I was wondering if anyone is familiar with any funding available to military spouses. We just got stationed in Hawaii and I will be finishing school starting January 14. Does the Army help spouses at all with education!!

Moving to Career Development when I get up in the morning

No the military doesn't help when it comes being in Hawaii and paying for college. Several colleges are located on teh base itself and have reduced tuition for you. HPU is one of the local colleges that does that. You will also qualify for resident tuition from UH by just showing a copy of the orders to the Admissions Office. You can also apply for grants and loans, but that is about it.

thank you navywife...ive been accepted to UH but i would love to go on post if possible...do u have any idea where i should go for info

Family Center should have information. I don't think UH offers classes on base, I know that HPU, U of Maryland and a couple of other ones do.

My dh went to HPU on base and really liked it. It was 10 weeks instead of 12 and sometimes they would offer classes during the breaks were it was done in 10 days. When we moved and he had to transfer to another college, they took just about all his classes except for maybe 1 or 2. he also got quite a few credits for schooling he had done with teh military.

If there was some funding I would of found it. I have funded mine and two kids' college education out of my own pocket.

I read something once about an Army program where soliders in certain MOSs could transfer part of their GI Bill benefits to spouses--I can't remember where I read it, but I swear that's what I read....

Maybe check with someone on the base to see if they have ever heard of such a thing. And good luck!

ETA: I found the article! Its here on military.com. http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,106524,00.html

Actually, that's a very restrictive program and latest gouge I heard was the Army discontinued it altogether.

well i guess i can just hope for financial aid from the school...maybe since we dont make anything i can get most of it paid for!! thanks for all the help!!

Good luck w/ that. Even w/ three people in college at once at my house, the state decided I had enough of my own money to pay for it all. FAFSA was filled out, school decided no.

Even if you don't get Grants and have your schooling paid for, you can always apply for student loans. The pay back is generally deferred until you are finished school.

quote:

Originally posted by Mrsjvb:
Actually, that's a very restrictive program and latest gouge I heard was the Army discontinued it altogether.

Well that's disappointing... I would think that would be a very attractive incentive for re-enlisting. Oh Well!

On financial aid, make sure you apply early. I know if you miss the scholarship deadline here (which is February 15) you are pretty much out of luck for scholarship aid until the next year. So pay attention to deadlines, and talk to the people in your scholarship/financial aid office.

Actually I just talked to the GI Bill people about this to learn more. Currently only the army is participating in the program where soldiers can transfer their GI Bill benefits to their dependents.

I found more info on it at the VA website. Go to
https://www.gibill2.va.gov/vba/vba.cfg/php.exe/enduser/std_alp.php

and choose the second listed option - Transferring my GI Bill benefits to my dependents.

I would just post the link to the final page but its really long.

Quite a few colleges do give spouse discounts for their education. I would ask when you are talking with someone in your area if they do offer this and how much.

I know UOP does have this available for spouses for online programs and some of the campuses. Let me know if you would like to help me point you in the right direction with them.

Good luck!

I just heard today from the 3-star at the Installation Management Command that they just approved a service member transferring their GI Bill to their spouse or child. There is probably not much guidance out there on it, and it was a very brief two sentence statement, but the Army is beginning to allow that. I do NOT know if there are any special circumstances such as re-enlistment or specific MOS's. That will probably come later.

http://www.military.com/spouse/cf/0,,cf_CAA_111407,00.html

I don't know if you have seen this or not but here... A couple of bases in Hawaii are on the list. I have no experience at all with this program but it's worth looking into..

Sorry if this is a repeat, I just ran across it today:

The Military Spouse Career Advancement Initiative is designed to advance military spouses into portable careers by providing funding for education and training in high-growth, high-demand occupations in Information Technology, Education, Health Services, Financial Services and the Construction Trades.

The funding will make it possible for eligible candidates to receive a Career Advancement Account in the amount of $3,000 for one year and renewable a second year for an additional $3,000.

These are flexible education funding accounts to pay for expenses directly related to post-secondary education and training, including tuition, fees, books, equipment, credentialing, and licensing fees.

