MILITARY SPOUSES (MYCAA)
We know that military life can make it difficult to complete your career, which is why Vantage College offers short-term programs and flexible scheduling. Furthermore, our reduced rates for military spouses and family members make starting a career easier and more affordable than ever before. A Military Family Member is an individual who is related to a service member currently serving on active duty or in the Reserve or National Guard component or is a retiree. Military Family Members are identified through their United States Uniformed Service Identification and Privilege Card. There’s no better time to start reaching your educational and career goals.
Military spouses and family members choose us for their career education needs because we make it easy to:
- Maximize transfer of prior credits
- Receive credit for approved corporate training
- Meet with military academic and financial aid adviors
- Receive affordable and flexible career training
MILITARY SPOUSE ADVANCEMENT ACCOUNTS (MYCAA)
The MyCAA program provides Financial Assistance for military spouses who are pursuing degree programs, licenses or credentials leading to careers in high growth, high demand portable career fields.
Eligibility:
- MyCAA provides a maximum education benefit of $4,000 with an annual fiscal year cap of $2,000 to assist eligible military spouses in acquiring a professional credential needed to meet their Portable Career goal. Annual cap waivers are available if there is an upfront tuition cost that exceeds $2,000 (up to the maximum education benefit of $4,000).
- This program is available to spouses of active-duty service members or activated Guard or Reserve members in pay grades E1-E5, W1-W2, and O1-O2.
- If the spouse of National Guard and/or AGR member, the sponsor must be on federal Title 10 active duty orders as reported in DEERS.
- Spouses of Guard/Reserve members in an Alert, Transition Assistance, or Post Deployment status are not eligible.
- Military spouses are required to finish their program of study within three years from the start date of the first course.
- 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 not eligible.
HOW TO GET STARTED
To apply for the MyCAA financial assistance and enroll at Vantage, please follow the instructions below.
- Set up a profile on MyCAA.
- Review and digitally sign (by entering your username and password) the MyCAA online Statement of Understanding (SOU) Terms and Conditions.
- Develop a Career and Training Plan as soon as possible. MyCAA does not reimburse for classes that have already started. Contact MyCAA@InvernessTechnologies.com for MyCAA technical support.
- Use the "School Search" function under the "Resources" tab; you can search by Vantage or State of Texas.
- Apply for admission at Vantage if you wish to receive MyCAA financial assistance. New students must complete an admissions application to Vantage.
- Enroll in a certificate program in the Healthcare, Business Management or IT fields at Vantage.
START TODAY! Call: (915) 777-3944
FAQ - FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Learn more about the Military Spouse Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) and read frequently asked questions about eligibility and financial aid.
Q. What is a Military Spouse Career Advancement Account (MyCAA)?
A. The Department of Defense (DoD) Military Spouse Career Advancement Account, also known as MyCAA, provides employment, career, education/training, counseling and financial assistance for spouses of activeduty and activated reserve components (Guard and Reserve) servicemembers worldwide.
Q. What is the purpose of the Career Advancement Accounts (MyCAA)?
A. The Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts Program (MyCAA) is a career development and employment assistance program sponsored by the Department of Defense (DoD). MyCAA helps military spouses pursue licenses, certificates, certifications or associate's degrees (excluding General Studies and Liberal Arts) necessary for gainful employment in high-demand, high-growth portable career fields and occupations.
Q. What kind of financial assistance is available through a Military Spouse Career Advancement Account (MyCAA)?
A. The Internet-based MyCAA tool allows spouses to apply for financial assistance for education, training, licensing or certification necessary for their portable careers.
Q. What are the steps that the spouse needs to take in getting started with a Career Advancement Account?
A. Refer to the How To Get Started section on this page for specific steps you need to take to enroll in a certificate program using yMyCAA benefits.
Q. Who is eligible for a Military Spouse Career Advancement Account (MyCAA)?
A. Spouses married to an active-duty or activated reserve component (Guard or Reserve) servicemember (e.g. your military sponsor) in pay grades E1-E5, W1-W2, and O1-O2 are eligible to participate in MyCAA. This includes Active Guard/Reserve (AGR) and Coast Guard deployed with the Navy.
