Career Counseling for Veteran Spouses and Dependents: Chapter 36, SECO and MyCAA

Career counseling for military spouses and veteran dependents comes from 2 departments that do not overlap much. VA serves families using a VA education benefit. The Department of Defense (DoD) serves families of people still in uniform.

Source: https://www.va.gov/family-and-caregiver-benefits/education-and-careers/educational-and-career-counseling/, https://www.militaryonesource.mil/resources/millife-guides/eligibility-for-military-onesource-services/, https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-20/part-1010, checked September 2026.

One correction: there is no "VR&E dependent benefit." Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E, Chapter 31) is for veterans and service members with a service-connected rating; the VR&E program guide covers it. The VA program built for family members is Chapter 36.

Personalized Career Planning and Guidance (PCPG), also called Chapter 36, is free counseling from a VA vocational counselor. VA lists 4 services:

• career counseling "to help you decide which civilian or military jobs you want"
• educational counseling "to help you find a training program or field of study"
• academic and adjustment counseling "to help you address issues or barriers that get in the way of your success"
• resume support and goal planning

For family members, VA adds "exploring your abilities and interests," "mapping out a path to employment" and "planning the best use of your VA benefits." VA does not publish how long a session lasts.

Who is eligible as a dependent

VA's general page says only that "if you're the dependent of a Veteran, you may also be eligible," which is why the professional development guide says "some dependents." The family page and the law are more specific. You may be eligible if at least 1 of these is true:

• you are a dependent using transferred Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits (counseling under 38 U.S.C. 3697A covers anyone eligible under Chapter 33, which includes transfers and the Fry Scholarship), or
• you are the child or spouse of a veteran who died or is permanently and totally disabled and you use Chapter 35 Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA), where 38 CFR 21.3100 says VA "shall provide counseling as needed" on request, or
• you are a child of a Vietnam or Korea veteran with certain birth defects and use VA's training programs for those children.

If you are not sure which VA education benefit you have, the education assistance programs guide compares them.

1. Confirm your education benefit. For a transfer, the transfer of benefits guide explains the steps; for Chapter 35, the Chapter 35 DEA guide covers eligibility.
2. Apply online at VA.gov, or fill out VA Form 27-8832, Personalized Career Planning and Guidance/Chapter 36 (revised July 2026).
3. Mail the paper form to Personalized Career Planning and Guidance (PCPG), Department of Veterans Affairs, PO Box 5210, Janesville, WI 53547-5210, or bring it to your nearest VA regional office.
4. Wait for VA to contact you to schedule counseling. VA publishes no processing time.

Watch out: Apply while your education benefit is active. Chapter 36 eligibility for dependents rides on the underlying benefit, so an expired Chapter 35 award or used-up transferred months can close the door.

DoD renamed the Spouse Education and Career Opportunities (SECO) program SpouseWorks. Military OneSource says it "provides comprehensive coaching services free of charge to all eligible military spouses." Coaches help you identify your skills and the skills a job needs, clarify goals, choose an education path and how to pay for it, and prepare a job search.

Eligibility follows the sponsor. Spouses of active-duty members of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Space Force, and of Reserve and National Guard members regardless of activation status, are eligible. Military OneSource also covers surviving spouses who have not remarried, and retired or honorably discharged members and their families "until 365 days past end of tour of service or retirement date." After that, DoD points you to VA.

To book a coach, call Military OneSource at 800-342-9647. Coaching appointments run 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. ET Monday through Friday and 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET Saturday.

The SpouseWorks Scholarship, formerly My Career Advancement Account (MyCAA), pays up to $4,000 toward a license, certification or associate degree, or continuing education needed to keep a license or certification. It is open to spouses of active-duty, National Guard and reserve component members of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Space Force "serving under qualifying Title 10 orders, across all ranks and pay grades." The old pay-grade caps are gone.

Spouses of veterans are not eligible. If your sponsor has left service, look at Chapter 35, a transferred GI Bill or the scholarship programs guide instead. Apply through the MyCAA portal or start with a SpouseWorks coach.

American Job Centers. The Department of Labor (DOL) says military spouses "receive priority of service for job training programs," so tell the front desk you are a military spouse. Under 20 CFR Part 1010, priority also belongs to an "eligible spouse" of a veteran: the spouse of a veteran with a total service-connected disability, of a veteran who died of a service-connected disability or while totally disabled, or of a member missing in action or captured for more than 90 days. Priority means you get the service earlier, or instead of a non-covered person when slots are limited.

Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP). Part of SpouseWorks, MSEP connects spouses to "more than 1,000 employer partners" committed to recruiting, hiring and retaining military spouses.

TEAMS workshops. DOL's Transition Employment Assistance for Military Spouses (TEAMS) is a set of no-cost, instructor-led employment workshops for military spouses and caregivers, on installation or virtual in 3 time zones.

Hiring Our Heroes. DOL lists this U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation program, which connects "service members, military spouses, and veterans" with employers. VA.org does not endorse any private provider; DOL's page is the reference.

State licenses. Licenses are state-specific. Some states offer reciprocity to spouses who already hold an active license, and DOL says a spouse who moves on change-of-station orders "may be eligible for reimbursement of licensing costs up to $1,000" through the service branch.

Counseling costs no entitlement, so use it before you spend months of benefit. A PCPG counselor can test your interests, check that a program is approved for VA payment, and help you weigh a 2-year credential against a 4-year degree before the first term starts. The GI Bill pillar guide explains how months of entitlement work.

For active-duty families the order is usually reversed: SpouseWorks Scholarship for a credential now, transferred Post-9/11 months for a degree later, and Chapter 36 counseling once the transfer is in place. When the job search starts, the LinkedIn for veterans guide covers presenting military-family experience.

Most states run their workforce agency inside the American Job Center system, and many add spouse-specific help: expedited or temporary occupational licenses, unemployment benefits for a spouse who left a job to follow orders, and tuition waivers for dependents of veterans with a disability rating. The family benefits overview lists the federal programs; pick your state for the local ones.

Can a veteran's spouse get career counseling from the VA?

Yes, if the spouse is eligible for a VA education benefit such as transferred Post-9/11 GI Bill months, Chapter 35 DEA or the Fry Scholarship. Apply for Chapter 36 Personalized Career Planning and Guidance online or with VA Form 27-8832.

What does Chapter 36 counseling include?

Career counseling to choose a civilian or military job, educational counseling to pick a training program or field of study, academic and adjustment counseling for barriers to success, and resume support and goal planning. It is free, delivered by a VA counselor.

Who qualifies for MyCAA?

MyCAA is now the SpouseWorks Scholarship. It is open to spouses of active-duty, National Guard and Reserve members serving on qualifying Title 10 orders in the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Space Force, across all ranks and pay grades. It pays up to $4,000 toward a license, certification or associate degree. Spouses of veterans are not eligible.

Is SECO career coaching free?

Yes. SECO is now called SpouseWorks. Coaches are reached through Military OneSource at 800-342-9647 and provide free help with career goals, resumes, interviews and job search for spouses of active-duty, Guard and Reserve members.

Are surviving spouses eligible for career counseling?

Surviving spouses using Chapter 35 DEA or the Fry Scholarship can apply for Chapter 36 counseling. Surviving spouses of service members who have not remarried also keep Military OneSource access, which is where SpouseWorks coaching lives.