3 Important Questions about the MyCAA Program
The Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts Program, or MyCAA for short, is a career development assistance program. MyCAA helps military spouses pursue licenses, certifications, or the degrees necessary for employment, an excellent opportunity to either develop or change careers.
What Does MyCAA Offer?
There are a few different resources that MyCAA provides. An in-depth look at each resource is provided below:
Training and Education Financial Assistance – MyCAA provides a maximum education benefit of up to $4,000 with a cap of $2,000 to help eligible individuals to develop career skills. There are additional waivers that can cover a tuition cost that exceeds $2,000, should a student be in that situation. This is the most prominent of the MyCAA resources, as
Employment Readiness Counseling – Spouse Education and Career Opportunities (SECO) career coaches are available to all military spouses, regardless of their MyCAA eligibility. These counseling services help military spouses identify additional sources of federal, state, and local financial assistance, expanded career choices and opportunities, and necessary support resources.
This is especially important if you are struggling to find your way through different careers. With readiness specialists, you can learn how your skills, interests, and goals align with possible careers in the future. Consider this role as a high-school guidance counselor—they are a resource that will always be accessible if you are struggling in the occupational sphere.
Employment Assistance and Career Services – Employment Assistance and Career Services offer a network of military-friendly employees, and work on a referral basis. This means that you can use MyCAA funding to readily seek employment. Various networks include CareerOneStop, USAJOBS, and Blue Star Families.
Who is Eligible?
The MyCAA website helps detail the eligibility guidelines, which read as such:
Spouses of active-duty service members 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.
It is important to note that there are some candidates that may not be eligible for the MyCAA program. This list includes spouses who are currently on Title 10 orders, spouses whose National Guard or Reserve service member is in a Warning Orders/Alert, Post Deployment or Transition Status, or spouses who are married but legally separated.
There is one additional guideline to MyCAA requirements: spouses must have completed high school or obtained a GED and are required to complete their program of study within three years from the start date. At Blackstone Career Institute, we require this Proof of Education within 60 days of your enrollment, so it is especially important to have this documentation on file when you are ready to take the next step!
How Do I Start?
To apply for MyCAA, you must establish a MyCAA on the official website. Then, you can explore approved MyCAA career fields and certificate programs. As you research the accredited programs, make sure that the school aligns with your interests and course offerings. As nice as it is to have access to tuition assistance through MyCAA, it is equally crucial you find a program or class that you will enjoy and utilize!
Once you find a school/program, you will then create an education training plan (ETP) with a career coach or employment staff member through MyCAA. At this stage, you will need to include all potential courses, as once your application is submitted, no edits or changes are possible.
After you review your ETP, you can then work with the selected school’s admissions advisor to complete the application process. In this stage, you can simply complete the Blackstone Online Enrollment Form and wait for feedback from our Student Services Department.
Lastly, you will then apply for MyCAA financial assistance, which will compensate you for educational expenses up to $4,000.
