I get the intent behind the rank-based limitations on MyCAA, the program that helps underwrite college courses, as well as certification and licensure programs. Truly, I do.
But it still kind of, sort of bothers me. There’s an implication of resources here that just isn’t right.
Why Can’t Senior Spouses Access MyCAA?
Again, I get it. MyCAA is meant to help military spouses of junior enlisted and newly commissioned troops access higher education. I’m totally behind this! I remember what those early days were like and just how tight money really was at the time. And while we are not rich by any stretch, honestly, we had it better than many of our peers financially.
Still, as a new(er) spouse, MyCAA was attractive. I just barely qualified based on my husband’s rank. Like by the skin of my teeth qualified. I was so pumped.
Then the plug was (temporarily) pulled as financing and bureaucratic issues were finagled behind the scenes. So my account was there, I just couldn’t do anything with the money. By the time everything was active again, my spouse had moved up and I no longer qualified.
Higher Rank Doesn’t Always Mean More Financial Resources
I’m sure the intent behind limiting MyCAA to spouses associated with certain ranks was well-intentioned. After all, money doesn’t grow on trees and MyCAA certainly doesn’t have enough funds to cover $4000 for every single active duty military spouse out there.
But limiting this program based on rank instead of true financial need implies that mid to senior level troops and families always have their accounts in order. Experience tells me that this is often not the case. Senior enlisted personnel and officers are vulnerable to financial missteps and issues, just like those lower on the totem pole.
Money issues could have been cleverly disguised through carefully balanced credit card juggling or other smoke-and-mirrors deception. You would never know, unless you’re in it, that the house load of new furniture was purchased using an almost maxed-out credit card. Or that a senior level family is living paycheck to paycheck.
Many senior enlisted personnel and officers do live this way.
But the implication of MyCAA is that they shouldn’t need extra financial help. They should be totally fine floating the cash or taking out a loan for the non-serving spouse’s higher education, licensure or certification.
Higher Rank Doesn’t Always Mean Advanced Careers or Degrees
The other troubling implication is that senior spouses should have already achieved the types of credentialing, licensure or education MyCAA supports. On the flip side, by targeting junior spouses it could also imply that this community is not as educated.
Neither implication is 100% true, but that niggling feeling of a nugget of truth is still there.
It feels like, as a senior spouse, I should absolutely have achieved XYZ degree, certification or licensure by now. And if I haven’t done so, I should have the financial flexibility to pay or borrow for it.
Just like being married to a PFC doesn’t mean a lack of higher education, being married to a Gunny or a Major doesn’t mean that it’s been achieved.
Limiting access to MyCAA based on rank makes it seem as though the community of senior spouses ought to have put this check in the box. “You’re senior, therefore you don’t need help to achieve your next career step.”
Limiting MyCAA Limits MilSpouse Dreams
Again, I get the intent: help the spouses of junior personnel who are more likely to have less financial resources and fewer opportunities to access higher education or career programs.
Totally, 100% back this train of thought. It’s great and totally altruistic and super helpful.
But what about the spouse who married their service member later in life? What about the mid-level officer spouse who has tried to make finances work on just one salary, when more is expected of the service member at work?
Limiting MyCAA based on rank instead of (or leaving out) true financial need is hindering military spouses from achieving their dreams. That mid-career spouse might be desperately needing to go back to school, to get a certification or license, in order to help boost the family financially. Yeah, looking at the service member’s rank might make it seem like they’ve got it all in the bag: money, career, family, life. But that rank might be hiding the money troubles or desire to start a career.
Having MyCAA open, in a limited fashion, to spouses of higher ranking troops might go a long way to fixing or alleviating the well-known spouse unemployment issues. More spouses would be able to access needed funds, based on true financial need, in order to help their military family get ahead.
And helping military spouses get ahead in their own careers is supposed to be the entire point of MyCAA. Except that it’s missing a major chunk of spouses in need.
