Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What are Career Advancement Accounts, and what can they be used for?

Career Advancement Accounts, sometimes called CAAs, are self-managed accounts that will enable military spouses to gain the skills needed to successfully start, navigate, and advance their 21st century careers. Spouses may use their accounts to pay for expenses directly related to post-secondary education and training, including tuition, fees, books, equipment necessary to complete their education or training, and credentialing and licensing fees. Education and training activities must lead toward an educational credential or industry-recognized credential.

What is the amount of the Career Advancement Account?

The amount of a Career Advancement Account is up to $3,000 per year (from the training start date). A Career Advancement Account is renewable for a second year, for a two-year total of up to $6,000.

Where can recipients use Career Advancement Accounts?

Career Advancement Accounts may be used with a wide variety of regionally or nationally accredited training and education providers, including community colleges and trade and technical schools. An installation's Voluntary Education Center, Family Support Center, or One-Stop Career Center can assist military spouses in locating an appropriate training or education provider.

Who is eligible for a Career Advancement Account in this demonstration?

Initially, the Career Advancement Account (CAA) initiative was limited to spouses of active duty service members in the grades of E1-E5 and O1-O3. Now, spouses of all active duty personnel are eligible to participate regardless of grade level.

Eligible spouses must (be):

• Married to an active duty service member assigned to one of the installations targeted under this demonstration or the military spouse resides 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. Spouses of Guard and Reserve members are not eligible unless they are activated and assigned to one of the targeted installations;
• 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 and/or some level of post secondary education in order to be eligible to receive CAAs under the demonstration. Spouses already possessing a post-secondary degree will be eligible for CAAs to assist with local and state licensing and credentialing costs. All other spouses with a post-secondary degree are not eligible except in very limited circumstances (i.e., in need of courses / training required for a career license or credential) that will be examined on a case by case basis;
• Ineligible for Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA); and
• Not be concurrently receiving Workforce Investment Act (WIA)-funded Individual Training Accounts. Grantees are, however, strongly encouraged to leverage other training and education funding, such as Pell grants, federal financial aid, and scholarships to maximize the impact of spouses' CAAs.

To whom are Career Advancement Accounts targeted?

Career Advancement Accounts are targeted to eligible military spouses without a post-secondary degree. However, individuals who have a bachelor's degree and are seeking a credential in a portable career, such as teaching, also can receive a Career Advancement Account.

In which industries are Career Advancement Accounts targeted?

The purpose of Career Advancement Accounts is to provide portable career opportunities for military spouses in high-growth or high-demand industries with job opportunities across the country and in which individuals can earn a credential recognized in multiple states. The Departments of Defense and Labor have identified the following target industries:

• Financial Services
• Information Technology
• Health Care
• Education
• Construction
• Human Resources (select occupations within this industry)*
• Hospitality (select occupations within this industry)*
• Homeland Security (select occupations within this industry)*
• Business Administration (select occupations within this industry)*

How will military spouses apply for a Career Advancement Account?

A military spouse can begin the application process at either the military installation Family Support Center, Voluntary Education Center, or at a One-Stop Career Center

Can military spouses accept other grants simultaneously with the Career Advancement Account?

Yes, military spouses can accept other grants (e.g., Federal Pell grants or Hope grants) to help pay for their education-related expenses. However, military spouses cannot simultaneously receive a Career Advancement Account and an Individual Training Account (ITA) funded through the Workforce Investment Act . Spouses also may also not concurrently receive a Career Advancement Account and Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) through the Trade Act.

Can spouses be reimbursed for expenses?

No, the One-Stop Career Center will pay tuition and education-related expenses directly to the training or education institution.

Will the Career Advancement Account be discontinued if the active duty husband/wife is promoted after the spouse receives the Career Advancement Account?

No, the Career Advancement Account will not be discontinued. Once spouses have been determined as eligible, they remain eligible throughout the account's life. 

Download the PDF

These Frequently Asked Questions are also available in PDF format. Please click on the following link to download the PDF.

Career Advancement Account Frequently Asked Questions (PDF, 38K)