DoDEA Virtual Schools

I became really excited for my children when I read an article title.  I do truly know better than to let a title get me excited before I understand the program details, but I got excited anyway.  I did the same thing back in the day when my MyCAA first came out.

MyCAA News

Following She of the Sea's post below announcing the relaunch of the popular MyCAA program, there's been a flurry of conversation about the revamped program.

MOAA issued a press release, which reads, in part:

The Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) has expressed strong disagreement with the Pentagon’s July 20 decision to severely limit military spouses’ eligibility for the wildly popular My Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) program

When the program was first announced last year, spouses were extraordinarily enthusiastic and grateful that the Defense Department was finally acknowledging it had some obligation to help them ease their own personal sacrifices,” Strobridge said. “That’s why they were so angry when the program was suspended in February, because they saw Defense leaders as backtracking on the only funded career program they ever had.” 

*****

“The reopening of the program in March offered a renewed ray of hope, but now this new restriction yanks the rug out from under career spouses yet again,” Strobridge said. 

“MOAA believes longer-serving spouses deserve fairer treatment, and we’ll be asking Congress to help them get it.”

Full release can be read here.

Military One Source's MyCAA page can be found here.

Click here to see a comprehensive post which details the issues and timeline surrounding the abrupt closing of the program earlier this year. 

Lots of chatter on twitter re MyCAA. And by the way, we recently joined the twitterverse and are looking each day to reach and interact with milspouses on twitter. If you have a twitter account, let us know by leaving it in the comment section or by following us. We want to follow as many milspouses as possible. It's a great medium with which to communicate and support one another.

MyCAA Announces Changes

The Department of Defense today announced that the popular MyCAA program will reopen to new participants in October 2010, with several key changes in eligibility and dollar amounts.

Here is a summary of the changes:

• Be available to spouses of active duty service members in pay grades E1-E5, W1-W2, and O1-O2
• Offer a maximum financial benefit of $4,000 with a fiscal year cap of $2,000. Waivers will be available for spouses pursuing licensure or certification up to the total maximum assistance of $4,000
• Require military spouses to finish their program of study within three years from the start date of the first course
• Be limited to associate degrees, certification and licensures

The guidance on existing accounts is unclear, and I have an email in to someone who might know.  I'll keep you updated when I get a good answer.

More information can be found in the complete press release at Defense​.gov or at the MilitaryOneSource MyCAA Homepage.

Read more: http://paycheck-chronicles.military.com/2010/07/20/mycaa-reopening-with-changes/#ixzz0uF5VyNVC

An Update on MyCAA

In my email box today I found a press release where Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell discusses the MyCAA situation and the future of the program.

Morrell states that MyCAA was designed to provide short-term financial assistance to help spouses earn quick certification in portable careers but more participants were using the program to help them towards long-term educational goals.  

From the press release,

Could It Be True? Might MyCAA Reopen to New Users?

I heard a delicious rumor about MyCAA opening, and so I did a little research.  It seems that the rumor is based on comments made May 8, 2010 by Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates at a Town Hall meeting at Fort Riley, Kansas.

The first question asked of Secretary Gates was about the MyCAA accounts.  He spoke briefly about the success of the program, and then he stated this:

"So we've been looking at the program.  And I would tell you that I'm going to have a couple more meetings on it this week, this coming week.  But within the next week or two, I expect we will be able to reopen the program to new applicants.  And we are looking at a budget somewhere on the order of $500 million to -- and we're going -- we're going to have to do some things in terms of some caps and some limits, to be able to help as many people as possible.  But I expect within the next two weeks we'll reopen the program, with a substantial increase in the funding."

Most of the military spouses with whom I speak are quite cynical and angry about the MyCAA program, but hopefully Secretary Gates is right and the program will reopen quickly.  For now, I'm going to put this in the Good News category.

The complete transcript of the meeting can be found at the Defense.gov News Transcript.

For ongoing coverage of the MyCAA program, check out the MyCAA category at The Paycheck Chronicles.

More on MyCAA

The previous post regarding MyCAA is updated with current information and people are continuing to comment.

See the most recent updates here.

What Is Going On With MyCAA?

Everyone is asking - few answers are available.

It's Never a Good Time, But do it Anyway

Today I read a story on the main page of military.com that made my heart clench and my stomach hurt - it was all about what happens when a service-member doesn't make their wishes, should the worst happen, perfectly clear.

Military Youth

A new website replaces Military Teens on the Move. 

Military Youth on the Move!

Military Spouse Career Advancement Expanded

Spouses Career Program has been expanded for Army Spouses.  Act Fast!

Talk Talk Talk

Military families have quite a few opportunities to go places where people don't speak English.  Most of the families I know are always trying new language programs or books in an effort to be able to order food, find a gas station, or (of utmost importance) find a bathroom in a foreign country with three children under the age of five in tow.

So it was with great glee that I got the chance to try the French language program "Take Off in French" from Oxford.

2009 Scholarships for Military Children Program

Deadline is February 18, 2009

Details and links after the jump.

Grading DoD Schools

If your children attend Defense Department schools, consider taking a few minutes to do a survey.

More after the jump.

Military Homeschooling

Many of you already know that my military family is a homeschooling family, as is AFW's family.  Homeschooling military families continue to grow in numbers.

Here are a few things related to military homeschoolers that were in my inbox this week.

More Scholarships Available For Military Children

Throughout the year many scholarships are available specifically for military children.  Even though it is getting late in the school year, there are still some options available.  Some options include spouses.  Not all application deadlines have passed.

Helping Military Children SOAR

We previously discussed helping military children have educational opportunities they deserve and the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children.

More opportunities are available for grades 3-12.

Military Spouse Education and Employment Updates

Stay updated about the general status of military spouse education and employment programs.

Help military children have educational opportunities they deserve

Changing schools can be a huge ordeal for military families and military children.  Education curriculum and education requirements can vary tremendously between states and between school districts.

For those reasons the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children is very important.  Find out if this issue is being addressed in your state.

Online Spouse Education Resource

NMFA Launches Online Military Spouse Education Resource

When it comes to continuing education, frequent moves present challenges such as transferring credits to equivalent courses, varying state requirements, multiple application and processing fees - not to mention, the lost dollars for credits that don't transfer. With this in mind, NMFA designed a comprehensive online resource for military spouses pursuing higher education. This newly developed section arms military spouses with the information needed to successfully obtain their education goals. Find detailed information about starting your education; choosing and/or transferring schools; scholarships, grants, financial aid, in-state tuition; resources for the foreign-born spouse; mobile careers and more.

Visit the Military Spouse Education Resource

*UPDATE* More resources below.

Homeschooling Military Families

Our family is a homeschooling military family.  Homeschooling within the military community continues to grow, just as it does nationwide and worldwide.

If you are a homeschooling military family, some of the below information might be of interest to you.