MyCAA provides educational assistance for military spouses

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Melanie Iannaggi
  • 56th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  The Defense Department's Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts program is providing up to $6,000 of financial assistance to military spouses pursuing college degrees, licenses or credentials leading to employment in portable career fields.

Portable career fields are those that are likely to provide job opportunities in most locations where military servicemembers are stationed. Some examples of portable career fields are business management, construction, education, finance, health services, homeland security, hospitality management, human resources, information technology and real estate.

The program started in May and is helping many spouses of active-duty members at Luke Air Force Base, like Patricia Thurgood, 56th Force Support Squadron Airman and Family and Readiness Center community readiness technician and wife of Tech. Sgt. Chad Thurgood, 56th Fighter Wing Flight Safety superintendent. Not only has she participated in the program, but her job is to help inform people on base about all the programs that Luke offers.

"My experience with the MyCAA program was amazingly easy," Mrs. Thurgood said. "I'm working on a master's in social work and can use all the money I can get for school."

Due to the popularity of the program, spouses should expect to wait up to two weeks to hear from an educational consultant after they register, Mrs. Thurgood said.

To register, spouses need to create an account at http://aiportal.acc.af.mil/mycaa.

"I entered my demographic information and MyCAA verified my eligibility with the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System," she said. "Then I created my career and training plan and contacted a Military OneSource career and education consultant. We discussed my plans and she approved them.

Finally, I logged in and requested financial assistance and it was approved within 90 days of my course start date. I faxed the approval form to the student accounts office at my school and the funding was there that day."

Michelle Raper, wife of Chief Master Sgt. Randall Raper, 56th FW command chief, also said her experience was really easy.

"It's a great deal for a spouse who is ready to go back to school and wants to get started now," she said. "Getting everything set up for financial aid through colleges and universities can take a while because of the forms and processes. MyCAA doesn't take nearly as much time to get everything set up. I think it took me about a week when I did it."

Mrs. Thurgood said MyCAA also addresses job readiness, employment assistance and job placement.

"Military spouses at all stages of life need time to explore portable career fields and current job market conditions in communities where they will live," Mrs. Raper said. "MyCAA helps people preparing to join or rejoin the work force. They also help working parents find child and youth care they can trust."

For more information about MyCAA, call Mrs. Thurgood at the Airman and Family Readiness Center at (623) 856-6550, or call a Military OneSource consultant at (800) 342-9647.