Download NowThe Yellow Ribbon Program
In the United States, yellow ribbons have been used since the 1970s to show support for our service men and women. The same show of support is true of the Yellow Ribbon Program, an education benefit of the Post-9/11 GI Bill that pays a portion of tuition costs for eligible servicemembers.
Who Can Use the Yellow Ribbon Benefit?
Though servicemembers may be eligible for both the Montgomery GI Bill and the Post-9/11 GI Bill (also called the New GI Bill), the Yellow Ribbon benefit is only available if one elects to use the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Once this election is made, one cannot change his or her mind and use Montgomery GI Bill benefits.
Only servicemembers who are eligible for 100 percent of their GI Bill benefits can take advantage of this benefit. In other words, servicemembers need at least 36 months of active duty service after September 10, 2001, or to have served 30 days after September 10, 2001 with an honorable discharge from a service-related disability. Eligible dependents who receive transferred benefits can also participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program.
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How the GI Bill and Yellow Ribbon Program Fit Together
To understand how the program works, one must understand Post-9/11 GI Bill tuition payment rates. Unlike the Montgomery GI Bill which pays a flat-rate monthly payment based on the servicemember's eligibility, the Post-9/11 GI Bill pays tuition directly to schools and is based on the tuition costs of schools in the servicemember's state. The public college or university with the highest tuition and fees is what determines the amount the Post-9/11 GI Bill pays in that state. As long as the school one attends doesn't exceed the tuition rate of the most expensive in-state public school, the tuition is covered completely. But what happens if the perfect degree program is more expensive? That's where the Yellow Ribbon Program can pitch in.
How the Yellow Ribbon Program Works
GI Bill schools that elect to participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program are designated as Yellow Ribbon Schools. These schools agree to pick up a percentage of the additional cost of the servicemember's tuition, and the VA matches this percentage.
Not all schools participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program. First, a school needs to be a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)-approved Institution of Higher Learning (IHL). The VA defines an IHL as a four-year university, community college, or advanced degree program.
The school enters an agreement with the VA and chooses the amount of tuition and fees that it will pay on a servicemember's behalf. These amounts vary and can be up to 50 percent of the gap amount (the amount of tuition that exceeds what the GI Bill covers).
A school determines the application process and eligibility for participants. It will also decide how many participants it will accept each year. Once accepted, the school commits to pay the Yellow Ribbon benefit until the degree program is complete as long as the servicemember continues to make progress and attend class.
The Yellow Ribbon Program in Action
To illustrate how the program works, let's say a veteran is eligible for the maximum Post-9/11 benefits and is enrolled for 12 credit hours at college in Delaware. The school costs $600 per credit and charges $1000 in fees for a total of $8,200 per semester. The maximum amount of tuition and fees allowable in Delaware is $356 per credit and $523 in fees per semester for a total of $4,795.
If $4,795 is covered by the GI Bill, $3,405 is left unpaid. Without the Yellow Ribbon Program, the veteran would need to cover that cost.
If this particular student participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program, the gap tuition could end up being a non-issue. Say his school accepts an unlimited number of participants with a maximum contribution of $4,000 per student, per year--or $2,000 a semester. The balance of $3,405 will then be split between the school and the VA. The Yellow Ribbon School pays $1,702.50 (which is less than the allowable $2,000 a semester), and the VA matches the school's contribution of $1,702.50. The student, in turn, pays nothing.
Keep in mind that the cost per credit and fees vary quite a bit depending on the type of institution one attends and the degree program (graduate programs tend to cost more per credit). Also, the amount of tuition and fees paid by the GI Bill varies by state, and the amount of tuition that a Yellow Ribbon School will cover varies by institution.
Seven Steps to Yellow Ribbon Benefits
Equipped with the knowledge of how the program works, servicemembers need to take the following steps to take advantage of these benefits:
- Determine Post-9/11 GI Bill eligibility and benefit amount. Servicemembers need to be eligible for 100 percent of their benefit to be a Yellow Ribbon Program participant.
- Apply for new GI Bill benefits. The Certificate of Eligibility confirms that one meets the requirements for the Yellow Ribbon Program.
- Select a degree program and school. Servicemembers should be sure to check the list of Yellow Ribbon Schools to make sure the schools they're considering are already on board.
- Contact the school to find out the application procedures for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Some may require that the program application be complete along with the school application while others ask for it after admission.
- Apply for admission to the school.
- Apply to the school's Yellow Ribbon Program.
- Complete certification of enrollment and participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program to the VA and make sure to verify enrollment.
Should servicemembers encounter any problems navigating the process, the financial aid division of the school and a benefits counselor at the VA should be able to steer individuals in the right direction. For some who attend schools that participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program, a college education can end up being free--or close to it.
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This list does not include all schools that accept GI Bill funding. For a more complete list of schools by state, click here.
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The above schools represent only a portion of the schools that participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program. Find a full list of schools here: Yellow Ribbon Schools