The initiative targets military spouses with a GED, high-school diploma or some post-secondary education and who are married to active-duty service members in the grades of E1-E5 and O1-O3.

The Department of Labor (DOL) and the Department of Defense (DoD) are jointly investing $35 million over three years in eight states demonstrating this initiative and targets 18 military installations.

California
San Diego Metro and Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base

Colorado
Fort Carson Army Installation and Peterson Air Force Base

Florida
Jacksonville Naval Air Station, Eglin Air Force Base, and Hurlburt Field

Georgia
Fort Benning Army Installation

Hawaii
Hickam Air Force Base, Naval Station Pearl Harbor, Kaneohe Bay Marine Corps Base, and Schofield Barracks Army Installation

Maine
Naval Air Station Brunswick

North Carolina
Fort Bragg Army Installation and Pope Air Force Base

Washington
Fort Lewis Army Installation, McChord Air Force Base, and Naval Station Kitsap

A military spouse can begin the application process at the military installation's Family Support Center or Voluntary Education Center.

Both departments will also work collaboratively with employers in the targeted industries to encourage military-friendly hiring and career advancement practices.

The first accounts will be issued to allow training to begin in January 2008 to coincide with the education enrollment cycle.

Questions?

You can visit MilSpouse.org or read some of the frequently asked questions provided below.

Frequently Asked Questions

The following are Frequently Asked Questions about the Military Spouse Career Advancement Initiative program.

How will military spouses benefit from Career Advancement Accounts?

Education, training and certification/licensure in portable career fields will greatly increase military spouse employment opportunities and reduce the period of time spouses are unemployed between moves.

This funding will allow eligible military spouses to invest in education and training programs that can be completed in less than two years in programs that will enable them to obtain employment and advance in high-growth, high-demand, and nationally portable career fields.

Spouses can use their Career Advancement Accounts to pay for expenses directly related to post-secondary education and training, including tuition, fees, books, equipment necessary to complete the education or training, and credentialing and licensing fees.

Who is eligible for a Career Advancement Account as part of this demonstration?

This demonstration is specifically targeted to military spouses with a high school diploma or GED and/or some level of post secondary education. To be eligible for a Career Advancement Account, spouses of military service members/sponsors must:

Be married to a service member/sponsor on active duty

Be married to a service member/sponsor at the E-1 through E-4 levels (junior enlisted service members), E-5 level (non-commissioned officers), or O-1 through O-3 levels (junior commissioned officers)

Be married to a service member/sponsor who is assigned to a demonstration site OR reside in the state at the time of eligibility determination when the service member/sponsor spouse is deployed or on an unaccompanied military tour from a demonstration site

Be married to a service member/sponsor with a minimum of one year remaining at the demonstration installation duty assignment; with the exception of duty assignments that will require relocation as part of the Base Realignment and Closure Act of 2005 (BRAC 05)

Have a high school diploma or GED

Not be receiving Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) or Workforce Investment Act (WIA)-funded Individual Training Accounts


How will military spouses apply for a Career Advancement Account?

A military spouse can begin the application process at the military installation's Family Support Center or Voluntary Education Center.

Are Career Advancement Accounts limited to education for high-growth, high-demand industries and occupations?

Due to their frequent moves, military spouses need access to education and training for careers that are portable and high-growth nationally. Therefore, accounts awarded under the demonstration will be targeted to nationally identified high-demand industry sectors that provide the greatest opportunity for career portability. Military spouses may use their Career Advancement Account to receive education or training in one of these fields:

Information Technology (CIE has courses that will train you for a career in this area. Jobs such as network analysts, database administrators and computer technicians.)
Health care (for jobs such as nurses, dental hygienists, and pharmacy technicians)
Education (for jobs such as teachers and teacher's assistants)
Financial services (for jobs such as claims adjusters, credit analysts and bank tellers)
Construction/skilled trades (for jobs such as carpenters and electricians)


What other services are available to recipients of Career Advancement Accounts?

Participating military spouses may receive career counseling, interest and aptitude testing, skill assessments, and career guidance from One-Stop Career Centers and their military installation Voluntary Education Centers or Family Support Centers. Spouses may also receive referrals to supportive services, such as child care and transportation assistance, through these organizations.

