Education Opportunities for Military Spouses

Military spouses are remarkable individuals. They must be flexible; often setting their own ambitions for continuing education and a career on hold, while adjusting to the high demands of a military lifestyle. They are also the rock of the family; upholding the family cohesion through missions, deployments, and the challenges of transitioning back into the civilian community. So, what about their individual education and career ambitions? Do they really need to be postponed, or worse – forgotten? Absolutely not! Military spouses share some of the same barriers as their military partners, when pursuing an education and finding a portable career that fits their complex lifestyle. But, financial support and resources are available to help YOU, the military spouse, reach your goals.

Spouse Education and Career Opportunities (SECO)

The Department of Defense (DoD) established the Spouse Education and Career Opportunities (SECO) program to help provide education and career guidance to military spouses worldwide, offering comprehensive resources and tools related to:

• career exploration
• education
• training and licensing
• employment readiness
• career connections

SECO provides a wide variety of information in the form of symposiums, newsletters, blogs, fact sheets, social media, and more. It’s a great place to start you on your path to completing your education and following your career goals.

My Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) Scholarship

Another education resource is the My Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) Scholarship Program which offers up to a maximum of $4,000 for financial assistance to eligible military spouses. Review many Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and the Fact Sheet for detailed information about this program.

The MyCAA Scholarship pays tuition costs for your education, training courses, and examinations leading to an associate degree (excluding associate degrees in General Studies, Liberal Arts and Interdisciplinary Studies that do not have a concentration). The scholarship also covers the costs to help you obtain a license, certificate, or certification at an accredited college, university, or technical school in the United States or approved testing organization that expands employment or portable career opportunities for military spouses.

Thousands of schools participate in the MyCAA Program. They are all thoroughly vetted to ensure the best education, training, and career services available. Schools must comply with the MyCAA policy and program requirements and be accredited by a regulatory body recognized by the Department of Education (DoE) or DoD. They must also abide by the MyCAA School Users Terms and Conditions Agreement. More information is available on the MyCAA website.

Other Education and Funding Resources

Visit these websites for additional information and career resources:

• Military One Source
• National Military Family Association
• Career One Stop
• U.S. Department of Education
• Veterans Administration (VA) GI Bill

Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP)

Once your program of study is completed, it’s time to find a career that matches your interests, skills, abilities and goals. Of course, all in keeping pace with an active military and family life. You can find career exploration, employment readiness, and career connections using the DoD’s Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP).

MSEP helps to connect talented military spouses with hundreds of partner employers, who have committed to recruit, hire, promote and retain military spouses. Join a unique and talented group of professionals with a strong work ethic and motivated employees with skills critically important to success in today’s world. Connect with an MSEP expert or download the MSEP fact sheet. The career portal partner companies are numerous and can be found here.

There is no reason that you should set your own ambitions for continuing education and a career on hold. You can meet the high demands of a military lifestyle when you know and use the resources available to you. DANTES, the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education, provides programs to support your education and career goals as well. Check them out! Start today and please share this information with other military spouses.