Military Spouse Benefits
Military Spouse Employment Opportunities Advancement Accounts (MyCAA)
Attention Military Spouses - If you have an existing MyCAA account, Allied American University (AAU) can help. Please call (888) 384-0849 for assistance today!
Attention Active-Duty Military Spouses
MyCAA Resumes October 25, 2010!
Great news! AAU 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, 201
- October 21, 2010: Deadline to request financial aid
AAU 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, AAU is here to help you succeed.
Call 888-384-0849 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.
Program Sponsor:
Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Military Community & Family Policy (DUSD/MC&FP)
Program Description:
The Department of Defense's expanded Military Spouse Employment Opportunities Advancement Accounts (MyCAA) program provides Financial Assistance to spouses of active-duty service members who are interested in pursuing degree programs, licenses or credentials leading to employment opportunities in high growth, high demand portable employment opportunities fields.
Who Is Eligible:
Spouses of active duty and activated National Guard and Reserve service members.
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.
Military spouses who are military members themselves are not eligible. Military members have education benefits provided through the Military Voluntary Education Tuition Assistance (TA) Program. Military spouses who are legally separated by state law or court order are also not eligible.
What MyCAA Pays For:
MyCAA Financial Assistance (FA) pays for expenses such as secondary and post-secondary education and training programs, tuition and licensing fees. This includes degree programs, continuing education classes (including those offered through professional associations at conferences), Bar, CPA and other similar exams, state certifications for teachers, medical professionals and similar licensed professionals.
MyCAA does not pay for computers, school application fees, graduation 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's electronic payment system.
How MyCAA Financial Assistance (FA) Works:
A military spouse can apply for MyCAA Financial Assistance after completing a MyCAA Career and Training Plan.
- A Career and Training Plan includes the spouse's career field, name of school and courses chosen by the spouse. Courses may be added to a MyCAA Career and Training Plan at any time.
- Financial Assistance (FA) Requests for courses in the Career and Training Plan are made each time a spouse is ready to enroll in those courses at his/her school. Requests must be submitted via the MyCAA account system prior to the start date of each course.
- Financial Assistance requests must have correct school names, course codes, titles of courses, start/end dates and course costs. Otherwise, they risk being rejected.
- Financial Assistance requests may be cancelled or edited up to ten days prior to the start of a course or program. FA requests guarantee to the school that MyCAA will pay for the spouse's seat in the course (classroom or online) that is being held.
How to Get Started:
Eligible spouses who are ready to explore portable careers options and develop a career goal and plan should establish a MyCAA Account by visiting the MyCAA website at https://aiportal.acc.af.mil/mycaa/. This is an easy, self-help process. Once spouse profile information is provided, DoD will verify MyCAA eligibility through DEERS.
Who Can Help Spouses:
Military spouses can help themselves:
School Academic Advisors can help spouses:
- Choose a program, licensing and certification exams, a major or course of study.
- Select classes for their MyCAA Career and Training Plan. Be sure to get correct school name, course codes, titles of courses, start/end dates and course costs from the school to avoid having FA requests be rejected.
Military OneSource Career/Education Consultants (1-800-342-9647) can help spouses:
- Explore career interests and look at school options.
- Develop Career and Training Plans.
Who Can Help Schools Register for MyCAA:
Schools that need MyCAA program information or want to participate in the MyCAA AI Portal electronic billing process may request assistance from MyCAANewSchools@MOSCenter.us
