Does Your College Participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program?: Five Easy Steps
Veterans, reserve and active duty that are benefiting from the Post 9/11 GI Bill may find that their school also participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program. The Yellow Ribbon Program pays for the additional expenses of tuition that go above and beyond the amount normally covered by the Post 9/11 GI Bill. Here’s five easy steps to finding out if your online college participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program and, if so, how you may apply:
- Does your online school have a campus? If you are attending an online program that also has a campus, such as Saint Leo University, simply find the state your school’s main campus is located in on the Yellow Ribbon Program’s participant search system.
- Does your online school not have a campus? If you are attending a school found only online, visit their website to find out where their main office is held. Distance learning institutions are still required to have a location for accreditation purposes. This will allow you to search the state their center is in to find if they are a participant.
- Is your school listed? If so, contact your school and ask if you may utilize the Yellow Ribbon Program. Yellow Ribbon schools may not discriminate who is eligible for the program, but they may limit how many participants are allowed per school year, so it is best to apply early to guarantee your eligibility.
- Is your school not listed? Contact your school and ask whether they participate or not. They might be located in a different list on the VA’s website. If they do not participate, tell them about the Yellow Ribbon Program and encourage them to take part.
- Follow-up! Keep in touch with the financial aid of your school and their continual participation. Also, spread the word about whether or not you found your Yellow Ribbon school was resourceful, friendly and worthwhile to other military personnel and Post 9/11 GI Bill benefactors seeking the information for their prospective education.
