Military spouses angry that DoD halts job grants

By RUSS BYNUM AP Military Writer

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) - Military spouses across the U.S. are in an uproar over the abrupt suspension of a popular grant program that paid for college courses and career training.

The Defense Department last week halted the program, which offered military spouses $6,000 grants for college tuition or professional licenses and certificates. The program debuted a year ago.

Rebecca Duncan, a Navy wife in Corpus Christi, Texas, says she felt "slapped in the face." She was approved for a grant to pursue an applied sciences degree, but the program shut down before she could enroll in classes.

The military says grants were stopped because thousands of applicants overwhelmed the program's budget. About 98,000 spouses were enrolled before grants were suspended.

The Defense Department says the halt is temporary, but hasn't said when it will resume.