BUFFALO, NY--(Marketwire - July 27, 2010) - Bryant & Stratton College Online announced today that applications for its Salute to Spouses scholarship program for military spouses are still being accepted and that recipients will be able to combine funding with the restructured Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts program (MyCAA). MyCAA participants can use their $4,000 MyCAA benefits and the $6,000 scholarship from Bryant & Stratton College Online to pursue an online associate's degree program through Bryant & Stratton College. This allows military spouses to receive up to $10,000 in tuition assistance. While the restructured MyCAA program has eliminated benefits for bachelor's degree programs, Bryant & Stratton College will continue to allow military spouses to apply the Salute to Spouses scholarship toward an online bachelor's degree from Bryant & Stratton College. Additionally, Bryant & Stratton College will not limit eligibility by military pay grade.
In July, the U.S. Department of Defense announced that a restructured MyCAA program will resume in October. Changes to MyCAA include a reduction in DoD-funded financial aid from $6,000 to $4,000, with an annual cap of $2,000; a three-year expiration date from the start of benefits; a requirement that benefits must be used for associate's degree, licensure and certification programs; and a limitation of benefits to spouses of service members at particular pay grades.
MyCAA was suspended earlier this year after the program received an unexpected and overwhelming number of enrollments. The Department of Defense partially reinstated the program in March; however, it only provided financial assistance for MyCAA participants already enrolled and no new accounts could be created. In response, Bryant & Stratton launched the Salute to Spouses scholarship program, providing up to $6,000 toward an online degree program at Bryant & Stratton College to the first 100 qualified applicants.
"Bryant & Stratton College is excited to provide military spouses the opportunity to take advantage of both MyCAA benefits and the Salute to Spouses scholarship program," said Scott Traylor, Associate Campus Director for Online Education at Bryant & Stratton College. "Additionally, we recognize the needs of military spouses that no longer meet the eligibility requirements of the restructured MyCAA program and we are proud to continue to offer the Salute to Spouses scholarship to all military spouses and for our online bachelor's degree programs as well."
The Salute to Spouses scholarship program is an opportunity for military spouses to advance their education and become more competitive in the modern job market. A recent report released by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce estimates that by 2018, 63 percent of all jobs will require at least some postsecondary education.
"It is imperative that military spouses have the education they need to find work and build a career. Online education is a great fit since they can complete their program even if they are relocated," continued Traylor.
Salute to Spouses will award 100 scholarships up to $600 (for part-time students) or $1,200 (for full-time students) per semester for degree programs offered by Bryant & Stratton College Online, with a maximum $6,000 scholarship award per recipient. The combination of the Salute to Spouses scholarship and MyCAA benefits cannot exceed the cost of tuition. Scholarship recipients must maintain a GPA of 3.0 and must stay enrolled semester to semester. To qualify, applicants must have a copy of their spouse's orders, a copy of their marriage certificate and a high school diploma (or equivalent). An application form and more information can be found at http://SalutetoSpouses.com.
Military spouses may use MyCAA benefits toward an online certificate program at Bryant & Stratton College; however, the Salute to Spouses scholarship can only be applied to online associate's degree and bachelor's degree programs. If a military spouse completes an online certificate program at Bryant & Stratton College and would like to continue with a corresponding Bryant & Stratton online degree program, the Salute to Spouses scholarship would be applicable at that time.
Currently, Bryant & Stratton College offers four online bachelor's degree programs, eleven online associate's degree programs and ten online certificate programs in a variety of fields including business, criminal justice, financial services, healthcare, human resources and information technology. Bryant & Stratton College is regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Information about the degree programs offered by Bryant & Stratton College Online is available at http://online.bryantstratton.edu.
About Bryant & Stratton College Online
Bryant & Stratton College is one of the nation's pioneers in career education and is the premier provider of online associate's degrees. Bryant & Stratton offers accredited education that upgrades student capabilities and maximizes their marketability. For more than 150 years, Bryant & Stratton College has helped students gain the career skills they need to succeed in the workplace. Currently, Bryant & Stratton College Online offers four online bachelor's degree programs, eleven online associate's degree programs and ten online certificate programs in a variety of fields including business, criminal justice, financial services, healthcare, human resources and information technology. Some online programs are not yet available in all states. Bryant & Stratton College is regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Bryant & Stratton College also offers flexible scheduling at its 17 campuses located in four states: New York, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin. For more information about Bryant & Stratton College and its online degrees, visit http://online.bryantstratton.edu.
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