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2016 Programs Highlights
Special Needs Grant
CGMA introduced a grant in 2015 that provides financial assistance to Active Duty cli‐ents who are faced with extra costs related to their dependents with special needs. To be eligible, clients must have dependents registered in the Coast Guard special needs program. This grant, up to $3000 per client, helps fund fees for specialized activities (camps, clubs, sporting leagues); the cost of adaptive equipment such as heavy duty strollers, wheelchairs, and shoes; and the cost of other resources designed to meet spe‐cial needs, like Assistive Technology Devices (communication devices, hearing aids, etc.) or specialized computer software, and membership fees to organizations that provide special needs services. Coast Guard Mutual Assistance was able to double the number of families that were helped in 2016 by providing $41,000 to alleviate some of the financial impact unique to these clients, a 140% increase over 2015.
Baby Layettes
CGMA’s “Welcome Baby Package” is offered to all clients who are having a baby or are adopting one. The Layette, valued at over $70, contains a receiving blanket, crib sheets, clothes and other items for a newborn child. In 2016, CGMA supplied $28,700 in baby supplies to 490 Coast Guard families.
Dear Coast Guard Mutual Assistance,
Thank you so much…
It was a big help to prepare us for the baby!
Thank you, Russell and Elizabeth Poole
Education Programs
CGMA has several education programs to support the financial endeavors of the Coast Guard family. During a time where tuition assistance is not guaranteed and more de‐pendents are going back to school in order to gain employment, the existing programs help our family achieve their academic goals. The interest free education loan allows cli‐ents to borrow $3000 for themselves or dependents without worries of paying interest. CGMA assisted clients with over $168,000 for education expenses including tuition. For clients that paid the loan origination fee for federal student loans (up to 4%), CGMA offered direct reimbursement on these charges, supplying over $21,000 to clients in 2016.
During the second half of 2016, CGMA’s most popular program, the Supplemental Edu‐cation Grant (SEG), increased from $350 to $500 per calendar year. The program is avail‐able to all CGMA clients and eligible dependents at all degree levels. With a competitive job market requiring further degrees and education, the SEG serves to help our clients achieve a higher education by covering costs of books and supplies. Compared with 2015, CGMA increased spending on this program by 35% in 2016, providing over $780,000 to Coast Guard clients.
Tutoring Services
In 2015, CGMA entered an agreement with Tutor.com which provides one‐on‐one tutor‐ing with a live expert online 24/7 for active duty clients, their spouses, and their depend‐ent children. The tutors are qualified to help students grades K‐12 and college with over forty subjects, plus support for resume writing and career transition issues. In 2016, CGMA covered expenses for over 5,200 tutoring and skills center sessions, costing slight‐ly over $62,000.
Service Animals Loan
CGMA offers a loan of up to $6,000 for the purchase or training of a service animal to as‐sist a client who is disabled or a member of the client’s immediate family who is disabled. Service animals may be dogs or other animals trained to the requirements of the individu‐al with a disability, including, but not limited to, mobility issues, visual impairment, hear‐ing impairment, seizures, diabetes, PTSD, autism, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, and other physical or mental disabilities.
Emergency Pet Expenses
CGMA recently expanded assistance for costs related to emergency pet expenses. Quali‐fying circumstances include pet quarantine fees during PCS transfer, veterinary bills for emergency treatment when a pet has become injured or seriously ill, and pet lodging ex‐penses during a move, emergency evacuation or during other emergencies when a pet cannot accommodate the client during travel. Over the course of 2016, CGMA helped 14 clients with pet expenses, totaling $22,000.
