Tuition & Fees

The Post-9/11 GI Bill will pay up to the most expensive in-state tuition and fees at a public institution of higher learning in your state. Tuition payments are made directly to the school for the entire quarter, semester or term. Fees include any mandatory charge by the school including health insurance premiums, graduation fees, lab fees and freshmen fees, among others.

If you attend a school charging less than the maximum amount, you will not receive a check for the difference between the actual tuition cost and the maximum allowable cap, but your full tuition and fees will be covered. In instances where your benefits do not cover the full cost of attendance, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the educational institution may enter into an agreement to cover the unmet expenses under the Yellow Ribbon Program. Only individuals entitled to the full benefit rate may receive Yellow Ribbon funding. The matching contribution from the school and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs cannot exceed the full cost of the school’s established charges.

Check here to see if your school is a Yellow Ribbon Program participant.

Example

You want to attend a school with tuition and fees that are higher than the covered cost in your state. Specifically, the highest in-state tuition and fees are $10,000, but your institution costs $20,000. Under the Yellow Ribbon Program, the school and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs may enter into an agreement to cover the additional $10,000.In this case, if an agreement is made, the school would cover $5,000 of the charges and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs would match that amount to cover the full $20,000.