My partner is in the military and I've been considering going back to school. I keep hearing that the military might cover my tuition - is this true? How does it work?
Yes, it's true that the military offers financial assistance for spouses who want to pursue higher education. This is primarily done through two programs.
Firstly, there's the Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts (MyCAA) program. It provides up to $4,000 in financial assistance for military spouses who are pursuing license, certification, or an associate degree in a "portable" career field and occupation. Though it doesn't cover bachelor's or graduate programs, it can certainly help with obtaining an associate degree or a professional certification that can boost your employability.
The second option is transferring the GI Bill benefits that the service member received to their spouse. This, however, depends on the discretion of the service member since they get to choose how to allocate their benefits. So, your partner would need to agree to do this. The Post-9/11 GI Bill covers about 36 months of benefits including full tuition, monthly housing stipends, and a books and supplies stipend for up to $1,000 per year.
As with any financial aid, there are specific eligibility criteria for each of these programs, so I'd recommend looking into the specifics of each to see if they align with your particular situation. It may also be worth having a conversation with your partner's commanding officer or a military financial aid counselor for more detailed information.
CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.