MyCAA: Everything you Need to Know

Hannah Heine

6 years ago

What Military Spouses Need to Know About MyCAA

MYCAA stands for the My Career Advancement Account Scholarship. MYCAA is a program that will give you up to $4,000 of tuition assistance for your education, broken up as $2,000 per year for two years.

Military spouses, schools, and a Spouse Education and Career Opportunities (SECO) career coach will need to work together to define a clear career path for the military spouse. This plan is called an education and training plan, and it must be completed in order to receive the funds from MYCAA.

Who is the MyCAA Program For?

The My Career Advancement Account Scholarship program is open “to spouses of active-duty service members, National Guard and reserve members under qualifying Title 10 orders in pay grades E-1 through E-6, W-1 through W-2 and O-1 through O-3” according to the official site.

Spouses remain eligible for financial assistance if their sponsor is promoted above the eligible ranks as long as they have initiated the process and have an approved education and training plan in place. This means if a military spouse of an E-5 starts a program, and six months later, her spouse is promoted to an E-6, they can still continue to use MYCAA.

What Does MyCAA Provide If I Qualify?

This workplace development program will provide up to $4,000 of tuition assistance for your education, divided into $2,000 per year for two years.

You must have completed high school.
Your spouse must be on Title 10 orders.
National Guard and Reserve spouses are eligible while their spouse is on active duty on Title 1o orders

What Are Title 10 Orders?

Title 10 of the US Code outlines the role of the armed forces. Legally, this means being on “active full-time service” as opposed to part-time status like you are a lot of the time in the National Guard or the Reserves.

What MyCAA Pays For:

MyCAA will pay for your tuition for:

Associates degrees
Obtaining a license
Obtaining a certificate or certification
An approved testing organization that expands employment or portable career opportunities for military spouses.
Can be used for College Level Examination Program (CLEP) tests.

Is There Anything MyCAA Doesn’t Pay For?

You can’t use MyCAA for books, supplies, equipment, uniforms, computers, or electronic devices.

Tuition for courses and examinations not included in the spouse’s Education and Training Plan
Reimbursements
Student activities
Prepayment for future courses
Entrance examinations
Comprehensive exams
Prep courses
Fees
Nonacademic credit or ungraded courses,
Courses taken more than one time, unless the My Career Advancement Account Scholarship has received a full refund from the school
Academic credit by examination
Transportation
Lodging, child care, and medical services
Course extensions
Study-abroad programs
Private licenses
High school completion programs
Continuing education credits

How to Sign Up for MyCAA

Head over to the MyCAA Scholarship Spouse Portal Online. There will be a DEERS eligibility check to confirm whether you meet the requirements. If you do, you can establish your MyCAA account.

Will I Receive $4,000 a Year?

No, there is an annual cap of $2,000 per fiscal year. However, there may be spending cap waivers if the program you want to do costs more than that per year.

Can I Use MyCAA at Any School?

The school you use MyCAA at has to be accredited by a suitable agency and recognized by the US Department of Education. Here’s a list of MyCAA schools, or you can search for schools here.

How Soon Should I Start the Process?

Allow 2 months. You should submit your education and training plan for approval at least two months before you plan to start the program.

What Happens If I’m Not Approved?

You will get a message from the system letting you know why you were not approved as well as the required steps to take to get approved if that is possible.

What If MyCAA Does Not Cover All Expenses?

MyCAA likely can’t pay for all of your education. Make sure you also apply using FAFSA, which is the application for federal student aid.

You can also look into transferring your spouse’s Post 9/11 GI Bill to you. Additionally, there are many scholarships you can apply for that are specific for military spouses.

How Do I Get Help With All of This?

Make an appointment with a MySECO Career Counselor to help develop an individual career plan. Make sure to also check out the MyCAA Fact Sheet for more information.

To get started with MYCAA, call Military One Source at 1-800-342-9647 or visit their website. With these changes, more military spouses should be able to pursue careers during military life.