A private university or an out-of-state public college can charge more than the Post-9/11 GI Bill pays toward tuition, and the Yellow Ribbon Program exists for that gap. This explains how the program splits the remaining cost and what a GI Bill student should ask a school before committing.
How the split works
A school that takes part signs an agreement with the VA each year. It chooses how much it will put toward each student's remaining tuition and fees, and the VA adds the same amount. Together the two payments can close all or part of the gap above what the GI Bill pays.
Each school sets its own terms. It can limit the number of students it supports, set a different contribution for each college or degree level, and include only some programs. A law school and an undergraduate college at the same university may have quite different agreements.
Who can use it
The program is open to students at the full Post-9/11 benefit level and to some others the VA names, among them Fry Scholarship recipients and, from August 2022, active-duty members and their spouses using transferred months. Children using months a parent transferred at the full level can often use it too. The VA keeps the current rules on va.gov, and the school checks your Certificate of Eligibility against them.
Public colleges generally have to charge covered veterans and many family members the in-state rate under federal law, wherever they last lived. That makes Yellow Ribbon most useful at private schools, in graduate and professional programs, and for students the in-state rule leaves out.
It chooses how much it will put toward each student's remaining tuition and fees, and the VA adds the same amount.
Asking a school before you commit
Spaces can be limited and are often filled in the order requests arrive, so ask early, ideally before you accept an offer of admission. Ask how many students the school supports in your program, what it contributes, whether the agreement runs for the length of your degree, and whether you need to ask again each year.
The GI Bill Comparison Tool on va.gov shows which schools take part and the terms they reported. Confirm the details with the school's certifying official or veterans office, because an agreement can change from one academic year to the next.
Whatever the two payments leave uncovered is still owed. Ask the student accounts office for an estimate of that remainder in writing, then look at grants, scholarships and the FAFSA to cover it.
Steps to take
- Look up schools in the GI Bill Comparison Tool
- Ask each school how many spaces it holds for your program
- Confirm your benefit level on your Certificate of Eligibility
- Send your Yellow Ribbon request as soon as you are admitted
Who decides
The school's certifying official or veterans office, and the VA
Yellow Ribbon depends on what the school agreed to for your program, so ask about spaces and terms before you accept an offer.