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By Frida Cooper

It’s a great honor and a privilege to serve in the military. But let’s also remember the great sacrifice made by family members of military personnel. They often don’t see or hear from their deployed loved ones for months on end. Sometimes, they aren’t allowed to even know where their loved ones are.

To reward their sacrifice, military dependents have been given opportunities and benefits to make their lives just a little easier. Military Spouse Career Advancement Account Program (MyCAA) funding is one such educational benefit provided to military spouses who wish to pursue an education. American Military University is one of the schools that encourages eligible military spouses to apply.

If you’re the spouse of a man or woman currently serving and you’re interested in higher learning, take note of these five reasons why you should consider applying for MyCAA funding.

1. It Prepares You for a Portable Career

MyCAA funding is provided for portable courses only. Which means, once you finish the course, you would be able to have a career in that field in any part of the world. This is a huge advantage for military spouses, as their lives are subjected to complete relocation every few years.

2. You Can Study Anywhere

Most MyCAA-approved schools provide online courses that you can take at home. You can complete all classes from the comfort of your couch. There is no fixed routine, so you can complete the coursework when you have time, so long as you meet assignment deadlines. All in all, it gives you a lot of flexibility in terms of time management.

3. Get $4,000 in Student Aid

If you are deemed eligible for MyCAA funding, a grant of $4,000 is given to cover the course tuition over a two-year span.

4. Application is quick and easy

Candidates who want to enroll in MyCAA-approved online schools need not worry about having to wait for months to get their applications approved. MyCAA applications take no more than two weeks to be processed from the date of application.

For added convenience, after your application is approved, the funds are directly transferred to the school you have chosen. At no point are you tasked with the responsibility of making sure the money reaches your school.

5. There Is No Limit to Educational Options

As previously mentioned, there are hundreds of MyCAA-approved online schools across the country, including American Military University. Most provide a large variety of courses and programs that are related to portable careers. Career Step, an online career school, has been approved by the United States Department of Defense to train military spouses. It offers a whole range of courses in healthcare, administration, and technology. You can complete a course in as little as 4 months for anything between $3,000 and $4,000.

I hope this was enough to convince you to get in touch with your MyCAA advisor and get started on your application today.

About the Author:

Frida Cooper has been working as a career guidance counselor for about 12 years. She’s stayed on top of growing industry trends through market research and interaction with young students and working professional alike. Her hobbies include swimming, meditation, and music. She believes that everyone can enjoy a lucrative career by paying close attention to their passions and aptitudes.

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Dr. Heath is the Program Director for Human Development and Family Studies at APU.
Dr. Ratliff is the Program Director of the M.Ed. in School Counseling at APU.

Families experience enormous amounts of stress when one parent goes off to war. Rules and boundaries change, chores may be divided up differently, and loyalties are renegotiated. As the reality of a partner’s deployment sinks in, the remaining parent may find it hard to function, since he or she is suffering a significant upheaval and loss of support. Eventually, though, most non-deployed parents find ways to cope. They learn new skills, find new social groups, and establish new routines. Yet most eagerly await the return of their partner, and children, especially, look forward to a return to normalcy.

By Craig Gilman
Faculty member with American Military University

Sometimes… life happens. It doesn’t matter how well or how far in advance you plan, some things simply cannot be anticipated. While this is true for anyone, for those serving in the military, odds are life will happen sooner, rather than later. Whether you have finally signed up for that first class or are only a couple of classes away from graduation, life simply does not care. However, if you take the right attitude and approach, your professors and university should.

by Bradley Hood
In Military Education Contributor

During my time at American Military University, I encountered a number of individuals who managed to complete classes while deployed. Since I have not deployed myself (despite being in service since 2008), I cannot yet speak from experience on how feasible it is, though I would imagine it depends significantly on the individual circumstance.

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AVP & Dean, Center for Teaching and Learning at American Public University System

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