The Post-9/11 GI Bill and the Yellow Ribbon Program

The School of General Studies of Columbia University (GS) is a proud participant of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs' Yellow Ribbon Program. The scope of benefits provided by the Post-9/11 GI Bill and the Yellow Ribbon Program will make a Columbia education accessible to eligible veterans, regardless of socioeconomic status. Both GS undergraduates and students in the Postbaccalaureate Premedical Program are eligible to participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Benefits Provided by the Post-9/11 GI Bill

Amounts listed below are for the 2011-2012 academic year. Benefits are awarded proportionately, based on eligibility, as determined by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

• Eligible veterans will receive $17,500 applicable toward tuition and fees paid directly to their Columbia student account.
• An annual books and supplies stipend of $1,000 paid proportionately based on enrollment.
• A monthly housing allowance based on the Basic Allowance for Housing for an E-5 with dependents at the location of the school, which is approximately $2,754 per month.

The Yellow Ribbon Program

The Yellow Ribbon Program is an initiative authorized by the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act that allows educational institutions to provide eligible student veterans with a tuition waiver or grant that is matched by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. This program supplements the base tuition benefits provided by the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

Through the Yellow Ribbon Program, for the 2011-2012 academic year GS will grant an award that is the equivalent to funding up to $8,000 per year to 300 eligible veterans on a first-come, first-served basis. This $8,000 will then be matched by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Apply for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Eligibility for the Post-9/11 GI Bill and Yellow Ribbon Program

You may be eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill if:

• You served an aggregate period of active duty after September 10, 2001, of at least 90 days;
• 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.

If you are eligible for 100 percent of the maximum benefit in the Post-9/11 GI Bill (see chart below), you are eligible to participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program.

For more information on eligibility, please consult the Dept. of Veterans Affairs website.