What is the Yellow Ribbon Program?
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 tuition rate. The institution can contribute up to 50% of those expenses and VA will match the same amount as the institution.
The Institution of Higher Learning (IHL) must agree to:
- Provide contributions to eligible individuals who apply for the Yellow Ribbon Program on a first-come first-served basis, regardless of the rate at which the individual is pursuing training in any given academic year;
- Provide contributions during the current academic year and all subsequent academic years in which the IHL is participating in the Yellow Ribbon Program and the student maintains satisfactory progress, conduct, and attendance;
- Make contributions toward the program on behalf of the individual in the form of a grant, scholarship, etc.;
- State the dollar amount that will be contributed for each participant during the academic year;
- State the maximum number of individuals for whom contributions will be made in any given academic year.
SJU is a participant in the Yellow Ribbon Program. This applies to all undergraduate and graduate students. If you are Yellow Ribbon eligible, it will state so on the Certificate of Eligibility (COE) that you receive from the VA. Yellow Ribbon recipients should be cautioned that this is an annual agreement between the institution and Veterans Affairs, and the amount of the awards may change yearly Please note that there is an annual limit as to the number of students who may be awarded Yellow Ribbon scholarship payments . More information can be found on the GI website.(http://www.gibill.va.gov/)