The Yellow Ribbon GI Education Enhancement Program (Yellow Ribbon Program) is a provision of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008. This program allows institutions of higher learning (degree granting institutions) in the United States to voluntarily enter into an agreement with VA to fund tuition expenses that exceed the highest public in-state undergraduate tuition rate. The institution can contribute up to 50% of those expenses and VA will match the same amount as the institution.
Key Elements of the Yellow Ribbon Program
Post 9/11 GI Core Benefit
The Post 9/11 GI Bill is designed to cover the cost of the most expensive public undergraduate tuition and fee for veterans serving 36 months active duty after September 11, 2001. The core benefit, for those 100 percent eligible, is as follows:
- Tuition – The VA will either pay the actual amount of tuition charged or the cost of the highest, public in-state undergraduate tuition, whichever is lower, based on the VA’s state tuition and fee schedule. For Connecticut, the maximum charge per credit hour is $486. As such, the maximum core tuition amount that the VA will pay to Yale is $7,290 per semester, assuming 15 credit hours.
- Fees – Based on the VA’s state tuition and fees schedule, the VA will pay a maximum of $1,946 in fees per term.
- Book Allowance – The book allowance per semester is = 41.57 x the number of credit hours, or a maximum of $1,000 per year.
- Monthly Housing Allowance – The monthly housing allowance is equal to the basic allowance for housing for a member of the military with dependents in pay grade E-5, using the zip code area in which all or a majority of the institution of higher education is located. Under code CT051, which encompasses New Haven/Fairfield, the monthly housing allowance is $2,225.00.
Full benefits are available only to veterans who have served at least 36 months. Veterans who have served for as little as 90 days qualify for a reduced benefit equal to 40 percent of the maximum benefit. Disabled veterans with at least 30 days service are eligible for the full benefit. Veterans who were dishonorably discharged are not eligible for the benefit.
Tuition and fees are paid directly to the institution of higher education; the book and housing allowances are paid directly to the veteran.
Total Maximum Core Benefit for a Full-Time Yale Student
Over Two Semesters
| Tuition | $14,580 |
| Fees | $3,992 |
| Book Allowance | $1,000 |
| Housing (9 months) | $20,025 |
| Total | $39,597 |
The core benefit is available to all veterans who meet the eligibility criteria, regardless of whether the institution of higher education they are attending is participating in the Yellow Ribbon, or supplemental benefit. The calculation above assumes that the veteran is 100 percent entitled to the Post 9/11 GI benefit. If the veteran is not eligible for the full entitlement (for example, he or she is honorably discharged prior to 36 months of service), he or she is may receive a proportional amount of the core benefit but not the Yellow Ribbon supplement.
The Yellow Ribbon Supplement
The Post 9-11 GI Bill also establishes the Yellow Ribbon Program, which is designed to assist eligible veterans in affording post-secondary education at private and for-profit colleges with higher tuitions and at graduate and professional schools. Under the Yellow Ribbon supplement, an institution may elect to enter into an agreement with the VA to pay tuition and fees not covered by the core benefit. Simply put, the VA agrees to match dollar-for-dollar institutional aid provided specifically to veterans to help fill the outstanding balance on tuition and fees. Payments for both the core benefit and the Yellow Ribbon Supplement will be processed on August 1, 2009.
