Governor Perdue Announces Extension of Grants for Spouses of Fort Benning Soldiers

ATLANTA – Today Governor Sonny Perdue announced Georgia has secured an extension of the Heroes at Home DOL/DOD Military Spouse initiative to continue funding for Career Advancement Accounts (CAA) available to spouses of active duty military personnel at Fort Benning.   With the extension, approximately 100 additional spouses are eligible for CAA grants to continue their education and over 500 currently enrolled will be able to complete their education.  The Governor worked closely with Georgia’s Congressional delegation and the U.S. Department of Labor to secure the extension.

“Georgia is committed to its military families who have sacrificed so much for our state and country,” said Governor Perdue. “By making funds available for Georgia’s military spouses to further their education and training, we can help ensure they have the job skills needed to achieve greater career success and long term economic stability.”

Career Advancement Accounts are grants available to spouses of active duty military personnel at Fort Benning that have a high school diploma or GED and/or some level of postsecondary education and are interested in completing a postsecondary credential in one of ten high demand occupations.  Grant recipients can access up to $6,000 to pay for expenses directly related to the education and training – the tuition or cost of the program, books and fees.

Since the program began in 2007, more than 700 grants have been awarded and 93 spouses have graduated from their chosen programs of study.  The CAA grants have generated a tremendous return on investment, producing skilled graduates for the state’s high demand fields such as healthcare, education, homeland security and business.   To date, approximately $3.5 million has been allocated for education and training as part of this program.

The CAA grants are the result of a collaborative effort between the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Department of Labor to help provide education and training opportunities to military families.  The Governor’s Office of Workforce Development is administering the grant and the Georgia Department of Labor is assisting with on-site staffing.   Many of Georgia’s postsecondary institutions have been very helpful in assisting these spouses with the application process and providing support during their academic studies.

Spouses of military personnel at Fort Benning should contact the Army Continuing Education System (ACES) Center at Fort Benning at 706-545-8117 or visit www.benningcaa.com .

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