Thomas Edison State College is honored to have been selected by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) as a participating institution of the Yellow Ribbon GI Education Enhancement Program. The College is currently participaing in Yellow Ribbon for graduate students only.

The Yellow Ribbon program, GI Education Enhancement Program (Yellow Ribbon Program) is a provision of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008. This program allows institutions of higher learning (degree granting institutions) in the United States to voluntarily enter into an agreement with VA to fund tuition expenses that exceed the public in-state undergraduate tuition rate. The institution can contribute up to 50% of those expenses and VA will match the same amount as the institution.

Benefits of the Yellow Ribbon Program

• Currently the Post-9/11 GI Bill pays up to the highest public in-state undergraduate tuition and fees.
• Effective August 1, 2011 the Post-9/11 GI Bill will pay:
  • all public school in-state tuition and fees or
  • up to $17,500 per academic year for a private school

Your tuition and fees may exceed these amounts if you are attending a private school or are attending a public school as a nonresident student.

Institutions of Higher Learning (Degree Granting Institutions) may elect to participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program to make additional funds available for your education program without an additional charge to your GI Bill entitlement.

Institutions that voluntarily enter into a Yellow Ribbon Agreement with VA choose the amount of tuition and fees that will be contributed. VA will match that amount and issue payment directly to the institution.

Eligibility
Only veterans entitled to the maximum benefit rate (based on service requirements) or their designated transferees may receive this funding. Active duty servicemembers and their spouses are not eligible for this program (child transferees of active duty servicemembers may be eligible if the servicemember is qualified at the 100% rate).

Therefore, you may be eligible if:

• You served an aggregate period of active duty after September 10, 2001, of at least 36 months
• You were honorably discharged from active duty for a service connected disability and you served 30 continuous days after September 10, 2001
• You 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