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The Yellow Ribbon Program Explained

By Dr. LeNaya Hezel 

The Dept. of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers many benefits for veterans and their families to pursue their personal and professional goals, including subsidizing the cost of higher education.

If you’re planning to attend college or are already enrolled, there’s a good chance you’ve tapped into your Post-9/11 GI Bill, a VA education benefit you’ve earned.

Nestled under the Post-9/11 GI Bill benefit is the Yellow Ribbon Program, an additional tuition assistance program that helps eligible service members, veterans and military families pay for out-of-state or private degree program tuition and fees the GI Bill doesn’t cover. More than 500 colleges and universities have participated in the Yellow Ribbon Program since its inception.

We sat down with Dr. LeNaya Hezel, chief programs officer at Warrior-Scholar Project (WSP), to learn more about the Yellow Ribbon Program, its benefits, and other campus resources available to military-connected students. WSP partners with leading universities nationwide to host academic boot camps that prepare veterans for college, including navigating the college application and financial aid process complexities.

In plain terms, what is the Yellow Ribbon Program?

The Yellow Ribbon Program is a supplemental funding benefit for students eligible to receive 100% of Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits, which is calculated by days of accumulated active-duty service and determined by the VA based on official service records. The program helps Post-9/11 GI Bill users with tuition, fees and other expenses required for a degree program that exceeds what the Post-9/11 GI Bill would cover. The GI Bill only pays up to a certain amount annually, $28,937.09 during the 2024-2025 school year. What makes the Yellow Ribbon Program unique is that schools opt into the program and agree to support a specified number of students up to a designated financial amount. The VA then matches what the school will provide, which is in addition to the annual tuition and fees base pay benefit that the GI Bill covers.

For example, a student plans to attend a private institution, and the tuition is $60,000 annually. The student will receive their GI Bill base pay of $28,937.09. However, their college is also a Yellow Ribbon School and provides up to an additional $20,000 in assistance to participants. The VA would match up to $20,000, bringing the Yellow Ribbon Program benefit for the student up to $40,000. So, $28,937.09 (GI Bill tuition base pay), which leaves $31,062.91 remaining, falling below the $40,000 Yellow Ribbon Program maximum, meaning there would be no out-of-pocket cost to the student for tuition and fees at what might be an otherwise inaccessible school for the student.

How many students can enroll in the Yellow Ribbon program, and is the benefit the same across institutions?

Each college or university determines its own availability and funding level. Some have unlimited slots as long as the applicant is eligible for GI Bill benefits; other schools cap how many people can participate, and it’s first come, first served. Schools also have to set up rules for what first come, first served looks like—that can be a separate application or form on certifying documents, for example. In a first come scenario, slots wouldn’t open until students graduate, exhaust benefits or withdraw. Because of that, the number of students who can enroll in the Yellow Ribbon Program can vary from year to year at a school that caps the number of participants.

The best way to find out for sure is to ask questions during the application process. For example, are you a Yellow Ribbon School? How much do you contribute, and will that amount, coupled with the GI Bill tuition maximum, cover the entire cost of tuition and fees? Is there a cap on how many students can enroll in the Yellow Ribbon Program, or is there a waitlist?

The GI Bill Comparison Tool is a great starting point for giving students a reference on the entire cost of tuition, fees, housing allowance rates and book stipends. Students should contact the centralized point of contact listed for the college to get more information. That person may refer inquiries to someone else, but they can at least point students in the right direction. When using the Comparison Tool or speaking with admissions, keep in mind that the rate can change from year to year, so students should also ask what the benefits will be when they start school.

In general, what support resources are available for veterans on campus?

Some of the common ones I’m seeing are dedicated websites outlining the GI Bill certification process, which is required by law for universities to receive VA funding. The universities that go beyond have a dedicated point of contact to answer and assist veterans and military-connected students. Some schools have a veteran-specific orientation or welcome event at the start of the semester, which is an excellent way to meet other students in the community and learn who on campus is supporting them. There might also be a dedicated school certifying official or someone in a similar role who assists with transition resources and coordinates other programs for students throughout the year.

Beyond an office, some schools have a physical space for veterans, commonly called the Veterans Resource Center. Student veterans can use this space for events or even a dedicated study room. The resource center is often the hub for events and programming, from community building to health and wellness, career development, financial literacy and academic skills—all tailored to the student veteran population.

Not all students will use a Veterans Resource Center or attend events, but some need military-specific services and connections with other veterans. At the end of the day, it comes down to the student’s needs. The support available from a military identity perspective should vary depending on where the student is in their transition, and students should ask themselves what type of college experience and support system they need to succeed and find alignment.

Dr. LeNaya Hezel is the chief programs officer at Warrior-Scholar Project, a nonprofit whose mission is to ensure that every degree-seeking enlisted veteran succeeds in their pursuit of higher education.

Read more articles for the veteran community here.

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