Use Your VA Education Benefits for an In-Demand, Satisfying Career

Over the next decade, the healthcare industry is expected to grow more than any other industry. There are more opportunities than ever to help people by providing person-to-person support that promotes sustainable health and wellness. In specific, the healthcare industry is experiencing a growing demand for specialists in aromatherapy, herbal medicine, massage, chiropractic, nutrition, wellness coaching, and acupuncture to work with physical therapists, doctors, and dieticians, among others.

The opportunity to help people find wellness and balance, is relatively unlimited. For many military servicemembers and spouses, it is this pride in helping others that attracted them to the military. A career in holistic health is an opportunity to find new ways to help other.

To read the full-length version of this article, which originally appeared in the 2010 Veterans Education Guide, download it as a PDF here: http://www.schoolguides.com/veterans_education_online.html (This ACHS article starts on page 76 of the Guide.)

MyCAA Provides Up To $6,000 in Financial Assistance to Military Spouses

The American College of Healthcare Sciences (ACHS) has been approved to participate in the Department of Defense (DoD) Military Spouse Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) program.

MyCAA provides financial assistance to military spouses pursuing degrees, licenses, or credentials leading to employment in Portable Career Fields, including holistic nutrition, wellness consulting, and holistic health. Eligible military spouses can receive up to $6,000 in financial assistance to be used for education and training programs, tuition, and licensing/credentialing fees, including Associates, Bachelors, and Masters programs. MyCAA can also be used for course books and supplies needed for the participant’s chosen profession. ACHS Career Advancement Account recipients are currently enrolled in the Certificate in Natural Products Manufacturing and Associate of Applied Science in Complementary Alternative Medicine programs, among others.

As outlined on the MyCAA FAQs, the goals of the program include: To “seek schools and programs that offer academic degrees, licenses and certificates that lead to employment in Portable Career Fields; seek spouses who are ready to start classes within 90 days; and make financial assistance (FA) available to as many eligible spouses as possible with highest priority on spouses who are ready to start classes within 90 days of opening a MyCAA account.”

Eligible participants are spouses of DoD active duty service members or members of the National Guard and Reserve Components. Guard and Reserve member spouses are eligible “from the date of the Alert or Warning Order for Military Recall or Mobilization, through activation and deployment until 180 days following De-Mobilization.” To be eligible, participants must pass the Defense Eligibility and Enrollment Reporting System (DEERS) screen.

To get started, military spouses should visit the MyCAA website to establish an account at https://aiportal.acc.af.mil/mycaa. For specific questions about ACHS courses and MyCAA and ACHS enrollment eligibility, military spouses should contact ACHS Admissions to speak with a student advisor. ACHS Admissions can be reached at (800) 487-8839 from Monday-Friday, 8:30 am-5:30 pm, PST, and by email at admissions@achs.edu.