Grants for military spouses' education to resume

SAVANNAH, Ga. --- Facing a phalanx of angry military spouses, the Defense Department said Thursday it will resume payments for college courses and job training for spouses who already had applied for grants when the popular program was abruptly halted in February.

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The official in charge of the year-old program that pays up to $6,000 for career advancement also apologized for suspending the grants without first notifying thousands of military spouses enrolled. He said grants were halted Feb. 16 because an unexpected spike in enrollment busted the program's $174 million budget.

More than 136,000 spouses will be able to resume signing up for classes Saturday, said Tommy T. Thomas, the deputy undersecretary for defense who oversees the grants.

"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," Thomas said. "As a result of our failure, we know we will have to work hard to restore their faith in us."

The program -- Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts, or MyCAA -- started in March 2009. Spouses of active-duty military service members and of reservists called to active duty could apply for up to $6,000 to pay for college tuition or costs associated with professional licenses and certificates.

The grants were intended to help spouses find better jobs, because frequent moves by military families often hamper their careers.

The response was overwhelming. By the time MyCAA was suspended, 98,000 spouses were enrolled and more than 38,000 more had applications pending. If all of them received the full $6,000 grant, the estimated cost would have exceeded $819 million.

Maj. April Cunningham, a Defense Department spokeswoman, said officials were able to reprogram funds to meet immediate needs. But new applications won't be accepted until the department decides on a long-term plan.

The program's sudden suspension stunned and outraged military spouses. Many who were already enrolled found out from college advisers after they were unable to sign up for new classes.