Hey folks, I'm set to graduate high school next year and my partner is signing up for the military. We have plans to move to Virginia. Can somebody enlighten me on whether there's any tuition assistance or discounts for military spouses at colleges there?
Absolutely, there are several initiatives that offer financial aid to military spouses in Virginia. One prominent program to look at is the Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts (MyCAA) Program. This program provides up to $4,000 of tuition assistance to eligible military spouses. The program assists military spouses in pursuing licenses, certificates, or associate degrees necessary for gainful employment in high-demand, high-growth portable career fields.
In addition, Virginia's in-state tuition policies are generally friendly to military families. The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) allows military spouses and dependents who move to Virginia due to military transfer orders to pay in-state tuition rates as long as they continuously reside in Virginia. This could translate to significant savings.
Also, many individual colleges and universities might have institution-specific scholarships for military families, and I encourage you to explore those as well. Remember, when seeking financial assistance, fill out your FAFSA as early as possible as many scholarships and grants also rely on this information. Be diligent about searching and applying to as many scholarships as possible to maximize your aid potential.
Keep in mind that this is not a comprehensive list, so it's definitely worth looking into other sources!
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