Military Spouse Scholarships: Unlocking Educational Opportunities for Military Families

Anyone who serves in the military knows that Servicemembers are not the only important support to the nation’s defense. Military spouses play an important role in helping to maintain work-life balance for military personnel by tending to home and family, providing emotional support and encouragement, and quite literally holding down the fort during periods of deployment. The Department of Defense offers numerous benefits to spouses of active military, reserve, and Veteran personnel. Education assistance is one of these important benefits. There are several scholarships and educational opportunities specific to the spouses of military Servicemembers. The goal of these programs is to provide support and funding to military families in their educational pursuits. To find out if you are eligible for army spouse scholarships or scholarships for military dependents, read on.

Types of Scholarships Available

There are several scholarships for military dependants, each with their own eligibility requirements and benefits. Typically military dependents scholarships cover some or all of educational tuition, some supplies such as books or other materials, or necessary certification, and training for other types of careers.

American Military University

This online university is open to all military personnel, their spouses, and dependents. The university has been accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is part of the American Public University System. These online degrees and courses provide educational opportunities for Servicemembers and their spouses, irrespective of their global location or posting. The university provides a preferred military rate for military family members, including a career center offering virtual career fairs and assistance with resumes. The university offers all of its textbooks for free. There are no entrance exams or application fees. Military spouses who have successfully completed high school or a GED are eligible for online enrollment. AMU also offers a few of its own in-house military dependant scholarships.

My Career Advancement Account Scholarship (MyCAA)

This federal program is a workforce development program that offers up to $4000 in financial assistance to the spouses of eligible military personnel who seek to pursue a continuing education course for any licensure, certification, or associates degree that is required for employment in a particular occupation. Any military spouse of the service member in paygrades E1-E9, W1-W3, and 01-03 is eligible for this program while their military sponsor is on Title 10 military orders. The Department of Defense sponsors these scholarships for military dependants.

NMFA Military Spouse Scholarships

The National Military Family Association provides military dependant scholarships to military families to help pay for a variety of programs, ranging from GED to PhD, certifications, and professional license licenses. They also offer scholarships for military dependants pursuing re-licensure, business expenses, and continuing educational courses.

Pat Tillman Foundation

This nonprofit foundation provides up to $10,000 in educational scholarships for the spouses of active duty Servicemembers, or Veteran Servicemembers, as well as surviving spouses of deceased Servicemembers. Those enrolled in a full-time degree program can use it to pursue an undergraduate, graduate, or professional degree. You can use the award for tuition and fees, books, and living expenses.

Private and school-specific scholarships

Some private institutions offer their own scholarships for military dependants and Veterans. Check with the admissions office of your chosen university to see if they offer any school-specific endowments or scholarships for military personnel and their spouses. Other veterans support groups and private support organizations for military personnel also offer scholarships for military spouses.

Understanding MyCAA Programs

The My Career Advancement Account Scholarship (MyCAA) is one of the more popular scholarships for military spouses. MyCAA programs offer a wide variety of opportunities for both education and certification to military spouses, and most American universities and colleges accept the program. MyCAA offers up to $4000 in educational benefits for eligible military spouses. It should be noted that the program rarely covers the full cost of the educational program itself, and should instead be utilized in conjunction with other educational payment plans such as student loans or other scholarships. The program is available to all active duty service member spouses, the spouses of National Guard and reserve members under qualifying title 10 orders in paygrade E1-E9, W1-W3, and 01-03.

Eligibility Criteria for Military Spouse Scholarships

Anyone applying for an army spouse scholarship or scholarships for military dependents will have to meet the eligibility requirements for the particular program they are applying for. Each individual program might have its own requirements, and might also require certain documentation, but in general, anyone applying for any scholarships for military dependants should plan for the following: 

• Be legally married to a service member of the Armed Forces currently on Title 10 orders
• Married to a retired, medically retired, or 100% disabled Veteran
• Widow of a fallen Servicemember
• The applicant has completed high school or GED
• Your Servicemember qualifies for one of the G.I. bill programs that allows for the transference of benefits to spouses and dependents.
• You have your enrollment in your school completed, and approval for scholarship prior to your spous’s separation date from the military or end of Title 10 orders.
• Most scholarships for military dependants require that you provide the following documentation: marriage certificate, your spouse’s military records, discharge papers, and current orders if any. For federal programs like the MyCAA program, you should be enrolled in the DEERS database.

Application Process for Military Spouse Scholarships

If you qualify for a military spouse scholarship or military dependant scholarships, you must apply for each individually. Follow these steps to apply for these military spouse scholarships:

1. Research available scholarships and identify the one that will most likely benefit your specific or career goals. Consult any military support organizations in your area, visit the website of your educational institution, or speak to the admissions office of your chosen school about scholarships for military dependants.

2. Verify your eligibility requirements. Once you have chosen a scholarship, carefully check the eligibility criteria, which might be specific to a particular military branch affiliation, and your goals, residency, or financial need.

3. Gather your required documentation. Most of the time you will need proof of military status, proof that you are the legal spouse of the military member, your spouse’s service record, previous educational transcripts, a résumé, a letter of recommendation, and your personal identification.

4. Complete the appropriate application. Your scholarship of choice will have an application process, which might include a physical form to mail in, but most scholarships for military dependants include an online application process.

5. Verify the deadline for application. Some scholarships and grants have a specific date on which applications must be turned in yearly, so make sure you do not miss this particular date. Federal programs are usually accepted around.

6. Follow up after two weeks. Once you have submitted your application, be sure you follow up within two weeks to ensure that your application was indeed received.

Frequently Asked Questions about Military Spouse Scholarships