Five Facts About the Yellow Ribbon Program

The Yellow Ribbon Program allows schools and universities with tuition expenses higher than the in-state government university tuition costs to give veterans, reserve, and active duty military students an increased financial benefit from the Post 9/11 GI Bill. This increased benefit can lower the tuition costs of colleges that would otherwise not be fully covered by the Post 9/11 GI Bill.

Veterans, reserve, and active duty students that plan on attending a school or university not funded by the government should be aware of the Yellow Ribbon Program. The Veterans Benefits GI Bill Blog discussed the “Ten Little Known Facts of the Post 9/11 GI Bill;” the following five facts will help potential military students understand the Yellow Ribbon Program:

1. A list of colleges participating in the Yellow Ribbon Program is officially released by the VA on June 22, 2009. Until this list is released, students that are trying to discern which schools participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program will have to find out by contacting the school. No official information pertaining to which colleges participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program is currently available. Some colleges, including Saint Leo University, have publicly announced their involvement before the June 22, 2009 VA release date.

2. In order to be eligible for Yellow Ribbon Program benefits, you must be eligible for the full benefits of the Post 9/11 GI Bill. This means you must fulfill one of the following requirements: service for an aggregate period of 36 months since September 10, 2001; an honorable discharge from active duty due to a service-related disability and 30 continuous days of service following September 10, 2001; being a dependent eligible for the full benefits of the Post 9/11 GI Bill.

3. Application for the Yellow Ribbon Program will be based on college attendance. If the school or university offers the Yellow Ribbon Program to military students, all students that qualify for the full benefits of the Post 9/11 GI Bill may apply for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Application for this provision of your Post 9/11 GI Bill will vary based on the school’s process, however, and will be based entirely on how the college handles financial aid applications.

4. There may be a limit on the number of students that can apply for the Yellow Ribbon Program per semester at your school. All students that meet the prerequisites for the Yellow Ribbon Program set by the VA may apply for the Yellow Ribbon Program’s benefits at a participating school. Participating schools reserve the right, however, to limit how many students may apply per semester, which generally ensures that the earlier you apply for the Yellow Ribbon Program, the better. For students interested, be sure to watch if your school of choice is on the June 22nd list and to immediately apply if it is listed.

5. The Yellow Ribbon Program does not have to be paid back. Just like the other benefits of the Post 9/11 GI Bill, the Yellow Ribbon Program is treated like a grant, not a loan. Military students that benefit from the Yellow Ribbon Program do not have to pay back the benefits they receive.

The Pentagon Channel has released the following video to describe the Yellow-Ribbon benefits in further detail: