Military spouses have more academic and career assistance than ever before. The benefits have expanded over time in the past 25 years with more funding, wider access, and greater personalized support. In the early 2000s, opportunities were minimal with limited financial assistance. In 2007, the Spouse Education and Career Opportunities (SECO) program launched via Military OneSource to provide spouses with professional career resources. A year later, the Post 9/11 GI Bill allowed benefits to be transferred to dependents. My Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) soon followed as a workforce development program offering up to $4,000 for occupational support (such as licensure) or an associate’s degree.
Fast-forward to today, military spouses can find programs to support them with degrees/GEDs, professional licensure/re-licensure, certifications, certificates, clinicals or practicums, continuing education, and testing. Spouses also get career assistance with personalized coaching, professional mentorship, career assessments, and education and training plans.
Do you plan to earn a college degree? Aside from the transferability of benefits, more colleges and universities offer scholarships, grants, or special rates, such as the American Military University and South College. Multiple organizations provide financial assistance to help cover tuition, books, and fees, such as the Hope for the Warriors’ Spouse and Caregiver Scholarship program.
What if you already have a degree or certification? Are you a spouse relocating to another state due to PCS orders and needing help with your professional license? Check out the interstate compact that allows the portability of professional licenses for military spouses. You could also be eligible for licensing costs reimbursement up to $1,000 per the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act.
If you are coming from an entrepreneurial background, the National Military Family Association’s Joanne Holbrook Patton Military Spouse Scholarship can help with business expenses.
There is something out there for every military spouse’s individual academic and career needs.
Career and Workforce Readiness
In 2011, the Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP) was established to further assist with resources and connecting spouses to employers through recruitment and retention. The military spouse unemployment rate has remained around 21 percent due to a variety of factors, such as constant relocations, employment history, childcare, licensing/certifications, or social stigma surrounding the hiring of a military spouse.
According to the 2025 Military Spouse Employment Landscape: Trends, Barriers, and Opportunities report by Syracuse University’s D’Aniello Institute for Veterans and Military Families, the following five focus areas should be prioritized for future progress:
- Reposition the business case for military spouse hiring beyond lower-tier jobs
- Shift employer efforts to advance long-term career development
- Map career progression within industries and occupations
- Build long-term, evidence-driven programs
- Expand cross-sector collaboration to scale solutions within a wider section of the labor force
Real action is being taken to demonstrate legislative, policy, and social changes, including the proposed Military Spouse Hiring Act. The table below highlights some programs that support military spouses with their academic and career goals. There is not a single-faceted approach for a solution to military spouse underemployment and unemployment, but the continued workforce, higher education, and agency partnerships are building a promising future ahead.
Table of Military Spouse Academic & Career Support
| Organization/Program | Who It Covers | Award Amount & Notes |
| Hope For The Warriors | Post‑9/11 spouses/caregivers | Varies by scholarship Spring/Fall cycles
|
| Army Emergency Relief – Patty Shinseki Spouse Scholarship | Army spouses pursuing their first undergraduate degree | ~$500–$2,200 Need-based
|
| AFA Donley Scholarship | Spouses of active‑duty Air Force, Space Force, Guard, or civilian Air Force employees | $2,500 (2 awards) Undergraduate/Grad |
| University of Maryland Global Campus | Scholarships exclusively for military spouses of active-duty, Reserve, or National Guard | UMGC-NMFA Scholarship program awards a minimum of ten worth up to $1,500 |
| Wings Over America | Navy aviation spouses and children of active duty, retired, honorably discharged, or deceased
| Up to $5,000 ~50 awards/year Scholarships may be used for trade school certification, community college or four-year university/college undergraduate study |
| Joanne H. Patton (NMFA) | All service spouses of active-duty, Guard, Reserve, or retired service members | $500–$1,000 Early February deadline |
| Folds of Honor | Covers “unmet need” for spouses, dependents of service members who were killed, wounded, or disabled | Up to $5,000 Need-based for undergrad. Prorated for part-time enrollment. |
| FINRA Fellowship | Military spouses | Covers AFC® certification Accredited Financial Counselor (AFC®) certification training and testing costs which varies |
| CCME Spouse Scholarship | Active duty/Guard/Reserve spouses | $1,000/year Undergrad/Grad |
| ThanksUSA | Spouses & dependents | $3,000/year Undergrad/Grad |
| UMGC–NMFA (UMGC) | Active-duty spouses, first degree seekers | $1,500 Fall entry (Oct–Dec) |
| WGU Scholarship | Spouses, online degrees | $1,000 per term (max $4,000) |
| NMCRS – STAP & Travers | Navy/Marine spouses overseas | $1.5k–$2k grants; $3k loans Various conditions |
| CGMA & Coast Guard Foundation | Coast Guard spouses | $500–$2,000 grants; loans; scholarships Healthcare focus options |
| MyCAA | Spouses pursuing education, training, and licensure | Training/licensure aid Academic and career funding and support |
| National University | Veterans, spouse, dependents | Veteran, Spouse, and Dependent Scholarship with 25% discount |
| American Military University Grant | Active-duty, National Guard, Reservist families | Covers undergraduate tuition costs above the military cap |
| South College | Military spouses and dependents, veterans, active-duty | Military Student Grant pays up to $1,000 per term when VA benefits do not provide full coverage. Waives application fees |
| FourBlock Military Spouse Career Readiness Program | Military spouses | Free program for networking, coaching, and access to job tools |
| Hiring Our Heroes Military Spouses Program | Military spouses | Career networks and fellowships |
