Going Back to School as a Military Spouse

You’ve made the rewarding choice to go back to school. By pursuing your education goals, you can expand your job opportunities and boost your earning power. But where should you start? And what military spouse scholarships are out there to help?

Start with Spouse Education and Career Opportunities — SECO

The SECO program can provide you with the resources you need to get back in the education game.

• The MySECO website, designed exclusively for military spouses, ensures you have 24/7 online access to information for a successful return to school.
• Visit the MySECO Pursue Your Education section to identify your education path, plan for your education and compare colleges.
• You can also connect with a SECO career coach who can help you decide on an education path and how to pay for it.

Choosing the right education and training

Got a career in mind? The career you choose will determine the type of program you’ll need. Take a look at the differences between each program and decide what’s best for you.

Educational Programs	Length	Overview
Certificate programs	Weeks, months or years	Typically focus on specific skills and are offered by community colleges or technical schools
Associate degree	2 years	Offered by community colleges, an associate degree focuses on entry-level specialization within a field
Bachelor’s degree	4 years	Four-year colleges or universities award a bachelor’s degree in the arts or sciences
Advanced degree	2-4 years	Degrees beyond the bachelor’s degree can include master’s, specialist, professional and doctoral degrees

Options for a mobile military life

Don’t let a move stop you from going back to school. Consider online education or satellite campuses. You can discover and compare schools based on location, learning format, the ability to transfer credits and more with the College Scorecard on MySECO.

Scholarships for military spouses

Wondering how much is this going to cost you? There’s help out there.

• Check MySECO for financial assistance resources and career development opportunities offered specifically to military spouses and family members.
• The My Career Advancement Account Scholarship is a workforce development program that provides eligible military spouses with up to $4,000 in financial assistance for the pursuit or maintenance, including continuing education courses, of a license, certification or associate degree necessary to gain employment in an occupation or career field. Spouses can also use funds for national tests to earn course credits required for the degree approved under the program, including the College Level Examination Program tests.
• Military spouses can sometimes take advantage of their spouse’s GI Bill® benefits. See our veterans benefits section for more.
• The Department of Education provides billions of dollars of educational loans and grants for qualifying students each year. In order to be considered for financial aid, you’ll need to complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

Visit MySECO today and begin your journey to learn, advance and succeed.