Military Spouse Scholarships

Featured Scholarships

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Attention, husbands or wives of military personnel!

There was an announcement about MyCAA that MyCAA program is temporarily halting operations. This pause will not affect approved Financial Assistance documents.

Under the Military Spouse Career Advancement Account program, the husbands or wives of military personnel are eligible to receive up to $6,000 to pursue further education.

Last week, the Defense Department abruptly stopped the program, telling students on the MyCAA website that the program was under review.

The Department of Defense says it saw an unforseen spike in applications this winter and the program almost reached its budget threshold.

The DOD says this is a temporary stop to the program until a new plan is in place.

There are lots of Military Spouse Alternative Education Funding Resources

Spouses say they hope the funding comes back so she and other military spouses can finally finish their degrees.

Click here to Visit More information about MyCAA Announcement.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:

1.     The Stateside Spouse Education Assistance Program (SSEAP) is a need-based education assistance program designed to provide spouses of active duty and retired Soldiers, and widows(ers) of Soldiers who died either on active duty or in a retired status, and residing in the United States, with financial assistance in pursuing educational goals. The purpose of the program is to assist spouses/widows(ers) in gaining the education required to allow them to qualify for increased occupational opportunities.  Individuals who receive free tuition as a result of their employment will not receive tuition assistance from AER. However, they may apply for assistance for fees, supplies or books (no duplicates) for classes in which they are enrolled.  “Active Duty” military personnel are not eligible.

2.     Spouses/widow(ers) must reside at a stateside residence, and be enrolled, accepted, or pending acceptance as full time students in post-secondary or vocational institutions and approved by the U.S. Department of Education.

3.     SSEAP is NOT an entitlement or automatically approved. SSEAP does not apply to second undergraduate or graduate level courses.

4.     Stateside financial assistance is awarded based on financial need, as evidenced by income, assets, family size, special financial obligations and circumstances.

5.     The scholarships are awarded annually for up to four (4) academic years to attend post secondary school FULL TIME for the entire academic year as first undergraduate level students. Funds are to assist with academic expenses at the attending University/School and will be disbursed equally between the Fall and Spring semesters or quarters to assist with tuition, books, fees and supplies.

6.     The Stateside Spouse Education Assistance Program scholarships are awarded annually for up to four academic years to attend post secondary school full time as undergraduate level students. All students must complete an application and mail all supporting documentation each year.

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Good News for Military Spouses,

Spouses of troops may get to change their state residency to that of their military counterpart as President Obama is expected to sign the Military Spouse Residency Relief Act within the next few days.

The U.S. House of Representatives approved the Military Spouse Residency Relief Act as part of the House Suspension Calendar by a unanimous voice vote on Monday, according to a news release from the office of Rep. John Carter, R-Round Rock.

“This is fantastic news for our service families worldwide,” Carter said in the news release. “We should have done this long ago, but at least we are now on track to have a new law in 2009.”

It was approved by the U.S. Senate July 23, according to previous Killeen Daily Herald article.

The legislation was put on a fast track for passage into law this year at the request of Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C.

The bill, if signed by President Obama, will allow a military spouse to maintain the same residency as their service member regardless of where they are stationed, Carter’s communication director John Stone said.

The bill will affect where the spouses can vote and obtain their vehicle registration, as well as other residency-based functions.

Service members have had that option for decades, while spouses have not.

For more detail, visit online https://aiportal.acc.af.mil/mycaa

As the spouse of a service member in the Armed Forces, you may be eligible to receive tuition assistance (TA) to help you pursue your educational and career goals.

Military Spouse Scholarships

While spouses don’t receive the same assistance as their active duty service members, funds received by utilizing available programs are helpful in defraying the costs associated with obtaining a college degree.  When applying for assistance, make sure you know the qualification requirements, specific deadlines, and paperwork required.

In an effort to help military spouses and family members with their educational objectives, the Department of Defense offers these new programs:

Post-9/11 GI Bill Transferability – A special provision offers education benefits for spouses and children of service members and veterans.  Those who have served a minimum of six years in the armed forces, and agree to serve an additional four, can now transfer unused GI Bill entitlement to their spouse.  After 10 years of service, they can transfer the benefit to their spouse or children.  Click here to learn more about Post 9-11 GI Bill Transferability.

Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts – This military spouse career advancement account program provides assistance to spouses looking to acquire the skills and credentials needed to begin or further their careers.  It can be used to pay up to $3,000 in fees per year for training and education, and can be renewed for an additional year.

In addition to the above, The Department of Veteran Affairs has introduced the Spouse and Dependents’ Assistance (DEA) program which offers assistance for education and training to those who qualify.

Scholarships and Grants – In the process of searching for assistance to help finance their schooling, many spouses and their families overlook the many military and veteran-related scholarships and grants that are out there. Many go unclaimed due to the following misconceptions:

-    Some believe that VA education benefits eliminate the need for any additional funds available though grants and scholarships.  The reality is that while Survivor and Dependent Education Assistance offers great benefits, it may not cover of all the costs.  There are hundreds of scholarships and grants designed especially for education-related expenses.
-    If you think that scholarships are just too hard to get and applying requires too much effort, think again.  The fact is that applications vary to a large degree, with some requiring nothing more than completing a short application.
-    Perhaps you are under the impression that scholarships are too difficult to find.  There is a fabulous online resource created to specifically to help service members find scholarships.  Visit the “Scholarship Finder” at Military.com.

For questions and eligibility regarding tuition Assistance (TA), get in touch with your local relief agency.  Visit Education4military.com to learn more about Military Spouse Career Advancement Account.

The Marines offer several programs designed to support the educational goals of its members.

The Marine Corps provides up to 100 percent of the cost to service members who elect to pursue off-duty or voluntary education. This would include all active-duty and Reserve enlisted Marines on continuous active duty attending accredited colleges and universities.

Officers who are on active-duty are eligible to receive Marine Corps Tuition Assistance if they commit to staying on active duty for two continuous years after completing the course funded by the program.

Those who meet eligibility requirements and elect to enroll in courses toward a degree may not exceed $4,500 in tuition-assistance funds per fiscal year. Funding is limited to $250 per semester hour or the equivalent in undergraduate, graduate, vocational and technical classes, independent study and distance-learning programs.

Marine Corps College Fund – Marines who demonstrate a potential for academic excellence and are listed on eligible Marines’ contracts during their initial enlistment into the service may be eligible to receive tuition assistance through this fund.

Montgomery G.I. Bill -  At the time of their initial enlistment, service members can sign up for the Montgomery G.I. Bill. During the first year, a monthly deduction of $100 is taken out of the participant’s paycheck. After that, a marine can use the Bill at any time for up to 10 years following the time of honorable discharge. Those on active duty can use is in conjunction with tuition assistance.

Article Source: http://www.education4military.com/reblog/2009/10/marine-tuition-assistances-eligibility.html