MyCAA Program for Military Spouse Career Advancement
Program Sponsor: Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Military Community & Family Policy (DUSD/MC&FP)
Program Description: The Department of Defense鈥檚 expanded Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts (MyCAA) program will provide up to $4,000 of Financial Assistance for military spouses who are pursuing degree programs, licenses or credentials leading to employment in portable career fields.
Who Is Eligible: 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.
Military spouses who are legally separated by state law or court order are ineligible. Spouses who are Active Duty members or activated Guard or Reserve members themselves are ineligible. Public Law 110-417 Sec 582 also does not include Coast Guard spouses.
What MyCAA Pays For: MyCAA Financial Assistance (FA) pays for expenses such as education and training programs, tuition, licensing and 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, state certifications for teachers, medical professionals and other licensed professionals. MyCAA does not pay for computers, school application fees, graduation or membership fees, student activity cards, child care, parking, transportation, or medical services. NOTE: If the cost of a course includes books, supplies or other necessary equipment, MyCAA will cover that cost. Payments are made directly to schools using MyCAA鈥檚 electronic payment system. Referrals are made to federally funded English As A Second Language (ESL) Classes and GED Classes and Testing Programs.
How MyCAA Financial Assistance (FA) Works: A military spouse can apply for MyCAA Financial Assistance (FA) after creating a MyCAA Career and Training Plan.
- A Career and Training Plan includes the spouse鈥檚 chosen career field, name of school and course information (course titles, codes, costs and start/end dates). If incorrect information is provided, the MyCAA Financial Assistance (FA) request will be rejected during the school invoicing process. The spouse will then be responsible for paying course costs.
- FA requests are initiated each time the spouse adds specific course start/end dates that begin within the next 90 days.
- It is critical that spouses select the correct school name/campus location and input correct course information into their Career and Training Plan to prevent billing problems. This information should be validated by school officials prior to the spouse requesting MyCAA Financial Assistance (FA).
- Career and Training Plans may be edited (e.g. courses may be changed or dropped) up to ten days prior to the start date of a course. At that point, the Plan will be approved and locked for billing purposes to guarantee the spouse a seat in the class. Courses may be added up until 7 days past course start dates.
- Data in the Career and Training Plan is used to validate school bills for payment purposes. Approved courses may be billed by the school at or below stated costs. Schools may charge penalty fees, partial or full course costs for dropped courses according to their published Drop/Add policies. Spouses need to be familiar with these school policies.
How to Get Started: Eligible spouses can establish a MyCAA Account by visiting the MyCAA website at . 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.
Who Can Help Spouses:
Military spouses can help themselves by:
- Visiting the MyCAA website and establishing an account.
- Developing a Career and Training Plan and validating information with school officials prior to submitting a Financial Assistance (FA) request to prevent billing problems.
- Emailing MyCAA@InvernessTechnologies.com for MyCAA website technical support.
School Academic Advisors can help spouses:
- Select a school, program of study, and sources of licensing and certification exams.
- Select classes for their MyCAA Career and Training Plan. School officials need to validate school and course information to avoid billing problems.
Military OneSource Career and Education Consultants (1-800-342-9647) can help spouses:
- Explore career interests, evaluate school options and compare programs of study.
- Develop and implement their Career and Training Plans successfully.
Who Can Help Schools Register for MyCAA: Schools should contact MyCAA School Liaisons at 1-888-256-9920 or send an email to MyCAASchools@MOSCenter.us. These two resources are for SCHOOL OFFICIALS ONLY and must not be used by spouses. If spouses use these resources they can cause significant delays and prevent themselves from receiving MyCAA Financial Assistance.