Spouse Professional License Reimbursement Now Offered by All 5 Services

You're one of the fortunate military spouses who actually secured employment at your duty station. Congratulations!

And then, because #military, your spouse comes home with news: you're moving. Yay for the adventure. Big old womp for your career. While some gigs are remote or easily portable, others face expensive licensing and certification when they transfer states.

Now, the Navy and Coast Guard have released their version of the policy already out from Army, Air Force and Marines offering reimbursement of up to $500 for military spouses impacted by a permanent change of station (PCS). It's a great step in the direction of ensuring military spouses can find and keep meaningful employment.

Read more about the Army and Air Force’s policy in this story, and about the Marine Corps’ version in this story.

There are some caveats to the reimbursements, as expected, but they make sense. For example, in order to qualify, a spouse has to have worked in the same profession for which they're seeking licensure prior to the PCS assignment. Seems legit.

Also, fees must have been paid or incurred by the member or spouse to secure the license or certification from the state of the new duty station after the date on which the orders directing the reassignment. This reimbursement applies to license or certification costs assumed after the date orders are issued redirecting the assignment and, fun fact, is retroactive to all assignments with an effective PCS departure date after Dec. 12, 2017.

"This is part of an ongoing effort to show Navy families we are working to expand family support programs and facilitate spouse employment opportunities," Perry Christiansen, the lead for Navy family readiness programs policy said in a statement.

This reimbursement was ordered by the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which is why the policy is retroactive to December, 2017 -- the date the act was signed.

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