Online Education Blog

The Yellow Ribbon GI Education Enhancement Program, also known simply as “Yellow Ribbon Program,” is a provision of the Post 9/11 GI Bill designed to help with exceptionally high tuition costs. This provision of the Post 9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 allows colleges to enter an agreement with the Department of Veterans Affairs to help fund the costs of tuition that exceeds the highest public in-state undergraduate tuition rate. This is especially important for distance learning programs that may potentially be more expensive than attending a local college campus. Colleges may contribute up to fifty percent of the additional expenses of their higher education programs and the Department of Veterans Affairs will match the same amount, dollar-for-dollar.

The college must apply for the Yellow Ribbon Program (although students may direct an inquiry to the college). The college must also adhere to the following guidelines:

• Provide the Yellow Ribbon Program to students on a first-come, first-serve basis, not on how many units the student is taking or investing in to the college;
• Continue to provide the service to students that are eligible for it in later semesters, so long as the student maintains high academic performance;
• Contribute this assistance to the student in the form of grants or scholarships (not loans);
• Openly state the dollar amount that will be provided;
• Openly state how many individuals at the college will receive this benefit every year.

What does this mean for the veteran student?

The Post 9/11 GI Bill normally provides students with benefits up to the costs of an in-state university. This means that many veterans would not normally be able to attend private schools for their education due to the higher costs involved in private education, even though there are private schools like Saint Leo University and American Sentinel University that tailor education programs specifically to military veterans. Institutions that participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program may attract students that are benefiting from the Post 9/11 GI Bill by offering to cover some of the additional expenses of their higher-cost education, in exchange for the government also providing an equivalent amount of the private college’s contribution.

Some institutions will cover all remaining expenses of their tuition this way, so that the student pays nothing; others will cover a partial amount of the excess tuition, so that they and the Department of Veteran Affairs handles part of the fees, and the student handles the remainder.

Which students are eligible?

Only students getting the maximum benefits of the Post 9/11 GI Bill qualify for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Those requirements are as follows:

• They served  after September 10, 2001 for at least 36 months;
• They were honorably discharged from active duty for a service connected disability and also served 30 continuous days after September 10, 2001;
• They are a dependent eligible for Transfer of Entitlement under the Post-9/11 GI Bill based on a veteran’s service under the eligibility criteria listed above.

How do I know my college participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program?

A list of participating education programs can be found here. A list of the exact colleges that have decided to enroll in the Yellow Ribbon Program will be available after June 1, 2009.

For additional information, read the letter from VA secretary James Peak explaining the Yellow Ribbon Program.