2010
by Patrick Campbell
The VA is now accepting applications for colleges to participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program. In order for a school to participate they must submit a Yellow Ribbon Program Agreement form to the VA by May 21st, 2010. The VA publishes a list of yellow ribbon schools each year.
The Yellow Ribbon Program of the Post-9/11 GI Bill helps make graduate schools and private universities more affordable for veterans. This program bridges the gap caused by schools who charge tuition and fees higher than what the Post-9/11 GI bill will cover. In the program, private schools or graduate programs willing to create a veterans-only scholarship will be matched dollar for dollar by the VA, up to the full cost of tuition and fees for the veteran.
A participating school has the option to:
- Set the amount they will award each eligible student;
- Cap the number of students they will provide with Yellow Ribbon Scholarships;
- Specify that only certain degree levels (e.g. undergraduate or graduate) will be eligible; and
- Limit the program to a specific college or professional school within their university.
For example here is how the US News & World Report Top 25 schools are participating in the Yellow Ribbon program:
|
Rank
|
School
|
Yellow Ribbon Contribution
|
# of YR scholarships
|
Out of Pocket Cost to Veteran*
|
|
1
|
Harvard University
|
$3,000
|
15
|
$20,612
|
|
1
|
Princeton University
|
Not Participating
|
-
|
$21,320
|
|
3
|
Yale University
|
$5,000
|
50
|
$10,520
|
|
4
|
California Institute of Technology
|
Not Participating
|
-
|
$24,012
|
|
4
|
Stanford University
|
$3,000
|
50
|
$21,309
|
|
4
|
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
|
Not Participating
|
-
|
$27,382
|
|
4
|
University of Pennsylvania
|
$9,000
|
20
|
Fully Covered
|
|
8
|
University of Chicago
|
$6,800
|
20
|
$8,029
|
|
8
|
Columbia University
|
$5,100
|
150
|
Fully Covered
|
|
10
|
Duke University
|
$5,000
|
4
|
$13,655
|
|
11
|
Dartmouth College
|
$19,223
|
Unlimited
|
Fully Covered
|
|
12
|
Northwestern University
|
$5,837
|
Unlimited
|
$9,035
|
|
12
|
Washington University in St. Louis
|
$13,947
|
100
|
Fully Covered
|
|
14
|
Johns Hopkins University
|
$5,000
|
5
|
$14,906
|
|
15
|
Cornell University
|
$3,959
|
68
|
Fully Covered
|
|
16
|
Brown University
|
$14,000
|
10
|
Fully Covered
|
|
17
|
Emory University
|
Not Participating
|
-
|
$24,529
|
|
17
|
Vanderbilt University
|
$6,000
|
Unlimited
|
$18,639
|
|
17
|
Rice University
|
$2,505
|
Unlimited
|
Fully Covered
|
|
20
|
University of Notre Dame
|
$15,000
|
10
|
Fully Covered
|
|
21
|
University of California--Berkeley
|
Public School
|
n/a
|
Fully Covered
|
|
22
|
Carnegie Mellon University
|
$5,000
|
50
|
Fully Covered
|
|
23
|
Georgetown University
|
$1,000
|
Unlimited
|
$30,774
|
|
24
|
University of California--Los Angeles
|
Public School
|
n/a
|
Fully Covered
|
|
24
|
University of Virginia
|
Public School
|
n/a
|
Fully Covered
|
IAVA applauds schools like Dartmouth College, Columbia University, Washington University in St. Louis and all the bolded schools above for making their colleges accessible to Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. You truly are helping to build the next greatest generation. As for the four schools not participating; Princeton, California Institute of Technology, MIT and Emory IAVA hopes to see your name on the “fully covered” list next year.
