NMFA Scholarships and Career Funds Help Military Spouses Fund Their Goals
Military spouses with a valid military ID can take advantage of career funding and scholarship money through the National Military Family Association (NMFA). A major advocate for military families for nearly 50 years, NMFA is a proud member of the Defense Department’s (DoD)’s Military Spouse Employment Partnership. The program awards an average of $500 for career funding, $1,000 for degrees and certifications, and up to $2,500 for clinical supervision towards a license in the mental health profession. An average funding of $1,000 is also available to entrepreneur spouses who own Limited Liability Companies operating in a variety of fields.
These funding opportunities are exclusive to military spouses and are designed to help service member Families achieve their goals both financially and professionally. The NMFA is also partnered with several schools and programs that may award spouses additional money for educational and licensure programs. Some schools offer as much as $7,500 in scholarships for degrees in a wide variety of fields ranging from teaching to nursing to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)-related occupations.
Through the NMFA website, spouses may access career advice, help with completing applications and encouragement from other military spouses who are already using scholarship or career funds.
To qualify, one must be a legal military spouse at the time of scholarship award.
Those who are eligible are:
- A military spouse with a valid military ID
- Married to a National Guard, active duty, Reserve, retired, medically retired, wounded or fallen service member (must be a Service-related wound, illness, injury or death that occurred after Sept. 11, 2001)
- Married when asked for verification paperwork (usually a month after the applications close)
- A dual-service military spouse
- A divorced spouse who receives 20/20/20 benefits
Those who are not eligible are:
- Surviving spouses who are remarried, unless they are
- Remarried to a service member
- Children (For information on scholarships for military
- Children, check the Defense Commissary Agency Military Children Scholarships at Fisherhouse.org)
- Spouses of former service members, unless they are retired or medically retired
The 2018 fall/winter scholarship application period runs from Oct. 1, 2018 through Jan. 15, 2019.
For details on the application process or for information on the full spectrum of funding opportunities available to spouses through the NMFA, visit MilitaryFamily.org/spouses-scholarships/.
Military spouses who are considering a degree in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) may be eligible to receive up to $4,000 in scholarships through My Career Advancement Account (MyCAA), a component of the DoD’s Spouse Education and Career Opportunities Program. Spouses interested in STEM degrees may also want to consider joining the Society of Military Spouses in STEM (SMSS), a non-profit, member-run organization focused on advocating for military spouses with technical interests.
For more information on MyCAA, go to MyCAA.militaryonesource.mil. To learn more about SMSS, visit SMSSTEM.org.
By Staff Writer Keegan Rammel
