of the approved categories can be accomplished through a variety of venues, including both online or at a local college/vocational school, or on a military installation itself.
Eligibility Requirements
The MyCAA program is only open to the spouses of certain lower-grade military members. Specifically, the enlisted pay grades of E-1 to E-5, Warrant Officers WO1 and CW2, and Commissioned Officers O1 and O2. Eligible spouses must have already successfully completed high school and their military sponsor on a Title 10 order at the time of application.
National Guard and Reserve spouses in these same pay grades are eligible too, as long as they can complete their training program before the Title 10 order expires. A Selected Reserve typical deployment of one year is more than enough time for a spouse to complete one of the many training programs available.
A scholarship for tuition, books and supplies is limited to a maximum of $4,000 over the course of a training program that results in a certification, certificate, license or associate degree in one of the portable fields. The selected training program must be completed within three years.
How to Apply
The first step for eligible spouses is to click on the Get Started button. Follow onscreen instructions to:
- Register
- Create an account and profile
- Develop a career education and training plan
- Request funding
Once enrolled in the program, financial assistance is paid directly to the school.
Spouses completing the program, or ineligible to participate but want to continue their education, can use Post-9/11 GI Bill transferred benefits or other non-MyCAA funding such as scholarships or grants. Refrain from taking out education loans, as these must be paid back.
