(This article by Natalie Oliverio originally appeared in the October 2026 issue of Military Officer magazine.)

The Pentagon has expanded eligibility for the SpouseWorks Scholarship, opening the financial aid program to more military spouses regardless of their servicemember’s rank.

The change means more military spouses will no longer lose eligibility simply because their servicemember is promoted beyond the program’s previous pay-grade limits.

“Before Monday, [July 27], eligibility was limited by rank. As of Monday, there is no rank eligibility restriction,” Josie Beets, associate director of the Office of Spouse Employment, said during a public Facebook Live event announcing the update.

[LEARN MORE: SpouseWorks]

The scholarship’s other eligibility requirements remain unchanged. Applicants must still have a high school diploma or equivalent, and the sponsoring servicemember must be active duty or serving under qualifying Title 10 (reserve) orders.

Previously known as the My Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) Scholarship program, the SpouseWorks Scholarship provides up to $4,000 in financial assistance — generally split up as $2,000 per fiscal year — to help military spouses earn licenses, certifications, and associate degrees, or to take national examinations and accomplish certain professional development requirements to maintain credentials.

“MyCAA isn’t really a college scholarship program,” said Amelia Gwinn, the spouse of a Navy officer who used the program. “It’s a Department of Defense workforce development program designed to help military spouses build portable careers through licenses, certifications, and career-focused associate degree programs in fi elds such as health care, information technology, bookkeeping, and paralegal studies rather than bachelor’s or graduate degrees.”

An analysis by the think tank Rand found the scholarship has generally reached only a fraction of eligible military spouses. Researchers identified more than 380,000 eligible spouses during the program’s October 2010–December 2011 enrollment window, but only about 35,000 used MyCAA funding during that period.

The rebranding from MyCAA to SpouseWorks also brought together several long-standing programs, including the former Spouse Education and Career Opportunities program and the Military Spouse Employment Partnership. This move was meant to simplify how military spouses access career services.

“We need to show up differently for a new generation of spouses,” Beets said of the rebranding.

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Earlier this year, the Pentagon established the Office of Spouse Employment as a standalone directorate. Beets said the change provides “a direct line of accountability” within the department, adding: “We know spouse employment is a huge issue for all families, and so does our leadership.”

In addition to providing education funding, Beets said career planning remains central to the program. Recipients are required to meet with a SpouseWorks career coach before using the scholarship. According to Beets, coaches help spouses evaluate education providers, identify reputable training programs, and ensure the education they pursue aligns with long-term career goals.

Ciara McNay, the spouse of a Marine, said she initially used MyCAA to complete coursework toward an associate degree before transferring those credits into a bachelor’s degree program. She said the scholarship is now helping her to pursue a certification through the American Culinary Federation.

Indeed, Beets said the department’s focus extends beyond helping spouses secure employment.

“I don’t have a magic bag of jobs that I can give you, but what I can do is provide you with world-class, top-tier support through that process,” she noted, adding that the goal is to help spouses use every available resource to build the careers they want.

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In addition to the scholarship, SpouseWorks offers individualized career coaching, connects military spouses with employers through the Military Spouse Employment Partnership, and administers the department’s permanent fellowship program.

That 12-week fellowship places spouses with participating employers while the Pentagon pays participants during the time period, allowing employers to evaluate prospective hires before making permanent hiring decisions, much like the SkillBridge program for transitioning active duty servicemembers.

Beets said the fellowship evolved from the Military Spouse Career Accelerator Pilot, which attracted thousands of applicants and led to permanent employment opportunities for many participants.

“We know that if a spouse is employed, it provides for a better transition for the servicemember,” Beets said. “It makes that landing a little bit softer.”

Natalie Oliverio is a military journalist and Navy veteran.