Need education? The military’s got funding Published April 16, 2008 By Corey Dahl 21st Space Wing Public Affairs PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- As a military spouse, wouldn't it be nice to have a portable, high-demand career? One that could be packed up and taken to a new location every time the family changes duty stations? One that wouldn't require an education funded by pricey student loans or scrimping and saving? A new government program can make that dream possible. The new Career Advancement Account is being piloted at all of Colorado Springs' military installations as well as seven other locations in the United States. A joint project of the Department of Defense and the Department of Labor, it provides funding for military spouses to pursue training and certification in several high-demand career fields. "It's basically to fund spouses so they can have careers in high-growth areas," said Cathy Lovelady, an education services specialist with Peterson's education office. "If they end up having to move, it's something they can pick up easily in their next location." The CAA allows spouses of active-duty servicemembers to apply for education grants of up to $3,000 a year, for a maximum of $6,000 over a two-year period. The grants can be used toward training or certification programs in nine career fields - finance, information technology, health careers, education, human resources, hospitality, business administration, homeland security and skilled trades. The program is meant to provide funding for short, skills-based training in fields such as nursing and medical transcription. The money can't be used for master's degree programs, but it can help college-educated spouses with costs associated with teacher certification. Participants in the program must plan to finish their education by the spring of 2010, when the pilot ends, Ms. Lovelady said, and they're expected to pursue employment in the career field they choose to study. "This is really, in many ways, a jobs program, because the person who completes this program is expected to seek employment immediately," she said. "We'll track all of the participants after the program ends to see if they continue in the career field." Finding a job in the career fields the CAA funds shouldn't be hard for most spouses, said Beverly Price, career focus manager at the Airman and Family Readiness Center on Peterson. All of the fields are in high demand throughout the U.S., and many are facing shortages. At the moment, however, there is no shortage of funds for the CAA program. The Colorado Springs area has $162,000 to draw from for the program, Ms. Price said, which can fund training for many more spouses. "There's lots of money out there," she said. "Now we just have to get the spouses in to use it." AT A GLANCE: Peterson's base education office holds monthly briefings on the Career Advancement Account. Call Beverly Price at 556-6141 to R.S.V.P. The Air Force Academy also holds regular CAA briefings. Contact the education office at 333-3298. Fort Carson spouses can contact Rey Harvey at 526-4121 or rey.harvey@us.army.mil for more information.