Spouse Tuition Assistance

Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts
The Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts (MyCAA) program provides 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.

MyCAA Eligibility
Spouses of Active Duty servicemembers 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.

Note: 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.

The MyCAA Benefit Details
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. More Details:

• MyCAA does not pay for education and training programs that include computers (CPUs or laptops); application, graduation or membership fees; student activity cards; child care; parking; transportation; or medical services.
• If a spouse enrolls in a course without an approved MyCAA Financial Assistance (FA) document, the spouse will be responsible for paying course costs.
• MyCAA does not provide reimbursements of any kind to spouses for any reason.
• MyCAA FA payments are made directly to schools using MyCAA’s electronic invoicing system. As A Second Language (ESL) Classes and GED Classes and Testing Programs.
• Unfortunately, Coast Guard spouses are not covered by the MyCAA Spouse Employment congressional mandate: PL 110-417 Sec 582. Coast Guard is a part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), not the Department of Defense.

The MyCAA Application Process
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’s 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.
• Spouses MUST 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.

Eligible spouses can establish a MyCAA Account by visiting the MyCAA website ~ 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.