Up to $4,000 toward your certification — and in 2026, far more spouses qualify
The Department of Defense scholarship for military spouses now covers pay grades E-1 through E-9. If you were told you didn't qualify a year ago, that answer has changed.
- It's a scholarship, not a loan — you never pay it back
- Paid directly to us — nothing comes out of your pocket
- Every program we offer fits inside the scholarship
- 100% online — your training moves when you PCS
- Certified in 6–8 weeks, not 6 semesters
- We file the paperwork with you, step by step
A real person answers: (434) 999-0888 · Mon–Fri 8:00am–6:00pm ET
Four questions. Then we build your paperwork.
You don't fill out the Education & Training Plan — we do. This tells us what to put on it, checks your eligibility and dates as you go, and gives you your exact submission deadline at the end.
First — are you eligible?
The scholarship is for spouses of service members. Eligibility expanded in 2026, so check even if you were told no before.
Which certification, and when do you want to start?
Your funding request has to be approved before your course begins — the window is 60 to 15 days ahead. We'll work out your exact dates.
Pick a date at least 15 days out — 30+ gives the review comfortable room.
Have you used the scholarship before?
It's $4,000 across your lifetime. If you've drawn on it already we'll work out what's left against your program.
Last part — who are we building this for?
This is what goes on your Education & Training Plan. We prepare it and send it to you ready to upload.
We never ask for Social Security numbers on this form. The portal verifies you and your sponsor through DEERS directly, and anything sensitive is handled with our team over the phone — never in a web form.
Your scholarship plan is ready.
Every program we offer fits inside your scholarship
A lot of schools advertise "no-cost training" and then don't publish a price. Here's ours, next to what the scholarship covers, so you can do the math yourself.
| Program | Time to certify | Tuition | Your cost with full scholarship |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phlebotomy Technician (CPT) | 4 weeks | $1,700 | $0 |
| CCMA Self-Paced | 6–8 weeks | $1,199 | $0 |
| CCMA + Guaranteed Externship | 6–8 weeks | $2,700 | $0 |
| Patient Care Technician (CPCT) | 6–8 weeks | $2,400 | $0 |
| Pharmacy Technician | Self-paced | $2,700 | $0 |
| CCMA + PA Mentorship | 6–8 weeks | $3,200 | $0 |
| CCMA + Phlebotomy (2 certs) | 8–10 weeks | $3,800 | $0 |
The scholarship pays $2,000 per fiscal year, but when tuition is due upfront and costs more than that, an automatic waiver releases the rest of your $4,000 — so most of these are covered in a single request.
Five steps, and we're with you for all of them
The paperwork is the part that stops most people. It shouldn't — it's about an hour of work spread over a couple of weeks, and we do our half of it.
Create your account
Set up your free SpouseWorks account on the DoD portal and confirm your eligibility. We'll send you the direct link and walk you through it.
Build your training plan
You'll create an Education & Training Plan naming the certification you want. We give you the exact program details the plan asks for.
Request the funding
Submit your financial assistance request before your course start date. Approval usually takes up to two weeks, so earlier is safer.
We confirm and enroll you
Once your funding document is approved, we record it and open your course. We invoice the DoD directly — you're never asked for a card.
We post your grades
When you finish, we file your grades and completion status within the 60-day window. That's what keeps your remaining balance available.
Start to certified
Roughly 2–4 weeks of paperwork, then 4–8 weeks of coursework. Certificate programs must be completed within 18 months — ours take a fraction of that.
What the scholarship covers — and what it doesn't
Most sites only print the first column. The second one matters just as much, because a surprise at checkout is how people end up paying out of pocket.
✓ Covered by your scholarship
- ✓Tuition for your certification program
- ✓Your national certification exam — the NHA or PTCB exam fee
- ✓Continuing education needed to maintain a credential you already hold
- ✓Up to $4,000 lifetime, across more than one course if you'd like
✕ Not covered — by DoD rule
- ✕Books, supplies and equipment — including hands-on practice kits
- ✕Registration or technology fees of any kind
- ✕Reimbursements. If you pay us yourself first, the scholarship cannot pay you back — so talk to us before you enroll
- ✕Courses you've already started or finished
Our team will tell you exactly which parts of your chosen program the scholarship pays for and how anything else is handled — in writing, before you commit to anything.
Spouse or service member — the funding isn't the same
These are separate programs with separate money, separate portals and separate rules. Here's which one is yours.
SpouseWorks Scholarship
Formerly called MyCAA · Department of Defense
- Pay grades E-1–E-9, W-1–W-3, O-1–O-3
- Covers tuition and your certification exam
- Paid straight to us — no money from you
- We handle the invoicing and grade reporting
Credentialing Assistance / COOL
Army CA · AF COOL · Navy COOL
- Our CCMA credential is listed on Army and Navy COOL
- Army: $2,000 per fiscal year via ArmyIgnitED
- Air Force: up to $4,500 lifetime through AF COOL
- Needs your supervisor's approval before you request it
Built for a life that moves
Your Training Survives a PCS
100% online and self-paced with 12-month access. Orders change, your coursework doesn't — pick it back up in the new duty station.
Placement Guaranteed in Writing
Our externship placement is written into your enrollment agreement — our coordinator finds the clinic near you, wherever you're stationed.
A Credential That Travels
NHA and PTCB certifications are national. They're recognised in all 50 states, so the credential moves with you to the next base.
One Team, Start to Finish
The same people help with your paperwork, teach your course and file your grades. You'll know their names — and a human answers the phone.
Real clinicians. Real credentials. Real people you'll actually talk to.
Nurses, physician assistants, dentists and pharmacy professionals build our curriculum and teach it — and the person who finds your externship has a name and a phone number.
Zero reviews below 4 stars
Not sure where to start? That's normal.
The portal, the training plan, the funding request — it's a lot the first time. Call or email our military team and we'll walk you through it in one conversation, whether or not you end up enrolling with us.
Military scholarship FAQ
Do I have to pay any of this back?
Wasn't this called MyCAA?
I was told I didn't qualify because of my spouse's rank. Has that changed?
How long do I have, and how long does approval take?
Can I just enroll now and get reimbursed?
What if I don't finish, or I have to withdraw?
My spouse got promoted mid-program. Do I lose the funding?
Can I use it for more than one certification?
What about my service member — can they use this?
Let's find out what you qualify for
One conversation tells you whether the scholarship covers your certification, how long it'll take, and exactly what we need from you. No obligation, and no card.
Email Our Military Teamor call (434) 999-0888 — Mon–Fri, 8:00am–6:00pm ET