The following is information transcribed from the My Career Advancement Account Scholarship September 2007 Fact Sheet. For more information, call a career coach at 800-342-9647.
My Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) Scholarship - Helping Spouses Reach Career Goals
The My Career Advancement Account Scholarship is a workforce development program that provides up to $4,000 of tuition assistance to eligible military spouses. The scholarship assists military spouses in pursuing licenses, certificates, certifications or associate degrees necessary to gain employment in high-demand, high-growth portable career fields and occupations. Spouses may use their My Career Advancement Account Scholarship funds at any academic institution approved for participation in the scholarship.
MyCAA provides a maximum tuition benefit of $4,000 with an annual fiscal year cap of $2,000 to assist eligible military spouses who need professional credentials to meet their portable career goals. Annual cap waivers are available for licensure and certificate programs if there is an upfront tuition cost that exceeds $2,000 (up to the maximum education benefit of $4,000).
Who is eligible for the My Career Advancement Account Scholarship?
Spouses of service members on active duty in pay grades E-1 to E-5, W-1 to W-2 and O-1 to O-2 who have successfully completed high school and have the ability to request tuition assistance while their military sponsor is on Title 10 military orders are eligible. Spouses married to members of the National Guard and reserves in these same pay grades are eligible.
Those who are not eligible include the following:
- Spouses who are married but legally separated (or under court order or statute of any state or U.S. territory) from a member of the armed forces on Title 10 orders
- Spouses whose National Guard or reserve military sponsor is in a warning orders or alert, post-deployment, demobilization or transition status
- Spouses married to a member of the Coast Guard
What will the My Career Advancement Account Scholarship pay for?
The My Career Advancement Account Scholarship pays tuition costs for education and training courses and examinations leading to an associate degree (excluding associate degrees in general studies, liberal arts and interdisciplinary studies that do not have a concentration). The scholarship also covers the costs for obtaining a license, certificate or certification at an accredited college, university or technical school in the United States or approved testing organization that expands employment or portable career opportunities for military spouses.
The My Career Advancement Account Scholarship will NOT pay for the following:
- Tuition for courses and examinations not included in the spouse’s Education and Training Plan and courses already started or completed by the spouse
- Academic credit by examination tests
- Reimbursements of any kind
- General studies, liberal arts and interdisciplinary associate degrees that do not have a concentration
- Books, supplies, equipment, uniforms, computers and electronic devices of any kind
- Personal enrichment courses (excluding academic credit or graded electives in an approved My Career Advancement Account Scholarship Spouse Education and Training Plan)
- Student activities, events and entertainment
- Transportation, lodging, child care and medical services
- Prepayment or deposits for future courses, unless costs are part of a block of study
- Course extensions (except for approved hardship waivers)
- School or college-level entrance examinations, comprehensive exams and related preparatory courses
- Study-abroad programs (excluding programs of study offered by participating My Career Advancement Account Scholarship schools on overseas military installations)
- Courses, tests or fees normally paid by an employer as part of a job training program
- Private licenses (For example, a private pilot’s license would not be covered because it is for recreational use, but a commercial pilot’s license would be covered because it would be used for an occupation.)
- Fees of any kind, including but not limited to registration fees, technology fees, parking fees, etc.
- High school completion programs, including online high school completion programs
- Nonacademic credit or ungraded courses, including courses taken on an audit basis or as an internship, practicum, apprenticeship or clinical supervision; also, nonacademic credit or ungraded orientation programs
- Continuing education credits to maintain a standing in a professional organization
- Courses taken more than one time, unless the My Career Advancement Account Scholarship has received a full refund from the school
How to establish an account with My Career Advancement Account Scholarship
Spouses can visit the My Career Advancement Account Scholarship Spouse Portal online and provide the required Spouse Profile information. All scholarship participants are required to use DS Logon to access their accounts. Military spouses enrolled in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System, or DEERS, are eligible for a DS Logon account. For information about creating a DS Logon premium account, access the How do I use DS Logon to create and access a My Career Advancement Account?
