Funding for the My Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) tuition assistance program for military spouses has been halted during the government shutdown, according to defense officials.
Officials provided more clarity this week on the status of a number of quality-of-life programs for the military community.
No new requests for MyCAA financial assistance have been approved since Sept. 30, officials stated in an announcement on the Military OneSource site. The shutdown began Oct. 1. If a spouse’s request for assistance was approved before Sept. 30, they can continue to attend classes.
Through the Defense Department’s MyCAA, spouses of certain service members can receive tuition assistance of up to $4,000, with an annual cap of $2,000, to pursue licenses, certifications or associate degrees needed for employment in any career field or occupation. Spouses may also use their MyCAA scholarship to help cover the costs of national tests for course credits required for a degree approved under the MyCAA program.
This benefit is available to spouses of active duty members in the grades of E-1 to E-9, W-1 to W-3 and O-1 to O-3. Spouses married to members of the National Guard and Reserve in the same pay grades have also been eligible.
During the government shutdown, operating hours and the status of quality-of-life and family readiness programs vary by installation, officials noted.
“In the event of a shutdown, it’s important we continue to support our people,” said Stephen B. Simmons, deputy assistant secretary of defense for Military Community and Family Policy, in the Oct. 1 announcement.
Simmons said a number of critical programs and services will continue uninterrupted.
“We know this can be one more distraction for our military-connected families, and we want to make sure they’re aware of resources still available to them regardless of a shutdown,” he said.
As of Friday — the third day of the shutdown due to lapse of appropriations —lawmakers hadn’t reached a funding agreement.
How other programs are affected
The DOD said in its announcement that the Military OneSource program is expected to operate until early March 2026, if the government shutdown continues. That program, which includes a contact center as well as website, provides comprehensive resources, information and assistance.
The DOD Spouse Education and Career Opportunities program, or SECO, career center and MySECO websites will operate through October, the department said. SECO career coaches will be available to provide education and career services to military spouses. SECO is available through Military OneSource.
Military and Family Life Counseling programs are expected to continue until mid-January. These counselors provide free, confidential counseling for service members and their immediate family members. The counselors may be assigned to units, schools, child development centers and other locations. If counselors aren’t able to access an installation during the shutdown, they will work offsite until they can gain access to the installation, according to the DOD.
Staffing and services of Military and Family Support Centers vary by installation; in some cases, centers are closed.
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Staffing and services at the Family Advocacy Program may vary by site during the shutdown, and service members and families should contact their installation FAP office for details. Contact information can be found at the Domestic Abuse Victim Locator webpage. The program supports victims of child abuse and domestic violence; October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Other assistance is available through local child protection agencies, the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at (800) 422-4453, or the National Domestic Violence Hotline at (800) 799-7233.
Department of Defense Education Activity schools and district offices worldwide are staying open, but headquarters and regional offices will be affected by the shutdown, officials said. All sports and other extracurricular activities are canceled during the shutdown.
Child Development Centers, school-age care programs and youth programs will stay in operation at least for mission-essential purposes, so parents should check with their local programs.
The service branches will continue to provide casualty assistance and mortuary affairs support for families of deceased service members, but there will be limited long-term survivor assistance for surviving family members. The services will also continue to provide military funeral honors to eligible service members and veterans.
Officials reiterated that military exchange facilities remain open worldwide, and commissaries worldwide will continue operating for up to 60 days, or until all their funds are exhausted.
Morale, Welfare and Recreation programs, non-appropriated fund activities and other operations necessary to support functions that are exempted from the shutdown — such as physical fitness and training centers — are not affected. Certain MWR and NAF that aren’t exempt from the shutdown will stay open if NAF funds are available, meaning it will vary by installation.
MWR recreational lodging remains open worldwide.
Karen has covered military families, quality of life and consumer issues for Military Times for more than 30 years, and is co-author of a chapter on media coverage of military families in the book “A Battle Plan for Supporting Military Families.” She previously worked for newspapers in Guam, Norfolk, Jacksonville, Fla., and Athens, Ga.
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