Where are One-Stop Career Centers located?

There are over 3,000 One-Stop Career Centers located across the country. The One-Stop Career Centers near the participating military installations will be partnering directly with the installation Voluntary Education Centers and Family Support Centers. The One-Stop Career Center staff will be located on or near the installation. Interested spouses should contact their installation programs for information and referrals.

What is a Workforce Investment Board? Where are they located?

The Workforce Investment Boards - WIBs - are entities created to implement the Workforce Investment Act of 1998. For each local Workforce Investment Board, a chief elected official appoints community and business members as Workforce Investment Board members. There are also designated seats for representatives from labor unions and educational institutions, such as community colleges. The Workforce Investment Board's main role is to direct federal, state and local funding to workforce development programs. It also oversees the One-Stop Career Centers, where job seekers can get employment information, find out about career development training opportunities and connect to various programs in their area. One-Stop Career Centers also provide many no-cost services to employers as well.

Where can spouses who are not located at installations included in this demonstration project go to get employment support? Are there other programs available to them?

Employment support is available for military spouses at their installation's spouse employment program as well as through their local One-Stop Career Center. Spouses can visit MilSpouse.org to find out more information about how to locate these programs as well as find Internet-based career guidance and workforce information.

Where can spouses go for more information?

For information online, see MilSpouse.org. Military spouses are encouraged to visit their local One-Stop Career Centers and military installation Voluntary Education Centers or Family Support Centers for more information and career support.

Another scholarship opportunity I ran across:

My name is Wayne Downing. I retired from the Air Force after 23 years (Sr. Master Sgt), and now spend my time on staff and teaching for Davenport University Online. My staff responsibilities are to get the word out about Davenport University to the military. So, in addition to teaching for DUO, I've begun to travel to different military installations to get the word out about the opportunities here at Davenport University.

When I meet folks at different units, I enjoy letting those that can receive federal financial aid (FTA), that they can basically go to school with Davenport University Online -- Free (no money out of pocket). To do this, DU offers the active/reserve/guard member and their dependents to earn $3000 scholarship as a full-time student (stepped down to $1500 at the part-time rate) and a grant to decrease the tuition down to zero when they use their FTA. Those members and spouses that don’t have FTA can still qualify for the scholarship and an additional citizen’s soldier grant to make their overall college cost minimal. Since there are so many different categories of education benefits with the military member, I will be able to advise individually to answer your questions.

DU has a long and extemporary history for over 140 years and is headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan (with 21 physical campuses in MI and IN). In addition to the ground campuses, DU Online serves students from all over the world and DU’s degrees are regionally accredited and transferrable to other colleges. DU also accepts all military ACE credits and CCAF credits towards degrees DU offers. Transcripts will be evaluated individually as part of the admissions process.


If I can be of assistance to you or your sponsor, please pass them my contact info.

Answer to question: Yes, the $3000 scholarship is offered to the dependent spouse of retired/veteran and active/reserve members.
Any service member able to use their FTA ($250/cr), can go to school free. Spouses of any service member or veteran get a $3000/year scholarship for school.

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This message has been edited. Last edited by: Mrsjvb,

The VFW's Military Scholarship program provides 25 $3,000 scholarships annually to VFW members who are currently serving in uniform or have been discharged within the 36 months before the December 31 deadline. Applicants do not need to be members of the VFW, however extra qualifying points will be awarded to VFW members.

The scholarships will be awarded to five members from each branch of service (Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard) during the first quarter of the year following the deadline.

I basically just typed in "military spouse scholarships" into Google to see what I could find. There might be local scholarships as well. The local branch of the Armed Services YMCA just awarded me a $250 scholarship last week; I was THRILLED!

I also applied for the Joanne Holbrook Patton Military Spouse Scholarship. I should find out about that one by the beginning of April.

I work at the financial aid office at the local community college in Altus, Oklahoma, and I have to take out loans to pay for school. DH is an A1C, but basically the cutoff to receive grants is an adjusted gross income of less than $20,000... and you have to include BAH and things like that. So I didn't qualify.

There are a few other places you can find scholarships. Just type in "scholarships" into Google.