Families of active-duty servicemembers experience many of the same kinds of disruptions in pursuing a college degree as do active-duty servicemembers. SOC Consortium colleges are encouraged to provide access, flexibility, counseling, and academic and student services to help family members to complete associate or bachelor's degrees as they relocate with the servicemember during his or her military career. Spouses and college-age dependent children of servicemembers are eligible to receive SOC DNS Student Agreements as they pursue degrees in the SOC Degree Network System. For additional information, click here.
Financial Aid Resources
SOC does not provide financial assistance, but military family members often qualify for grants, scholarships, or tuition discounts from various organizations and academic institutions.
Listed below are links to a variety of financial aid resources for spouses.
DANTES — A list of financial aid resources for military family members. Under Counselor Support Programs, select Financial Aid for Spouses of Servicemembers.
Military Spouse Career Advancement Account — Helps fund training in "portable" career fields. (Not available to Coast Guard spouses).
Need a Lift? — A publication produced by the American Legion listing grants and scholarships available to individuals with a variety of military connections. It also provides good advice on locating other (non-military) sources of financial aid.
Department of Veterans Affairs — The Post 9/11 GI Bill includes a provision that allows eligible servicemembers to share their benefits with family members.
Federal Student Aid — Free information from the U.S. Department of Education.
National Military Family Association