Expert Answers to Your GI Bill Benefits Questions Topic: New GI Bill - Yellow Ribbon Program

Hi Siani, It can be confusing and the VA has just made it much easier to understand.  Starting on 1 August of this year you can ignore all of those state tuition and fee rates as they will no longer be used.  Effective that date the Post 9/11 GI Bill will cover all tuition and fees for eligible veterans to attend an approved public school as an in-state student for undergraduate and graduate programs for as long as their benefits last.

That means that if you are a resident of Tennessee, you can attend an approved public school and the Post 9/11 GI Bill should cover all of your tuition and fees as long as you have benefits.  If you move to Pennsylvania or any other state, you are more than likely going to have to establish residency before you can attend a school in the state at an in-state tuition rate.  Each state handles qualifying for for residency differently, but until you are paying in-state tuition rates you may have to cover the difference between what the Post 9/11 GI Bill provides and what the school is charging you.

One way to get some additional assistance would be to choose a Yellow Ribbon Program school.  If you are accepted into the school’s version of the program, they may contribute an amount toward the part of your tuition not covered by the Post 9/11 GI Bill and the VA will match their contribution.

Hi Brendon, You can go to school in any state you desire as long as the school and program are approved for GI Bill use.  As things stand now you would receive a maximum per credit hour of $508.25 to attend school in Ohio using the Post 9/11 GI Bill and $456.30 in Kentucky.  I say as it stands now because new legislation just passed that may cause the rates to change in August 2011.

If you go to school in Kentucky while you are considered a resident of Ohio, you are probably going to have to pay out of state tuition rates and there’s a good change you may have to cover some of your tuition costs out of of pocket.  The amount the Post 9/11 GI Bill provides in each state rarely covers the entire amount schools charge for out of state tuition.

The good news is that both schools are Yellow Ribbon Program participating schools.  If you get accepted into their program, the school and the VA will cover a portion of your excess tuition that isn’t covered by the GI Bill.  Unfortunately the school in Kentucky only accepts 6 undergraduates into the program each year so the odds may not be the greatest, but you still have a chance.  The University of Cincinnati accepts 25 undergraduates into their Yellow Ribbon Program each year.