VA Yellow Ribbon Program
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Check before you apply: details change often, so confirm on the official page before you apply.
- Who it's for
- Veterans and service members at the 100% Post-9/11 GI Bill benefit level (active-duty service members included), Fry Scholars, and spouses or children using transferred 100%-level benefits
Open to: veterans, active duty / transitioning service members, spouses, family or caregivers.
Requirements noted: Post-9/11 service required. - Cost
- Free with benefit
- Free with no benefit?
- No
- VA benefits
- GI Bill (required)
- What you get
- Helps pay higher out-of-state, private school, foreign school or graduate school tuition and fees that the Post-9/11 GI Bill does not cover: your school contributes an amount and VA matches it. Schools set how many students and how much; spots are limited and first-come, first-served
- Type
- Funding, scholarship or grant
- Credential strength
- 4/5: Major benefit that can pay for recognized degrees or certifications; value depends on what it funds.
- Duration
- Varies
- Format
- Online or in person (Depends on the school)
- Location
- Participating schools (U.S. and abroad)
- Deadline
- Apply through your school; limited spots, first-come, first-served
- Next start
- Varies
- Stipend / housing / travel
- Post-9/11 GI Bill housing and books (separate from Yellow Ribbon)
- Jobs it can lead to
- Depends on what it funds
- Notes
- Ask your school's certifying official whether it takes part and how many Yellow Ribbon spots it has.
- Official page
- va.gov/education/about-gi-bill-benefits/post-9-11/yellow-ribbon-program
- Last checked
- Oct 7, 2026