Categories: Archived Blogs

Military Connection: Credits for Military Spouses: By Debbie Gregory

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) has launched a pilot program that will help military spouses improve their career opportunities. Arguably the toughest job in the military, military spouses may get some much needed assistance by receiving college credit for their work experience.

The pilot program, in partnership with the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning, is designed to help spouses receive college level units that could be used as transfer credits to a college or university. While the credits most likely won’t be enough to earn a degree, they should make a good-sized dent in the units needed to meet their academic goals, saving military families time and money.

Students from the military community have long been able to submit portfolios of their military occupational training to count towards completed college units, much like the way that most colleges accept basic training as fulfillment of the physical education requirement.

The DOD’s program will allow military spouses to connect with advisors through the Spouse Education and Career Opportunities (SECO) program, in order to help them get started in the portfolio process.

DOD officials are creating this program in order to provide a resource for spouses who are not eligible for the My Career Advancement Accounts (MyCAA) program. But the DOD is also granting eligibility to spouses who use MyCAA.

MyCAA provides eligible Military spouses with financial assistance of up to $4,000 in costs for education, training, licenses and credentialing related to a portable career.

The program functions through a collective of more than 100 colleges and universities that will accept the spouses’ experience as credit. For now, the DOD says that list of colleges and universities is not available online. Spouses will only have access to the list through SECO career counselors. SECO Counselors can be located at: www.militaryonesource.mil/seco or by calling (800) 342- 9647.

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