My Career Advancement Account Scholarship Program (MyCAA): Military Spouse Career Advancement
The MyCAA (My Career Advancement Account) program offers up to $4,000 in tuition assistance to eligible military spouses, helping them pursue licenses, certificates, or associate degrees in portable career fields.
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In 2026, MyCAA was rebranded and is now called SpouseWorks. Its scholarship program is entitled the SpouseWorks Scholarship. The scholarship remains a military spouse education and workforce-development benefit, but eligibility has expanded significantly since the program was originally established.
Are you aware that the military has a scholarship program for military spouses? Some refer to it as the Spouse Tuition Assistance Program, but it is officially known as the My Career Advancement Account Scholarship or MyCAA. The program is run through the Department of Defense. It is designed to help military spouses have better opportunities for employment – which can be difficult when dealing with frequent deployments and relocations.
Unlike the original MyCAA program, the SpouseWorks Scholarship is no longer limited to spouses of junior enlisted servicemembers and junior officers. Eligible spouses can qualify regardless of their servicemember’s rank or pay grade.
SpouseWorks Scholarship at a Glance
The SpouseWorks Scholarship, formerly known as the My Career Advancement Account Scholarship (MyCAA), provides eligible military spouses with up to $4,000 in financial assistance for education and training that can lead to employment or career advancement.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is the SpouseWorks Scholarship? | It is a military spouse workforce-development benefit that provides up to $4,000 in financial assistance for eligible education and training. It was formerly known as the My Career Advancement Account Scholarship, or MyCAA. |
| Who qualifies? | Spouses of active-duty servicemembers in the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, and Space Force can qualify regardless of the servicemember’s rank or pay grade. Spouses of qualifying National Guard and Reserve servicemembers can also qualify when the servicemember is serving under qualifying Title 10 orders. |
| How much does it pay? | The SpouseWorks Scholarship provides up to $4,000 in financial assistance. |
| What can it pay for? | Eligible expenses can include education and training for a license, certification or associate degree needed to enter an occupation or career field. Funds can also be used for certain continuing education courses needed to maintain a license or certification and for certain national tests, including CLEP exams used to earn course credits toward an approved degree. |
| Can I use it for a bachelor’s or graduate degree? | No. The SpouseWorks Scholarship is not a general tuition benefit for completing a bachelor’s or graduate degree. Its primary purpose is to help spouses obtain career-focused licenses, certifications and associate degrees. |
| How do I apply? | Start by creating an account through SpouseWorks and checking your eligibility. You will complete the scholarship registration, then schedule a coaching session with a SpouseWorks career coach and develop an Education and Training Plan. The plan must be approved before you receive financial assistance. |
| Where can I get help? | SpouseWorks career coaches can help spouses understand the benefit, explore career options, find eligible education and training programs, and complete the application process. You can call Military OneSource at 800-342-9647 to schedule a coaching session. |
Important: The SpouseWorks Scholarship is not automatically available for every school, program, or education-related expense. Before enrolling or paying for a program, make sure the school and program are eligible and that your Education and Training Plan has been approved.
MyCAA Eligibility & Benefits
The MyCAA name is now outdated, but the underlying scholarship continues as the SpouseWorks Scholarship. The scholarship is available to spouses of active-duty, National Guard and Reserve Component servicemembers in the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Space Force who are serving under qualifying Title 10 orders. There is no longer a rank or pay-grade restriction.
For National Guard and Reserve spouses, the servicemember must be serving under qualifying Title 10 orders. Spouses whose sponsors are in warning-order, alert, post-deployment, demobilization, or transition status are not eligible under the current scholarship rules.
Attention Coast Guard Spouses: The FY2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) extended Military OneSource eligibility to include Coast Guard spouses! (This is a DoD program; the Coast Guard is covered under the Department of Homeland Security.) However, the SpouseWorks Scholarship benefit is not explicitly offered to Coast Guard spouses.
Here are some key features of the program:
- Up to $4,000 in financial assistance: Eligible spouses can receive up to $4,000 through the SpouseWorks Scholarship. The current program information describes the benefit as up to $4,000 in financial assistance rather than the older MyCAA language of a $2,000-per-fiscal-year cap.
- Eligible programs for study: The scholarship can be used for licenses, certifications and associate degrees necessary to gain employment in an eligible occupation or career field. It can also cover certain continuing education courses needed to maintain a professional license or certification. It is not a general-purpose benefit for completing a bachelor’s or graduate degree.
- National testing: Eligible spouses may also use scholarship funds for certain national tests used to earn course credits required for an approved degree program, including College Level Examination Program (CLEP) tests.
- Career-focused education: The program is intended to support education and credentials connected to employment and career advancement, particularly credentials that can be used in a portable career.
What is Covered Under the MyCAA Program
The MyCAA benefits can be used for tuition for education and training courses and licensing fees. It can also cover certifications for teachers, medical professionals, and other professional certifications; licensing exams; and degree programs.
What is Not Covered Under the MyCAA Program
MyCAA cannot be used for GED tests, English as a Second Language courses, continuing education units through professional associations, or preparatory courses. The MyCAA program does not cover application or enrollment fees, lab fees, student ID cards, computer and technology fees, and many other associated education fees commonly found on college campuses.
Do not rely on the older MyCAA reimbursement rules or assume that expenses will be reimbursed after the fact. The current application process requires an approved Education and Training Plan before financial assistance is provided.
A complete list of what is and is not covered can be found through the current SpouseWorks Scholarship resources and FAQs.
Why the MyCAA (SpouseWorks Scholarship) Eligibility Rules Changed
The original MyCAA program was intentionally targeted toward spouses of junior servicemembers, which is why the older eligibility rules limited participation to certain enlisted and officer pay grades. Those restrictions no longer apply to the SpouseWorks Scholarship.
The current program takes a broader approach: eligible spouses can receive career and education assistance regardless of their servicemember’s rank or pay grade. This recognizes that military spouse employment and career challenges can occur throughout a military family’s career, not only during the early years of service.
SpouseWorks also goes beyond the scholarship itself. The broader program provides career coaching, career assessments, resume tools, job-search resources, education guidance, and other employment resources for eligible military spouses.
MyCAA Application Process
Eligible military spouses can begin the application process at the official MyCAA/SpouseWorks website. Spouses will need to create a profile and check their eligibility via myAuth. Once eligibility is established, the spouse can create a Career and Training Plan, which will need approval. The student can then request their financial assistance document within 30 days of the first class date. Spouses must apply to the school and enroll in the courses on their own.
You can also contact your school academic advisor for assistance. If they are unfamiliar with the MyCAA program or you need additional assistance, contact a Career and Education Consultant at Military OneSource. They can be reached at 1-800-342-9647. The consultant can assist with finding a career field that interests you and help you navigate through the process.
Overall, this is a good plan to help spouses of junior military members get started on their degree plan or to obtain a license that can be used to help further their careers.
