The Ultimate MyCAA Fact Sheet: What to Know

Sacrificing a rewarding career is a thing of the past for military spouses. Thanks to government-funded scholarship programs such as the My Career Advancement Account Grant (MyCAA), military spouses can afford to train for a rewarding portable career.

MyCAA is a grant specifically for military spouses. It awards eligible military spouses up to $4,000 for continuing education tuition. This grant was established in 2009 by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) in hopes of easing the struggles military spouses face in finding a career.

MyCAA Fact Sheet

These top 5 MyCAA facts will help answer some of the questions potential recipients might have.

1. Who is eligible to receive MyCAA?

Only military spouses with a high school diploma or GED are eligible for MyCAA. To qualify, their service member spouse must be on Title 10 orders and be in one of the following pay grades:

• E-1 to E-5

• W-1 to W-2

• O-1 to O-2‌

2. Who is NOT eligible to receive MyCAA‌?

Military spouses who are members of the armed forces themselves are not eligible to receive MyCAA. Additional exclusions include:

• Spouses who are legally separated from their military sponsor.

• Spouses of a National Guard service member with warning orders, demobilization, or transition status.

3. Does MyCAA always pay $4,000?

MyCAA has a $2,000 cap per year for two years with a maximum payout of $4,000. Eligible recipients can apply for a cap waiver if the program has upfront tuition that exceeds the $2,000 cap. If the recipient receives a waiver and is awarded the full $4,000 the first year, they will not be eligible for more funds the second year.

If the education or training program is less than the cap, MyCAA will only pay the required amount. For example, if the training is $1,500 in the fiscal year, MyCAA will pay $1,500. The military spouse will not get the remaining $500. However, if tuition for the second year is $2,500, the spouse can apply for a waiver to get $2,500 since they only used $1,500 the previous year.

4. Is MyCAA a one-time thing?

Eligible spouses can apply for MyCAA only once. However, portions of the grant can be used at different times. To use portions of the grant at different times, the spouse’s military sponsor must remain under Title 10 orders the entire time.

5. What does MyCAA pay for?

The MyCAA grant will pay for tuition for an Associate’s Degree, certifications, licenses, and national tests required to meet the military spouse’s approved education and training program. In addition, the educational institution must be an approved MyCAA school.

For More Information About MyCAA

The MyCAA grant is an excellent program to help military spouses fund the educational training to achieve a successful portable career.

Visit the MyCAA website for more information and to begin the application process. Military spouses can quickly discover in real-time if they’re eligible for MyCAA through the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS).