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Military Spouse Career Advancement Account Scholarship (MyCAA) Broken Down

15 February 2015 by

MyCAA~A great benefit for Military Spouses, Broken Down

What is MyCAA?

Military Spouse Career Advancement Account
Scholarship — Helping Spouses Pursue Higher Education

The MyCAA Scholarship is a workforce development program that provides up to $4,000 of tuition assistance with an annual fiscal year cap of $2,000 to eligible military spouses. Annual cap waivers are available for licensure and certificate programs if there is an upfront tuition cost that exceeds $2,000 (up to the maximum education benefit of $4,000).  The scholarship helps military spouses pursue licenses, certificates, certifications or associate degrees necessary to gain employment in high demand, high growth portable career fields and occupations. Spouses may use their MyCAA funds at any academic institution approved for participation in the MyCAA Scholarship.

Who is eligible for the MyCAA Scholarship?

Spouses of service members on active duty in pay grades E-1 to E-5, W-1 to W-2 and O-1 to O-2 who can start and complete their coursework while their military sponsor is on Title 10 military orders, including spouses married to members of the National Guard and reserve component in these same pay grades.

Those who are not eligible include:

  • Spouses married to service members in pay grades E-6 and above, W-3 and above and O-3 and above
  • Spouses who are a member of the armed forces themselves currently on Title 10 orders
  • Spouses who are married but legally separated (or under court order or statute of any state or U.S. territory) from a member of the armed forces on Title 10 orders
  • Spouses whose National Guard/reserve component military sponsor is in a Warning Orders/Alert, Post Deployment/Demobilization or Transition Status
  • Spouses married to a member of the Coast Guard
  • Spouses who are unable to start and complete coursework while their military sponsor is on Title 10 orders

What will MyCAA pay for?

The MyCAA Scholarship pays tuition costs for education and 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 for obtaining 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.

To learn what MyCAA won't pay for click here.

Career Fields and Occupations Supported By MyCAA

Only the Career Fields and Occupations listed here are approved for the program. If you do not see the Career you would like to pursue listed below, please contact a SECO Career Counselor to request it be added as an approved Portable Career. 

What is a SECO Career Counselor?

Military OneSource Spouse Education and Career Opportunities career counseling. Comprehensive counseling services are available at no cost to all eligible military spouses through the SECO Career Center. Spouses can contact the SECO Career Center for personalized assistance with their education and career goals.  Learn more about SECO Career Counseling and what the program has to offer.
Call Military OneSource to speak to a SECO Career Counselor at 800-342-9647

You can also access online tools and resources 24/7 through the MySECO website. Additionally, spouses can search for job opportunities through the Military Spouse Employment Partnership Career Portal.

MyCAA Participating Schools and Programs

Find a Participating School or Search a Program offered by participating schools.

How To Get Started Using MyCAA

Effective February 13, 2015, the MyCAA Scholarship Program will be implementing the Department of Defense Self-Service Logon, or DS Logon, for accessing all  MyCAA accounts.  Current MyCAA username and password will no longer work after DS logon is implemented.  All current and future MyCAA participants will be required to utilize DS Logon to access their account.  Military spouses who are enrolled in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System, or DEERS, are eligible for a DS Logon account.


Please reference the DS Logon helper guides on the Spouse Resources page for help in establishing and utilizing your account.  For additional customer service support please contact the DMDC/DEERS Support Center at 800-477-8227.

Resources used for this article: 

MyCAA website

MilitaryOneSource Website~SECO Career Counseling

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