I could not agree with you more. If your a junior enlisted spouse and you have small children, you really can’t afford to go to college because you can’t get childcare for the kids. So, you wait until you’re older and they’re older. By that time you’re more than likely to no longer qualify. I didn’t go back to school until my late 30’s because I waited for the kids to get older and there were too many deployments at that time…you’re away from family so the help, even if they’re in middle school, isn’t around. I have my masters now but I need continuing education for my field and a certificate at the moment so the MyCAA would be awesome, but alas, that is not how I will not be how I get it.
I have always had mixed feelings about any arbitrary or capricious method to determine eligibility always favors some while discounting others; and using rank as a determining factor certainly fits in this case.
Today; I stand outside this issue, as I am a retired Chief Master Sergeant (E-9) who served over 30-years in the Air Force. But during my career I saw many circumstances where rank, sex, race, religion, and other factors played into a selection process. Moreover, not all of the criteria to qualify was fair…
But I feel that in most cases, rank is probably best yards stick to determine eligibility. As I understand the MyCAA Scholarship Program, spouses of service members on active duty in pay grades E-1 to E-5, W-1 to W-2 and O-1 to O-2, including spouses married to members of the National Guard and reserve component in these same pay grades.
Oh, don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that the other ranks and grades do not have true financial need; but from my years in the service have hardened me some for those higher ups…
I saw far too many higher ups create their own financial need. They bought and drove expensive new cars, they bought huge homes that cost an arm and a leg to heat and cool, they took expensive trips and cruises, they shopped at high-end stores and never worried about having “a rainy day fund.” Why would they worry, they knew their next check was only 2-weeks away.
And I’m not sorry to say I have no sympathy for them, they made their bed, now they have to lie in it…
But I am sorry for those who actually have real, honest to goodness financial need, supporting needy family members, raising their nieces or nephews, etc… paying off school or medical debt, but once again; where does the line get drawn? Who is expected to determine if the house payment on a small modest home is more justifiable than the rent on an upscale apartment or owning a newer mini-van verses an older Lexis?
Since rank is, and for the time being, going to remain the sole deciding factor in the awarding of the MyCAA Scholarship and if you do not qualify, I’m going to ask some hard questions of you. What other scholarship programs have you applied for? There are literally thousands of them and a couple of years ago, I watch a PBS special on this, and they said there were millions of dollars of scholarships going unclaimed every year.
So, before you jump on your keyboard to flame me for being so “brown shoe and heartless” go to your local library and take out a copy of one or more of the following books: The Ultimate Scholarship Book; Billions Of Dollars In Scholarships; Grants And Prizes By Gen Tanabe And Kelly Tanabe; How To Go To College Almost For Free By Ben Kaplan; Peterson’s Scholarships, Grants & Prizes; Scholarship Handbook By The College Board; The Financial Aid Handbook: Getting The Education You Want For The Price You Can Afford By Carol Stack And Ruth Vedvik.
Finally, I did some of the work for you and here are some scholarships specifically for military spouses and dependents… Corvias Foundation Scholarships For Military Spouses; National Military Family Association Military Spouse Scholarships; Pat Tillman Foundation; ThanksUSA Scholarships for Military Dependents and Spouses; Hope for the Warriors Military Spouse Scholarship.
Aristotle said, “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” Now, go get entertained…
Yes, yes, yes! Agree with all of it. To add to it some of us haven’t had the opportunities earlier on in spouses military career to get certificates or degrees due family situations. I myself had a child with many medical issues resulting in multiple surgeries, hospital stays, crazy amounts of doctor appointments with husband deployed more than he was home leaving me to do it all alone. This was years and years of care that I wasn’t able to get or hold a job and he still has medical problems 20 years later but old enough to help himself now. What they don’t consider also is every duty station is also different. Cost of living changes and family dynamics and situations out of our control happen and paying for school just isn’t a priority when your trying to stay afloat financially because there are other obligations at play. I looked into MyCAA a few years back but nope didn’t qualify and I really could’ve used the help and still can. I’m so far behind no schooling past high school and jobs are hit n miss till it’s time to PCS again.