Today, the Department of Defense will resume payments for college courses and job training for spouses who have previously applied for grants. The program was halted last month, with very little warning or reason.The year old program pays up to $6,000 for career advancement. The official in charge of the program apologizes for suspending the program with out notifying the spouses enrolled. The program was suspended because of a rise in enrollment that results in a bankrupting of the programs $174 million budget. The 136,000 spouses that signed up for the program before the shutdown will still be able to receive benefits.
“When we determined that an operational pause in the program was critically needed, we failed to notify our spouses in a timely and appropriate manner,” said Tommy T. Thomas, deputy undersecretary for defense. Â “As a result of our failure, we know we will have to work hard to restore their faith in us.”
The response to the program was overwhelming, with 136,000 enrolled for funding the program will cost an estimated $819 million, exceeding the program’s budget. Maj. April Cunningham, spokeswoman for the DOD, said officials were able to reprogram funds to meet MyCAA’s immediate needs. But new grant applications won’t be accepted until the department decides on a long-term plan for the program.
Many military families enrolled in the program are relieved to know that funding will resume. Although some spouses will not be able to register for classes as soon as they had originally hoped, they are still guaranteed classes.
The Department of Defense is currently working on developing options to maintain the long term integrity of the program.
For more information on individual programs and funds requests.