PHOTO COURTESY/METRO CREATIVE CONNECTION
MILITARY SPOUSES STILL GETTING TUITION HELP, JUST NOT AS MUCH
THE MILITARY SPENT $185 MILLION ON MYCAA BENEFITS IN FISCAL 2010, AND ABOUT $53 MILLION IN 2011. 4
By C.D. Carter
Two years after the Defense Department slashed educational benefits for spouses of service members, they are receiving tuition assistance for certificate and licensing programs, and many lament the changes to the popular initiative. In July 2010 that the Military Spouse Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) program, the Defense Department officials announced the cap would be reduced to $4,000 and only be available for spouses of service members in the military’s lowest pay grades, including E1 - E5,W1 W2 and O1 - O2. It must be used within 3 years for career advancement, according to the MyCAA website. MyCAA money can only be used by those seeking associate’s degrees, certification or licensure in their field. This is a change means that money can no longer be used for bachelors and master’s degree programs, according to the MyCAA website.
Janet McIntosh, a military spouse based in Oklahoma and a member of the Army Wife Network, said she was grateful to be among the spouses grand-fathered into the original program before the reductions were made. “The money basically doesn't mean anything to anyone who wants to pursue bachelors and masters degrees,” said McIntosh, who has worked with Rep. Glenn Nye (D-Va.) to continue MyCAA’s original funding. “It's disheartening and it's sad.When you're supporting the family, you're supporting the soldier. You can let the soldier better do his mission because they know their family is being taken care of. … I wish we had the original program.” McIntosh, who used MyCAA assistance and her husband’s GI Bill benefits to earn her bachelor’s degree in elementary education, said cuts to military educational programs should be expected during difficult economic times. Still, she See SPOUSES continued on page 7
HIGHER EDUCATION & LIFE LONG LEARNING • Fall 2012