Education Benefits for Military Spouses
The U.S. government offers educational benefits not only for enlisted personnel, but also for their spouses, whether pursuing a college degree, professional licensing or other credentials. Different branches of the military offer different benefits, as do different government agencies. Additionally, some states offer education benefits to service members as well. Thus, to get the most available benefits, you'll have to research to see what's available to you.
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Veterans Affairs
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The Department of Veterans Affairs offers educational aid through its Spouse and Dependents Education Assistance Program, which is part of the GI Bill. Eligible spouses can receive up to 45 months of financial aid. The money is good toward degree and certificate programs, apprenticeships and training acquired on the job. Correspondence courses are also covered, as are remedial classes in certain instances.
Department of Defense
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The Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts (MyCAA) program offers as much as $6,000 in financial aid for spouses of enlisted service members. The money can be used to help pay for degree programs, professional licenses and other credentials that lead to employment. The program is administered through the Department of Defense.
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Branch-Specific Programs
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Different branches of the military offer additional educational benefits for enlisted personnel. For instance, the Army's Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC) program allows spouses of service members to take distance courses toward an associate's or bachelor's degree from Army installations throughout the world. And the Army's Stateside Souse Education Assistance Program offers need-based assistance for spouses of active duty Army personnel and widows of solders who died during active duty. The Air Force's General Henry H. Arnold Education Grant Program provides grants to spouses of full-time active duty, retired and deceased service members for education.
State Aid
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Various states provide educational benefits to dependents of deceased, missing-in-action and prisoner-of-war service members. For instance, in California, a spouse of a disabled or deceased veteran may be able to take courses at California State University, University of California or California Community College system free of charge, with tuition and fees waived. And in Alaska, spouses of soldiers who died in the line of duty or as the result of injury sustained during service can get free tuition at state institutions.
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References
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