What Is CGMA? A Plain-English Guide to Coast Guard Mutual Assistance

CGMA stands for Coast Guard Mutual Assistance. It's the official nonprofit relief society of the United States Coast Guard, founded in 1924, that provides interest-free loans, grants, and emergency financial support to active-duty Coast Guard members, retirees, reservists, civilian employees, Auxiliary members, U.S. Public Health Service officers serving with the Coast Guard, and surviving family members. CGMA operates more than 40 separate programs covering education, emergency travel, medical and dental expenses, adoption, disaster relief, basic living expenses, and more.

The short version

CGMA is to the Coast Guard what Army Emergency Relief is to the Army, Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society is to the Navy and Marines, and Air Force Aid Society is to the Air Force — the branch-specific relief society. It's a 501(c)(3) nonprofit funded by voluntary contributions from the Coast Guard community, investment income, and partnership support. It's the Coast Guard's designated channel for emergency financial help and a major source of routine education and family support.

What CGMA does

CGMA's 40+ programs cluster into five categories:

• Education — Interest-free education loans up to $6,000, the Supplemental Education Grant (up to $750/household per year), the Stafford/PLUS Loan Fee Grant, and free Tutor.com access for members and families.

• Emergency assistance — Basic living expenses loans, disaster relief grants, shutdown loans (when federal government shutdowns disrupt Coast Guard pay), funeral expense help, and loss-of-property aid.

• Family and adoption support — Adoption loans and reimbursement, Welcome Baby Layette package, nursing-mother equipment reimbursement, special-needs grants, and PCS child-care assistance.

• Medical and dental — Interest-free loans for extraordinary medical/dental expenses, cancer-treatment travel assistance, pediatric cardiac care support.

• Career and transition — Transition assistance, Auxiliary member support, survivor assistance, and debt management counseling.

Who qualifies for CGMA help

CGMA eligibility is broader than most people assume:

• Active duty Coast Guard members (officer and enlisted)

• Coast Guard Reservists (drilling and IRR, with eligibility rules layered by program)

• Retired Coast Guard military members

• Coast Guard civilian employees

• Coast Guard Auxiliary members (with tenure-based eligibility for some programs)

• U.S. Public Health Service officers serving with the Coast Guard

• Surviving spouses and dependents

• Dependents of any of the above, including children under 23 for education programs

How CGMA is different from the Coast Guard Foundation

CGMA and the Coast Guard Foundation are different organizations with different missions, often confused. CGMA provides direct financial assistance to individual Coast Guard members and families. The Coast Guard Foundation runs scholarships, morale grants to units, family resilience programs, and disaster response funding that typically flows through Coast Guard channels rather than to individuals. If you need individual financial help, start with CGMA.

How to apply

CGMA's application path is fast and is the same for nearly every program:

• Contact your local CGMA Representative (every Coast Guard unit has one). If you don't know who yours is, CGMA HQ at 1-800-881-2462 can route you.

• Gather documentation: military ID or retiree card, recent LES or pay stub, bills or estimates showing the need, and a brief written justification.

• Submit through the CGMA Member Portal.

• Emergency cases are commonly approved within 24–48 hours; routine cases (education loans, planned-expense reimbursement) take 1–3 weeks.

Want a deeper walkthrough of every CGMA program and how to apply? Read our complete CGMA guide, or talk to the CGMA Program Finder chatbot for a matched recommendation.

Sources

• Coast Guard Mutual Assistance. ‘Programs.' mycgma.org/programs/

• Coast Guard Mutual Assistance. ‘Get Help: Active Duty Members.' mycgma.org/get-help/active-duty-members/

• U.S. Coast Guard. CGMA overview document. dcms.uscg.mil

• CGMA Member Portal. portal.mycgma.org

This page is reviewed quarterly. Last reviewed: May 2026.