Q. How will spouse's eligibility be verified?
A. DoD will use DEERS to verify eligibility for MyCAA based on your sponsor’s social security number.If the sponsor has not registered the spouse in DEERS or spouses personal information in DEERS is out-of-date,the spouse should contact DEERS at:Toll-free: 1-800-538-9552TTY/TTD: 1-866-363-2883DEERS Web siteFor assistance, the spouse may contact Military One Source Career/Education Consultant (1-800-342-9647).
Q. If the military sponsor has a date of separation in DEERS that is less than a year away, am I still eligible?
A. Eligibility ends when the sponsor leaves active duty.
Q. If the military sponsor is activated Guard or Reserve, but his/her orders aren't for a full year or more, is the spouse still eligible?
A. No, effective immediately, only those spouses whose servicemembers are executing Title 10 orders will be eligible. This includes spouses of deployed National Guard and Reserve members who are activated on Title 10 orders. This change in practice is to better comply with the program's authorizing legislation. Guard and Reserve spouses are no longer eligible from date of alert to 180 days past deployment. In addition, all spouse participants must be able to start and complete their courses while their military sponsor is on Title 10 orders.
Q. If legally separated or divorced from sponsor is the spouse still eligible?
A. No, the MyCAA legislation specifically excludes spouses who are divorced and spouses who are married to, but legally separated from, their sponsor under court order or statute of any state or territorial possession of the United States.
Q. If both spouses are members of the armed forces is either eligible?
A. No, the MyCAA legislation specifically excludes spouses who are members of the armed forces. Spouses are not eligible if the spouse is on active duty, Guard, Reserve or Inactive Ready Reserve (IRR).
Q. Is a spouse who is also a veteran, but is no longer in the military, eligible?
A. Yes, if the spouse is married to an active-duty or activated Guard or Reserve servicemember, he or she is eligible.
Q. Can a spouse use MyCAA financial assistance if the spouse already has a job?
A. Yes, if the spouse needs a license, certification, credential, education or training in order to seek or maintain employment or move up his or her career ladder, then the spouse is eligible for MyCAA financial assistance.
Q. What if a spouse already paid for a class or fee that the spouse wants put in the career plan? Can the spouse get the money back through MyCAA Financial Assistance?
A. According to Military One Source, spouses can not be provided a tuition assistance voucher for courses that they already paid for out of their own funds.
Q. If the spouse already has a degree, can he or she take graduate courses with MyCAA financial assistance?
A. Beginning October 25, 2010, MyCAA funding is restricted to associate's degrees and programs of study and tests leading directly to licensures and certifications.
Q. If the spouse finishes the career plan and then relocates, can MyCAA be used again?
A. Yes, as long as the entire $4,000 has not been used the spouse may continue to use MyCAA financial assistance.
Q. Will the spouse have to pay for any part of their career plan?
A. MyCAA will pay up to $4,000 of the spouse’s career plan. The spouse is responsible for any remaining costs.The spouse should contact Excel Military Education Office (1-800-778-EXCEL) to discuss the best way to use available MyCAA financial assistance. The spouse may also be eligible for additional funding from sources such as Pell Grants, GI Bill/Post 911 Education Bill, Scholarships, etc. and may use them in conjunction with the MyCAA financial assistance. Excel advisors can help student explore other financial aid opportunities as well.
Q. Are there costs which are not covered by MyCAA financial assistance?
A. Financial assistance does NOT include the following: separate payments for books, supplies or equipment (e.g. costs not directly included in the tuition fees); computers; graduation fees; child care, student activity cards; application fees; transportation; parking; technology fees; or medical services testing fees.
Q. What are the requirements after a spouse finishes a block of study?
A. The spouse needs to confirm that Excel submitted his or her grades to MyCAA. He or she also needs to notify the MOS Career/Education Consultant when he or she completes the chosen career plan and upon receiving a license, certification or academic degree. Finally, the spouse needs to let the MOS Career/Education Consultant know about when he or she finds a new job.
Q. If the spouse is not interested in financial assistance, can the spouse still participate in MyCAA?
A. Yes, the spouse can create a profile, participate in forums, serve as a mentor, talk to a Military Career/Education Consultant and access MyCAA Resources to help make career and life decisions.
