How military spouses can get free financial education and credentials

Being in the military, you know firsthand that there are some particular tests you and your family face on a daily basis. Deployment, moving to a new base and the lack of ability for your spouse to find jobs are some of the most common.

The Military Spouse Fellowship program can help with the latter challenge. The fellowship provides education and training that allows your spouse to become a certified financial counselor.

The Military Spouse Fellowship program

Military families always want to give back whether it’s with time or talent. That’s where the FINRA Foundation Military Spouse Fellowship Program comes in.

It gives military spouses the opportunity to gain a real-world credential—the Accredited Financial Counselor^® (AFC^®) certificate—and set a military spouse on the path to providing financial counseling and education to other members of the military community.

Created in 2006, this fellowship program does not require any prior financial background. It’s a free program that requires you to go through the application process and be selected to complete the coursework.

What the coursework covers

The coursework addresses the full spectrum of financial education from developing a budget and starting an emergency fund to monitoring your financial health on an ongoing basis.

There’s a specific focus on how get credit, how to use it responsibly and how to get out of debt.

Shopping for a mortgage and a car loan are other areas of focus.

Finally, you’ll learn about 529 plans to save for college, how to transition to a civilian job and how to plan for retirement.

The best thing about the coursework is that it lets you move at your own pace. A number of community service hours are required before you’re certified. But once you are certified, you can take that career and all the knowledge you have and apply it to new locations when your family moves to a new base!

Meet some of the spouses who have successfully completed this program.