Vivian Carrasco of Serco North America is project manager and senior analyst for the Army Spouse Employment Partnership, which facilitates the employment of Army spouses to the mutual benefit of the Army and corporate America. The partnership is coordinated through the U.S. Army Community Family and Support Center.
Ms. Carrasco has headed her own career-consulting firm, in addition to holding other positions involving career-assistance for military spouses.
A Texas native, Ms. Carrasco has a B.S. from the University of Maryland and a Master's Degree in Human Relations from the University of Oklahoma. During her career, she has been active in a number of professional organizations. Ms. Carrasco has also made a number of presentations at local and state conferences. Her articles have appeared in local publications, magazines and the Career Interactive Edition of the Wall Street Journal.
Ms. Carrasco, her husband, David, a career officer in the United States Army and their two sons live near Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas.
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June 13, 2005
Q: What educational assistance is available to military
spouses? Are military spouses entitled to any of the active duty
GI Bill benefits?
A: Congratulations on considering additional training and
skill development by continuing your education. As an informational
society we must all become lifelong learners. Learning will help
you respond to the constant changes you'll face as a military spouse.
Fortunately, there are many resources available to help you in your
pursuit.
The most common type of aid is administered by Federal Student Aid
programs. Applying for this type of aid should be initiated long
before you plan to begin classes. Visit your local education center
to obtain the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form
or access it on the U.S. Department of Education's site.
In addition to federal and state grIants, you should pursue available
scholarships. Beware of any scholarship that claims a guarantee
or requests a credit card or bank account number. There are millions
of dollars in scholarships available exclusive to the military community,
visit the Scholarship
Finder for more information.
Military spouses should also use in-kind benefits that are available.
Many of the programs that are available to military members are
also available to military spouses. States are increasing their
support of military families by offering an exemption to out-of-state
tuition costs. Visit your installation's Education Center to find
out more on how to take advantage of programs such as the College
Level Examination Program (CLEP),
which awards college credits for passing CLEP tests.
As a military spouse it's important to consider the impact of a
permanent change of duty station or PCS on your educational goals.
Many schools have rigid residency requirements and only allow you
to transfer in a certain number of college credits. Spouses and
family members in the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps benefit by participating
in degree programs at SOCAD,
SOCNAV,
SOCMAR, or SOCCOAST schools. These colleges are committed to helping
military members and their families obtain a college degree. A SOC
member school limits the amount of course work you must take at
a single college to no more than 25 percent of the degree requirements
and is also designed to minimize the loss of credits in transfer.
Other programs available to assist you in pursuing your education
goals include:
- Spouses To Teachers provides individualized counseling and advisement
on teacher certification and additional information
for spouses interested in becoming teachers.
- Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance Program Chapter
35 offers education and training opportunities to eligible dependents
of certain veterans.
- MilSpouse.org is a Department of Labor resource library
for military spouse employment, education and relocation information.
Continuing your education not only increases your potential earnings
but can also help in finding viable employment. Reach out and connect
with your installation's family service center; achieving your educational
goals are well within reach. Enjoy the dance.
© 2005 Vivian Carrasco.
All opinions expressed in this article are the author's and do not
necessarily reflect those of Military.com.
© 2005 Vivian Carrasco. All opinions expressed
in this article are the author's and do not necessarily reflect those
of Military.com.
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