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"You have to assume, I guess, and maybe this is wrong, but those that are using the funds for an occupational license or credential, that's what the funds are actually used for, to obtain that license or credential," said Aggie Byer, director for military spouse education at the department. But, she said, a thorough review is under way. Part of the reason why there isn't data on outcomes like number of degrees granted and graduation rates is that many of the programs are not overseen by the U.S. Department of Education. Because schools like Animal Behavior College do not collect Title IV financial aid from the government, they are exempt from outcome-tracking as well as other federal regulations designed to protect students. Harkin noted military spouses have just one chance to receive the benefit, and could be left at a significant disadvantage if, for example, they later try to transfer to a two- or four-year college degree program and find their credits aren't accepted. "This money really should be used to help these spouses to go community colleges, for example, or to get a quality online program that is approved and accredited," Harkin said. For spouses like Ivanna Fernandez, whose husband is in the Air Force and currently deployed in Qatar, the MyCAA benefit is one of their only opportunities to get some form of higher education paid for by the military. The 20-year-old Florida native has moved twice with her husband, working odd jobs and caring for the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy her mother-in-law gave her as a wedding gift. Last year, she went online to search for a dog trainer school. The Animal Behavior College was the first result that popped up. The school's website prominently displays information on how military spouses can apply. "They leave a little box for you to put your number in, and someone calls you almost within the next 10 minutes," Fernandez said. Appelbaum, ABC's founder, said the school had not applied for Title IV approval because the relatively low price means most students don't need to take out financial aid to attend. The only approval the college has received is from the California Bureau of Private Postsecondary Education, which does a review of the school's financial resources, faculty, and enrollment agreements, said Russ Heimerich, spokesman for the California Department of Consumer Affairs. Appelbaum said the school discloses to students that neither a dog training nor a vet assistant certificate is needed to pursue a career in either field. He said a certificate nonetheless helps open doors when seeking employment. "If you spend 100 hours working at veterinary hospitals, assuming you don't get hired at that hospital, you are going to have a much easier time getting hired than if you just walk in off the street," he said. Crisp, whose husband has been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, said the hospital where she did an externship wanted to keep her on staff but wasn't hiring at the time. She was told she'd get a call back but never did. In the meantime, she's been working as a pharmacy technician, a field in which she earned a certificate from a community college before claiming her MyCAA benefit. She is doing some dog training on her days off and still has hopes of finding full-time work in the field. "I just don't want to give up just yet," she said. Others have had more luck. Sarah Casey, a military wife living near Seattle, found a job at a dog training and daycare facility within two months of moving to her family's current post. She had prior experience working at dog kennels and vet clinics, but still thinks getting the certificate was helpful. "I gained a lot of knowledge," Casey said. Fernandez was pleased with her course at ABC, but said she was never told that a certificate wasn't necessary to pursue a dog training career. "I wasn't aware of that," she said. But, she added: "I wouldn't be able to be a dog trainer, though, without the program." Fernandez is putting her hopes into making dog training a sustainable career. She's currently shadowing a mentor dog trainer assigned to her by the school and later plans to volunteer at a shelter. College isn't out of the question
-- but for that, she'll have to find money elsewhere.
[Associated
Press;
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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