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Military Spouse Scholarships and Career Paths
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When a military spouse comes into your office looking for scholarship opportunities, do you have a list of those opportunities ready to go? Most education financial support for military spouses comes from external entities like foundations, military branches, or nonprofits. It is difficult to pin down how many colleges and universities offer scholarships or grants specifically for military spouses. If your institution does not already offer a scholarship for military spouses, it is opportune to begin establishing one. Offering a military spouse scholarship is a visible commitment that demonstrates you are a military inclusive campus. The goal of this article is to consolidate the information available and discuss how military spouses are pursuing jobs and careers after completing their education.
There are approximately 14 better-known opportunities for military spouses to attain education, training, or licensures via various means. See the chart below for direct links and high-level information. Please note this is not an exhaustive list but offers a starting point.
| Organization / Program | Who It Covers | Award Amount & Notes |
| Hope For the Warriors | Post-9/11 spouses/caregivers | Varies by scholarship Spring/Fall cycles |
| Army Emergency Relief - Patty Shinseki Spouse Scholarship | Army spouses pursuing their first undergraduate degree | ~$500-$2,200 Need-based |
| AFA Donley Scholarship | Spouses of active-duty Air Force, Space Force, Guard, or civilian Air Force employees | $2,500 (2 awards) Undergraduate/Grad |
| Wings Over America | Navy aviation spouses and children of active duty, retired, honorably discharged, or deceased | Up to $5,000 ~50 awards/year Scholarships may be used for trade school certification, community college or four-year university/college undergraduate studyand may be used fortuition and mandatory fees only at an accredited institution. |
| Joanne H. Patton (NMFA) | All service spouses of active-duty, Guard, Reserve, or retired service members | $500-$1,000 Early February deadline |
| Folds of Honor | Covers "unmet need" for spouses, dependents of service members who were killed, wounded, or disabled | Up to $5,000 Need-based for undergrad. Prorated for part-time enrollment. |
| FINRA Fellowship | Military spouses | Covers AFC® certification Accredited Financial Counselor (AFC®) certification training and testing costs, which varies |
| CCME Spouse Scholarship | spouse of a uniformed service member (active, reserves, guard, veteran) | $1,000/year Undergrad/Grad |
| ThanksUSA | Spouses & dependents | $3,000/year Undergrad/Grad |
| UMGC-NMFA (UMGC) | Active-duty spouses, first degree seekers | $1,500 Fall entry (Oct-Dec) |
| WGU Scholarship | Spouses, online degrees | $1,000 per term (max $4,000) |
| Navy/Marine spouses overseas | $1.5k-$2k grants Various conditions | |
| CGMA & Coast Guard Foundation | Coast Guard spouses | $500-$2,000 grants; loans; scholarships Healthcare focus options |
| MyCAA (DoD) | Spouses pursuing education, training, and licensure | Training/licensure aid, up to $4,000 Limited eligibility |
Military Spouse Career Pathways
When a military spouse student comes into your office to discuss career paths, are you ready and able to assist with the proper resources? As a military spouse of 21 years myself, I have seen more educational opportunities become available over the years to support broader job and career options. Military spouses consistently face circumstances that impede their ability to sustain jobs and careers. That is why it is important to continue to expand access and opportunities. Spouses may try to consider jobs that are high-demand and/or transportable due to constant relocations. Based on the Department of Education's ERIC report, "Impact of Military Lifestyle on Military Spouses' Educational and Career Goals," military spouses tend to desire advanced degrees with pathways in health, business, and education. The findings in this report additionally cover influences and factors that drive career choices for spouses.
Understandably, many military spouses opt for remote work because it allows for continuity and the ability to grow within an organization. What resources does your office, or your career services center, offer for those looking exclusively for remote work opportunities? It is important to have remote work best practices and tools available, not only for military spouse students but other demographics of students as well. A list of industries that embrace remote work and their typical degree and application requirements could be beneficial. For example, I opted to pursue a pathway in higher education as an online adjunct instructor because it helped bring in extra income and afforded me a career that would go with me wherever I followed my spouse's orders. Through this experience, I have been able to work in different faculty and staff positions in colleges and universities and have a meaningful career alongside my husband. However, there are certainly other careers that enable military spouses to find in-demand or purposeful employment through research, such as the Occupational Handbook, and funding support.
One thing employers and job seekers should keep in mind is that longevity and loyalty to the same company is no longer the norm. Covid-19, of course, contributed to remote and hybrid work as the new normal. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average tenure of an employee is about four years with employees switching jobs at least 12 times before retirement. Therefore, any associated fears of military spouses leaving a job should not be a factor when considering how they bring value to an organization.
Policy and Legislative Support
In addition to the various foundations, military branches, and nonprofits support military spouses with education, training, and licensures, the type of policy and legislative support is also noteworthy. For instance, military and veteran members are often provided with waived fees and residency considerations at colleges and universities. Florida's 2016 House Bill 799, for example, made it so that service members and recent veterans could receive out-of-state tuition fee waivers for those stationed outside of the state. The Military Spouses Residency Relief Act allowed military spouses to declare the same state of legal residency as their spouse and the Veterans Benefits and Transition Act ensured that spouses could choose their spouse's state of legal residence.
Another notable improvement is the 2022 Veterans Auto and Education Improvement Act, which added a provision to allow both service members and spouses to retain use of their licenses and certificates when relocating due to military orders. This ensured the portability of careers and extended certain VA allowances through 2031.
Final Thoughts
Overall, military spouses today have better scholarships and grant opportunities than in the past. Policies and legislative support continue to build stronger foundations for their job and career pathways. While the work is not done, and we can continue to review how best to continue supporting military spouses, the social climate and economic factors have changed how we perceive job longevity and portable careers. Clearer data is needed to fully understand how military spouses are being served and what other access to scholarships and grants may be available to them. As higher education institutions, we can be the first step in guiding military spouse students through their degree programs and supporting their next steps into the workforce.
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