Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts (MyCAA)
Military Spouse Tuition Assistance - MyCAA
The Department of Defense's expanded Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts program (MyCAA) will provide up to $6,000 of financial assistance for military spouses who are pursuing degree programs, licenses or credentials leading to employment in portable career fields.
Who Is Eligible for MyCAA
Spouses of Active Duty members of the Department of Defense and activated members of the National Guard and Reserve Components are eligible. The period of eligibility for spouses of Guard and Reserve members is from the date of the Alert or Warning Order for Military Recall or Mobilization, through activation and deployment until 180 days following De-Mobilization. Spouses of the severely injured, ill, wounded, killed in action (KIA), prisoners of war (POW) or missing in action (MIA) are also eligible.
What MyCAA Pays For
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MyCAA Financial Assistance (FA) pays for education and training programs, tuition, and licensing/ credentialing fees. This includes degree programs (e.g. associates, bachelors, masters, doctoral and post doctoral), continuing education classes (including those offered through professional associations), Bar, CPA and other similar exams, and state certifications for teachers, medical professionals and other licensed occupations. If the cost of a course includes books, supplies or equipment necessary for the performance of the spouse's chosen occupation (e.g. cosmetology or masonry tools, electrician operations manual, etc.), MyCAA will pay these costs if not billed separately.
Spouses must demonstrate that referrals are not available to free, federally funded English As A Second Language (ESL), High School completion programs and GED Classes/Tests, in order to receive MyCAA Financial Assistance to cover these important, baseline education expenses. Costs for these programs must be reasonable.
How to Get Started MyCAA
Eligible spouses can establish a MyCAA Account by visiting the MyCAA website at https://aiportal.acc.af.mil/mycaa. Setting up an account is an easy 7-step process. Once spouse profile information is provided, MyCAA will verify spouse eligibility. If there are eligibility problems, MyCAA will provide guidance on how to resolve related issues.
Eligible spouses will be allowed to move forward to create their Career and Training Plan and request Financial Assistance (FA) when they are within 90 days of course start dates. As a separate requirement, spouses are responsible for applying to their selected school or program and enrolling in each course included in their established Career and Training Plan.
Attention Active-Duty Military Spouses
MyCAA Resumes October 25, 2010!
Great news! Allied is pleased to inform you that The Department of Defense will resume the MyCAA program on October 25, 2010.
With a focus on the original intent of the program - helping spouses of service members to achieve portable careers - the Defense Department’s financial assistance program will:
- Be available to spouses of active duty service members in pay grades E1-E5, W1-W2, and O1-O2
- Offer a maximum financial benefit of $4,000 with a fiscal year cap of $2,000. Waivers will be available for spouses pursuing licensure or certification up to the total maximum assistance of $4,000
- Require military spouses to finish their program of study within three years from the start date of the first course
- Be limited to associate degrees, certification and licensures
- No longer be available to spouses when the service member is in an alert or demobilization period
If you currently have an active MyCAA account, all approved financial assistance documents will be honored. To keep your education on track, spouses with open accounts should note these important dates:
- August 21, 2010: No career plans will be accepted after this date
- September 1, 2010: Starting on this date, spouses may request financial assistance for classes that have a start date up to January 15, 2011
- October 21, 2010: Deadline to request financial aid
Allied is your military friendly school and we proudly support the educational goals of active duty service members and spouses. Whether you need assistance maximizing your open MyCAA account or simply want a head start on mapping out your career path before October 25, Allied is here to help you succeed.
Call 888-501-58221 today to speak with a helpful student services representative.
Special Note: The MyCAA program will be closed from Friday, October 22 to Monday, October 25, 2010, to ensure the infrastructure is in place to implement the new program. Additional program details will be posted to www.militaryonesource.com as they become available.
Scholarships for Military Spouses
› Allied also offers in-house military spouse scholarships that allow military spouses to enroll in a career training program who are not eligible for MyCAA.
