An Introduction to the Yellow Ribbon Program and Yellow Ribbon Schools

As a current or former member of the Army, you have an array of education benefits available to you and your family. One that can be a significant help in paying for college is the Yellow Ribbon Program, a Post-9/11 GI Bill provision. The Yellow Ribbon Program is a collaboration between the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and participating colleges to provide extra funds for eligible Army personnel.

What Is the Yellow Ribbon Program?

The Post-9/11 GI Bill helps current or former members of the Army and other armed forces attend college for a reduced cost or for free. The program, in conjunction with the GI Bill, can provide up to 100 percent of the tuition, fees, and other education costs associated with earning a degree. The maximum benefit you can receive under the new GI Bill is equal to the tuition and fees at the most expensive public college in your state. This does not mean you must attend a public school, and the Yellow Ribbon Program can help you to make up the remainder of the costs if you decide to attend a private school, go out of state, or attend an online school participating in the Yellow Ribbon Program. How it works is that Yellow Ribbon schools commit to paying up to 50 percent of the tuition that isn't covered by the GI Bill. The VA then matches the school, dollar for dollar, up to 100 percent of the remaining tuition and fees.

Yellow Ribbon Program Eligibility Requirements

You must be eligible for the maximum military benefits under the Post 9/11 GI Bill to qualify for the Yellow Ribbon Program. As an active, reserve, or veteran member of the Army, you may be eligible for maximum benefits if you meet one of the following criteria:

You served on active duty for a minimum of three years starting on or after September 11, 2001
You served for at least 30 days after September 10, 2001 and received an honorable discharge due to a service-related injury or disability

Dependents of Army personnel who are eligible to receive GI Bill benefits under the transfer entitlement program may also qualify if the sponsoring Army member meets one of the criteria above.

What Does the Yellow Ribbon Program Offer Veterans?

The Yellow Ribbon Program might be especially useful if you choose to:

Earn a degree at a private school, including online schools
Attend college out of state
Pursue a graduate degree

The costs incurred by the above school options can often exceed the maximum available benefits from the Post-9/11 GI Bill. The Yellow Ribbon Program was designed to help you meet the additional funding needs for your education. Yellow Ribbon schools usually make their contributions to the program in the form of grants, scholarships, and other types of financial aid that do not have to be repaid.

This is a private website that is not affiliated with the U.S. government, U.S. Armed Forces or Department of Veteran Affairs. U.S. government agencies have not reviewed this information. This site is not connected with any government agency. If you would like to find more information about benefits offered by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, please visit the official U.S. government web site for veterans’ benefits at http://www.va.gov.

The sponsored schools featured on this site do not include all schools that accept GI Bill® funding or VA Benefits. To contact ArmyStudyGuide, email us.

Disclosure: EducationDynamics receives compensation for the featured schools on our websites (see “Sponsored Schools” or “Sponsored Listings” or “Sponsored Results”). So what does this mean for you? Compensation may impact where the Sponsored Schools appear on our websites, including whether they appear as a match through our education matching services tool, the order in which they appear in a listing, and/or their ranking. Our websites do not provide, nor are they intended to provide, a comprehensive list of all schools (a) in the United States (b) located in a specific geographic area or (c) that offer a particular program of study. By providing information or agreeing to be contacted by a Sponsored School, you are in no way obligated to apply to or enroll with the school.

This is an offer for educational opportunities that may lead to employment and not an offer for nor a guarantee of employment. Students should consult with a representative from the school they select to learn more about career opportunities in that field. Program outcomes vary according to each institution’s specific program curriculum. Financial aid may be available to those who qualify. The financial aid information on this site is for informational and research purposes only and is not an assurance of financial aid.