Army Emergency Relief (AER) is the Army's financial assistance organization. The AER provides financial relief to Army personnel and their dependents, based on certain conditions. Spouses can apply for scholarships, which are grants, by showing financial need for tuition assistance. Spouses residing in the United States can apply for the Stateside Spouse Education Assistance Program (SSEAP). For spouses living with Army personnel deployed overseas, there is the Overseas Spouse Education Assistance Program (OSEAP) which provides need-based financial assistance for undergraduate education.
The Department of Defense, through the Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts (MyCAA) program, grants up to $6,000 in financial assistance over a two-year period for certain types of education expenses, including GED completion and English as a Second Language courses. Eligibility depends on pay grade and course selection.
The Survivor's and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) program is administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The program allows for up to 45 months of financial benefits to spouses of eligible veterans for education and training.