Colleges and Universities Partner to Provide Yellow Ribbon Scholarships

Over 1100 colleges and universities have partnered with the Veterans Administration (VA) to provide financial aid benefits to veterans and some dependents through the Post-9/11 GI Bill “Yellow Ribbon” Program. Designed to support veterans seeking to enroll in either undergraduate or graduate studies at private or out-of-state institutions, the Yellow Ribbon Program allows the VA to enter into agreements with individual colleges and universities to fund tuition expenses exceeding the highest public in-state tuition rates already covered by the Post-9/11 GI Bill. The college or university can contribute up to 50 percent of those expenses and the VA will match the same amount as the institution.

To take advantage of this sweet deal, students must be entitled to the maximum VA benefit rate. In other words, they

• served an aggregate period of active duty after September 10, 2001, of at least 36 months (a sliding scale of benefits is used for those serving less than 36 months);
• were honorably discharged from active duty for a service connected disability and served 30 continuous days after September 10, 2001;
• are a dependent eligible for Transfer of Entitlement under the Post-9/11 GI Bill based on a veteran’s service under the eligibility criteria listed above.

Institutions agree to provide contributions to eligible individuals who apply for the Yellow Ribbon Program on a first-come first-served basis and make contributions toward the program on behalf of the individual in the form of a grant or scholarship. Not only does the program apply to students attending a private institutions or graduate school, but it also works for students attending in an out-of-state status at partnering institutions.

Some local colleges and universities participating in the program include:

Institution	Division or School	Number of Students	School Contribution per student/per year
American University	All	38	$13,782 Undergraduate $8900 Graduate $10,210 Doctoral
George Washington	All	240	$18,000 Undergraduate $3800 Graduate $2175 Doctoral
Georgetown University	Various	Unlimited*	Varies
William and Mary	All	5	$2,000
Eastern Mennonite	All	15	$6000 Undergraduate $2000 Graduate
George Mason University	Graduate	25	$500
Hampden-Sydney College	Undergrad	120	$10,500
Hampton University	All	50	$4600
Liberty University	All	Unlimited	$10,500
Mary Baldwin College	Undergrad	100	$9000
Marymount University	All	25	$2000
Roanoke College	All	Unlimited	$10,631
University of Richmond	All	25	$5000
UVA	Darden	Unlimited	$6000
UVA	Law	5	$20,000
VCU	Undergrad	5	$6000
VCU	Graduate	5	$6000
Washington & Lee	Undergrad	5	$15,778
Washington & Lee	Graduate	5	$15,371
College of Notre Dame	Undergrad	10	$4000
Goucher College	Undergrad	5	$19,556
Hood College	Undergrad	50	$8388
Johns Hopkins University	Varies	Varies	Varies
Loyola University of MD	All	50	$11,400
St. John’s College	Undergrad	50	$17,000
St. John’s College	Grad	50	$2000
St. Mary’s College of MD	Undergrad	Unlimited	$5696.50
Washington College	All	Unlimited	$18,000

*Except School of Continuing Education

A complete list of participating colleges and universities may be found on the Yellow Ribbon Program website. And kudos to Wingate University in North Carolina for including reference to the Yellow Ribbon Program in their admissions materials!