Mycaa
Military Spouse Accounts – Funds Reinstated!
Author: Gianna Gee
Are you an active-duty military spouse
that had to put their education on hold after losing your
MyCAA funds? On March 13, 2010, the Department of Defense
(DoD) made a very special announcement concerning MyCAA military
spouse accounts – funds will be reinstated for accounts
that are currently open.
This means that military spouses who
have existing accounts will have access to the entire MyCAA
Web site. This includes the ability to create and have financial
documents approved.
This good news follows a previous DoD
announcement that stated the MyCAA program would be temporarily
on hold for an unspecified amount of time. Now, military spouses
who opened MyCAA accounts can do what they originally set
out to do – pursue their education.
Do you have questions about how MyCAA
works? Here's a brief overview of the program to get you started:
What is the MyCAA program?
The DoD Military Spouse Career Advancement
Accounts program provides military spouses with up to $6,000
of financial assistance for pursuing an education that will
lead to a license, certification, credential or degree and
a portable career.
Who is eligible?
Under the recent changes announced
by the DoD on March 13, you must meet the following in order
to be eligible for MyCAA:
* Be a spouse of an active duty service
member or a spouse of an activated member of the National
Guard/Reserve who are on Title 10 orders
* Currently have an existing/open MyCAA account
What does MyCAA cover?
* Education and Training Courses
* Professional Licenses, Licensing Exams and related prep
courses
* Certifications
* Credentials
* Continuing Education (CEU)
* Degree Programs
* High School Completion Courses and ED Tests
* English as a Second Language Courses (ESL)
Does MyCAA cover the costs of materials
and items related to obtaining my education?
The following items are not covered
under MyCAA:
* Computers
* Miscellaneous Electronic Items (laptops, iPods, etc)
* Application Fees
* Association Membership Fees
* Student Activity Cards
* University Entrance Exams or Related Preparation Courses
* Health Care Services
* Child Care Services
* Transportation and Parking Fees
* Graduation Fees
I have an existing MyCAA account. How
are the funds provided to my educational program or school?
Using your existing MyCAA account,
you will need to create a Training Plan. Your Training Plan
will include your career field of interest, a job description/occupation,
the name of the training program or school and course information
(i.e. costs, course name, course code, etc). You will need
to provide information for at least one course.
Next, your MyCAA Financial Assistance
(FA) request will be submitted. Once approved, your MyCAA
funds will be provided directly the program or school you
specified on a course by course basis.
How do I go about selecting the right
portable career?
As a military spouse, you have probably
endured your share of PCS moves. So, why not use MyCAA funds
to train for a portable career? And there are some great options
to consider. For example, you can use your MyCAA funds to
enroll in an online school (also portable) and pursue a health
care career in the medical transcription field.
In fact, many medical transcriptionists
work from home, and with the right training and experience,
often begin their own transcription businesses! This is a
beneficial career option for busy military spouses who want
to contribute to their family's financial stability, but must
also juggle the responsibilities of being a single parent
while a spouse is deployed.
If you haven't decided on a career
path, Medical Transcription is among the exciting, portable
career options that are worth looking into. If you need assistance,
consider contacting a MyCAA Career and Education Consultant
(visit the military one source Web site for the most up-to-date
contact information).
If
you have an open MyCAA Military spouse account, don't let
the opportunity to pursue your education pass you by.
MyCAA
Military
MyCAA Military - About the Author: Gianna
Gee is a military spouse who is using her MyCAA military spouse
account to complete an online education course that will prepare
her for certification in the health care field. Like many
military spouses, she was devastated at the DoD's temporary
halt of the MyCAA program. Now with the DoD offering the MyCAA
program to existing accounts, she hopes to encourage military
spouses to utilize this very special opportunity to pursue
an education.
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