2020 Guide to Military Spouse Benefits Programs

No One Deserves It More Than Military Spouses!

While everyone is aware of the sacrifices military personnel are forced to make, very few people outside of the military understand just how much military spouses must go through to make ends meet.

From deployments to cross-country moves, to raising children, paying the bills, and taking care of business often entirely on their own, nobody works harder than military spouses.

Fortunately, in 2018, the Federal Government continues to fully fund some exceptional military spouse benefits programs, offering all sorts of financial assistance and other benefits to the husbands and wives of US military personnel.

What Benefits Programs Remain Available in 2018?

All sorts of military spouse benefits programs remain fully-funded this year, including:
• Education benefits programs (MyCAA and transferred Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits)
• Job hunting assistance (the Military Spouse Preference or MSP Program)
• Small business loan programs (the Patriot Express Program)
• Reduced-rate Life Insurance (the Family Service Members’ Group Life Insurance Program)

I suggest paying close attention to the content on this page, as it could easily save you tens of thousands of dollars, help you land that next job, or qualify you for an amazing scholarship or grant.

The economy may be doing slightly better than it was when many of these benefits packages were first introduced, but people are still having trouble making ends meet, so as long as you qualify for any of these programs, I would highly recommend taking advantage of them.

Virtually all Americans could use some financial assistance these days, but no one deserves it more than the spouses of our service personnel.

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Which Benefits Do You Qualify For?

Military spouse benefits come in a variety of forms, from scholarships to tuition assistance, retail discounts to resume advice.

And while veterans benefits for spouses cover a wide variety of different expenses, some of these programs are substantially more popular (as well as more valuable) than others.

This page outlines the many benefits for military spouses currently on offer, focusing on the most popular programs.

The pages I link to below will offer additional details on each specific benefit program, along with instructions on how to actually apply for the benefits, so be sure to click through the links for more info.

Education Benefits & Employment Benefits

While there are a slew of programs offering financial assistance to military spouses, Education Benefits programs and Employment Benefits programs are by far the most popular, as well as the most valuable.

If you’re interested in pursuing higher education credentials (college, career training, or some other form of higher education), then you’re in luck, because virtually no one has access to as many benefits or as much financial assistance for school than military spouses!

Between the Tuition Assistance Program, Military Spouse Scholarships, Military Spouse Grants and the MyCAA Program, you should be able to easily qualify for tens of thousands of dollars in financial assistance, dramatically reducing your out of pocket costs for going to school.

Whether you’re an Army wife or an Air Force husband, if you want to get a degree, it would be well worth your time to look into the following education benefits packages.

Military Spouse Education Benefits

Far and away the most valuable benefits available to military spouses are those created to help pay for higher education costs.

In fact, it should be relatively easy for you to earn a full, four-year college or university degree without having to spend much of your own money, but to do that, you’ll have to make some smart decisions.

Make sure to take advantage of each of the following education benefits packages in order to reduce your out of pocket costs!

Post 9/11 GI Bill Transferability

Perhaps the best part of the entire Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits package is that it can be transferred, either in part or in full, to immediate family members of military personnel, including spouses – both wives and husbands – as well as children.

But better yet, the rules for transferring Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits to family members are simple, and straightforward (unlike many aspects of military life).

To qualify for a transfer, military personnel only have to satisfy two eligibility conditions:

• Servicemembers must have reached 6 years of total service
• Servicemembers must agree to serve for at least 4 years following the date their benefits are transferred

There’s even some flexibility in this program, as benefits can also be split up and transferred to multiple dependents, including just a spouse, one or more children, or to a spouse and some combination of children.

It may not sound like much, but the Post 9/11 GI Bill education benefits package is the most comprehensive education benefits program ever offered by the Federal Government, and one that is virtually guaranteed to save you tens of thousands of dollars in higher education costs.

Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts (MyCAA)

The MyCAA Program is like a mini-version of the Post 9/11 GI Bill package, with benefits directed specifically to military wives and husbands.

MyCAA offers up to $4,000 in financial assistance for military spouses pursuing associates degree programs, credentials or licenses that “lead to employment in portable career fields”.

These programs must be offered by educational institutions who have a pre-established relationship with the MyCAA program, but virtually all of the well-known, accredited schools do participate.

The purpose of MyCAA is to incentivize military spouses to train for and find employment in career fields that they don’t have to abandon when the next inevitable base transfer comes through, so that moving causes less disruption to their income and family life.

MyCAA benefits are an excellent opportunity for military spouses, since that $4,000 in financial aid for school should free up a lot of extra money for groceries, bills and other costs.

