| More Than 1,100 Colleges and Universities Partner with VA to Improve GI Bill Benefits WASHINGTON – Over 1,100 colleges, universities and schools across the country have entered into “Yellow Ribbon” program agreements with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to improve financial aid for Veterans participating in the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Over 3,400 agreements were received from the 1,100 schools participating in the Yellow Ribbon Program. “This is a strong response to a new benefit,” Keith Wilson, Director of VA’s Education Service, said. “We are pleased so many institutions are supporting our Veterans.” “The Post-9/11 GI Bill is an important part of fulfilling our promise to the men and women who have served our country so honorably,” Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki said. “Implementing this landmark legislation and providing even more veterans with a quality education is a top priority for VA. We are grateful so many schools are joining us as partners in this unprecedented effort.” The Yellow Ribbon program, a provision of the new Post-9/11 GI Bill, funds tuition expenses that exceed the highest public in-state undergraduate tuition rate. Institutions can contribute up to 50 percent of those expenses, and VA will match this additional funding for eligible students. The Yellow Ribbon program is reserved for Veterans eligible for the Post -9/11 GI Bill at the 100 percent benefit level. This includes those who have served at least 36 months on active duty or served at last 30 continuous days and were discharged due to a service related disability. The Post-9/11 GI Bill was passed by Congress last year. It is the most extensive educational assistance program authorized since the original GI Bill was passed back in 1944. Provisions of the program include payments for tuition and fees, housing and a stipend for books and supplies. Benefits are payable for training pursued on or after August 1, 2009. The tuition and fee benefit is paid directly to the school. MilitaryConnection.com is so pleased to hear that over 1100 private schools and universities have signed up to be Yellow Ribbon Schools. This means that Veterans will have the opportunity to select these schools in addition to state colleges and universities. Additionally, they may earn graduate and advanced degrees too. MilitaryConnection.com offers all types of information on the Post 9/11 GI Bill. We include specific information about the Yellow Ribbon program and have contacted many educational institutions to encourage them to apply prior to the deadline. You will find many veteran education features on this site. They include but are not limited to a Veterans School Directory, a Housing Calculator, In State Tuition Fee Charts, Scholarship Directory and much more. It is our hope that California Veterans eligible for the Post 9/11 GI Bill will be able to enjoy the same benefits as veterans nationwide. There seems to be an issue due to semantics that we hope will be corrected soon. When the next tour is back home, it’s on MilitaryConnection.com. |