{"id":52231,"date":"2022-04-21T14:31:28","date_gmt":"2022-04-21T14:31:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/uncategorized\/2022\/04\/21\/yellow-ribbon-program-helps-some-post-911-veterans-pay-for-more-expensive-schooling\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T07:44:53","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T07:44:53","slug":"yellow-ribbon-program-helps-some-post-911-veterans-pay-for-more-expensive-schooling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/education-transition\/2022\/04\/21\/yellow-ribbon-program-helps-some-post-911-veterans-pay-for-more-expensive-schooling\/","title":{"rendered":"Yellow Ribbon Program helps some post-9\/11 veterans pay for more expensive schooling"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you served in the military after 9\/11 and have an eye on continuing your education at a college or university where tuition costs exceed your Post-9\/11 GI Bill benefit, the Yellow Ribbon Program might be able to help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Department of Veterans Affairs program is specifically geared to veterans, or their dependents, interested in attending higher-priced private schools, graduate schools and international universities whose tuition and fees are higher than the maximum Post-9\/11 GI Bill benefit. The program can also cover the higher fees charged to nonresidents at out-of-state universities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Yellow Ribbon Program<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Yellow Ribbon GI Educational Enhancement Program<\/a>, a provision of the Post-9\/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008, assists veterans in paying for educational expenses that exceed the maximum Post-9\/11 GI Bill payments. Those limits change from year to year because they are based on the annual average cost of U.S. undergraduate tuition. As of Aug. 1, the 2022-2023 maximum annual benefit will be capped at $26,381.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Yellow Ribbon Program can, in certain circumstances, help veterans exceed this benefit cap to afford a more expensive undergraduate or graduate school. It can be complicated, but it\u2019s worth investigating. The program does not require that you attend full-time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are two key elements: The first is that you or your dependent must be Post-9\/11 GI Bill eligible; second, the school you wish to attend must participate in the program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There may also be limitations on how many veterans can participate in the program at each school each year. Some universities, such as Cornell, have no limit to the number of undergraduates who can benefit from the program, but do have limits in their graduate schools. The early bird gets the worm. If you qualify and you\u2019re interested, don\u2019t procrastinate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How it works<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The universities who chose to participate with the VA in Yellow Ribbon agree to contribute up to 50% of their tuition costs that exceed the maximum Post-9\/11 GI Bill benefit in a given year. How much depends on the individual school. The VA then matches that amount.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Schools calculate your benefit by adding up all of your tuition and mandatory fees. They then subtract any aid received from other sources \u2014 such as scholarships, grants, and your Post-9\/11 GI Bill tuition payment. Finally, your school applies its Yellow Ribbon benefit to the total amount calculated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, if you wish to attend a participating university and the tuition is $40,000 a year, the the Post-9\/11 GI Bill would pay for all but $13, 619 of that. If the university agreed to waive $6,000 for Yellow Ribbon participants, and the VA matched that contribution, it would bring your yearly out-of-pocket tuition expenses to $1,619.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each school has its own policies, and they may differ for undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs at the same school. Differences may also apply to the type of school within a university that you wish to attend. So, the benefit for nursing school may differ from that offered to students at the engineering school. Each school is different, and you\u2019ll need to investigate thoroughly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Who qualifies?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

First, you must qualify for the Post-9\/11 GI Bill at the 100% benefit level. The educational benefit covers your full tuition and fees at school, a monthly housing allowance and up to $1,000 for books and supplies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To qualify for the maximum amount of this assistance, and to be eligible for the yellow Ribbon Program, recipients must have:<\/p>\n\n\n\n