To get the details on how to use the MyCAA program, please visit my page on MyCAA Benefits, or view the official MyCAA Fact Sheet, here.

Military Spouse Scholarships & Grants

These used to be a bit of a secret, but when it comes to awareness of grants and scholarships for military spouses, that cat’s been out of the bag for some time now.

And even though some of these military spouse grants and scholarships are extremely competitive, there are so many of them available that the total value of scholarships and grants has been reported to be as high as $300,000,000!

With that much money on the table, it’s no wonder that some of the scholarships and grants end up going unclaimed each year, but this is a travesty, because that money deserves to be put to use.

To find out how you can get a scholarship or grant for yourself, please visit my page on Military Spouse Scholarships & Grants.

Military Spouse Tuition Assistance

Most of the service branches provide some form of tuition assistance for military spouses, so you’ll have access to some benefits no matter which branch of the military your husband or wife serves in.

However, just like with everything else in life, some of the branches offer better benefits than others, with more funding, or easier eligibility guidelines.

Here’s a basic breakdown on what’s available from each branch:

Army Tuition Assistance for Military Spouses

The Army offers two military spouse tuition assistance programs, with the Overseas Spouse Education Assistance Program (OSEAP) providing up to 50% of tuition costs (capped at $500 per term or $2,500 per academic year), and the Stateside Spouse Education Assistance Program (SSEAP) offering similar benefits to those who live stateside.

Air Force Tuition Assistance for Military Spouses

The Air Force’s military spouse tuition assistance program is called the George S. Brown Spouse Tuition Assistance Program (STAP) and it offers to pay for 50% of unmet tuition charges once the other readily available forms of financial aid (like grants, scholarships, etc.) have already been applied to education costs.

This program has a $1,500 limit per academic year for eligible military spouses.

Navy Tuition Assistance for Military Spouses

The Navy’s Spouse Tuition Aid Program (also abbreviated STAP) covers both Navy spouses and Marine Corps spouses, offering an interet-free loan for Navy and Marine spouses while they’re stationed overseas with their sponsors.

Loans can be used to pay up to 50% of tuition costs for either undergraduate or graduate programs, but these loans come with a cap of $3,000 per calendar year.

Keep in mind that these programs offer funding in addition to all the other education benefits packages provided to military spouses, and that access to Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits (via family transfer) and MyCAA benefits means that most spouses will be able to get some substantial financial assistance once all is said and done.

To find out more about these branch-specific tuition assistance programs, please visit my page on Tuition Assistance Programs for Military Spouses.

Survivors & Dependents Educational Assistance Program (DEA)

This is an excellent benefits package, but one that nobody want to qualify for.

The Survivor’s and Dependents Educational Assistance (DEA) Program offers education benefits and training to dependents and spouses of veterans who have either died, been killed, gone missing, been captured or been permanently and totally disabled during active service in the Armed Forces.

And while the circumstances of qualification are terrible, the benefits themselves are substantial.

If you qualify for the full DEA benefits package, you’ll receive up to 45 months of education benefits, including funds to help pay for pursuing a degree or certificate program, an apprenticeship and/or on-the-job training.

For specific details on this incredible military spouse support program, please visit my page dedicated to explaining the Survivors and Dependents Educational Assistance Program.

State-Funded Education Benefits for Military Spouses

Not all states offer educational assistance to military spouses, but some do provide significant financial assistance, especially to spouses of disabled or deceased veterans.

A couple examples of the types of benefits offered by states include California providing tuition and fee waivers to qualifying spouses and dependents attending UC and Cal State schools, and Oregon offering a monthly stipend to eligible candidates.

To find out about the specific benefits available in your state, please view my Guide to State-Funded Veterans Benefits.

Military Spouse Jobs Benefits

In addition to the excellent education benefits available to military spouses, there’s also an entire suite of programs created to help military wives and husbands find reliable, stable employment.

Here are just a few of the many programs created to help provide great jobs for military spouses.

Military Spouse Education and Career Opportunities (SECO)

SECO programs are available online or in person, and were created to offer military spouses with guidance regarding educational opportunities and career development.

SECO services can be accessed via the Military OneSource SECO Career Center, where military spouses can receive free access to three major benefits programs:

• Comprehensive counseling services, focused on education, employment and finances
• The My Career Advancement Account Scholarship (MyCAA Program), a workforce development program offering $4,000 in financial assistance to eligible military spouses
• The Military Spouse Employment Partnership, which is a community of more than 160 military friendly employers  who’ve pledged to recruit, hire, promote and retain military spouses in portable employment positions.

To find out more about SECO, please visit my page on the Military Spouse Education and Career Opportunities program.

The Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP)

The MSEP was formed to help military spouses tackle the problems they face in finding reliable employment opportunities.

Facing a 26% unemployed rate and a 25% wage gap compared to their civilian counterparts, 77% of unemployed military spouses want or need work, but have difficulty securing it due to frequent relocations.

The MSEP program serves as a targeted recruitment tool for companies and an employment solution for military spouses, providing Fortune 500 Plus companies with ALL military services, and military spouses with human resource managers, as well as training and assistance to help make them more competitive, “job ready” applicants.

For details about the specific benefits available from MSEP, please visit my page on the Military Spouse Employment Partnership.

The Military Spouse Preference Program (MSP)

Perhaps the most difficult task for military wives and husbands is being able to land good-paying, stable employment through all the moves and relocations required by service in the Armed Forces.

Fortunately, the Department of Defense takes military spouse employment seriously, and it created the Military Spouse Preference Program to help military spouses get hired to fill vacant DOD civilian positions.

The program helps military spouses secure positions throughout the world, as it’s coverage includes both state-side, as well as to all U.S. territories, possessions and overseas areas.

There’s some restrictive criteria that determines when the MSP benefit kicks in, so for an explanation on just how this program works, please be sure to visit my page on the Military Spouse Preference Program.

The Employment Readiness Program (ERP)

The Employment Readiness Program was created to offer job search assistance and job referral services for both Soldiers and their family members (spouses and dependents).

This program is run out of local Army Community Service (ACS) centers and provides services like teaching job search skills, reviewing resumes and cover letters and job interview preparation courses.

For details on how ERP can help you, please visit my page on the Employment Readiness Program.

The Patriot Express Small Business Loans Program

The Patriot Express program was created to help small business that are 51% or more owned or controlled by veterans, active-duty servicemembers or military spouses secure affordable lines of credit.

The program offers loans of up to $500,000 to qualifying candidates, provides interest rate protection by capping the interest rate a small amount of the prime rate, and requires an extremely fast turnaround time for funding.

It’s a great program for anyone who qualifies for the benefit, but especially for those who qualify, but have credit problems or other financial issues that would prevent them from receiving an affordable loan on their own.

For details on the benefit, please visit my page on the Patriot Express Small Business Loans Program.

The Family Servicemembers Group Life Insurance Program

The Family Servicemembers Group Life Insurance program was created to offer affordable life insurance policies to military spouses.

Sevicemembers can enroll their family members in this program to receive extremely affordable life insurance coverage of between $10,000 and $100,000 per person.

While you do have to pay for the coverage, and it gets more expensive as your spouse ages, the program provides free insurance coverage for children up to the age of 18.

To get the details on enrolling in this program, please visit my page on the Family Servicemembers Group Life Insurance Program.

Military Spouse Benefits by Service Branch

In addition to all of the programs listed above, each service branch also provides a variety of benefits packages to the husbands and wives of their personnel.

Some of the best military wife benefits are found in the branch-specific programs, especially when it comes to scholarships and grants for military spouses.

To help you determine which benefits programs you qualify for, here are a handful of those available from each branch of the military.

Army Spouse Benefits

Army Spouse & Dependents Education Programs

SOCAD (Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges for the Army)

Army Emergency Relief (AER) Programs

The Stateside Spouse Education Assistance Program (SEAP)

The Spouse Education Assistance Program (EAP)

James Holbrook Military Spouse Scholarship

Navy Spouse Benefits

Navy Spouse & Dependents Education Programs

SOCNAV (Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges for the Navy)

The Navy Maine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS)

Spouse Tuition Aid Program (STAP)

Vice Admiral (VADM) E.P. Travers Scholarship & Loan Program

Air Force Spouse Benefits

Air Force Spouse & Dependents Education Programs

Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges for the Air Force

Air Force Aid Society (AFAS)

General Henry H.  Arnold Education Grant Program

General George S. Brown Spouse Tuition Assistance Program (STAP)

Marine Corps Spouse Benefits

Marine Corps Spouse & Dependents Education Programs

SOCMAR (Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges for the Marine Corps)

The Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS)

The Admiral Mike Boorda Seaman-to-Admiral Educational Assistance Program

The Spouse Tuition Aid Program (STAP)

Vice Admiral (VADM) E.P. Travers Scholarship & Loan Program

Coast Guard Spouse Benefits

Coast Guard Spouse & Dependents Education Programs

SOCCOAST (Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges for the Coast Guard)

Coast Guard Mutual Assistance (CGMA)

The Coast Guard Foundation

Additional Education Assistance

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