Georgetown University increased its tuition benefits for military-connected students, adding thousands of dollars annually in Yellow Ribbon Program scholarship funding to make the university more financially accessible to those who have served.
The Yellow Ribbon Program is a voluntary agreement between institutions of higher learning and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to cover portions of tuition and fees not covered by the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill®.
The new changes will increase Georgetown’s main campus undergraduate benefits by $3,000 per year – from $5,000 to $8,000 – the first major increase in several years.
“Georgetown’s increases in Yellow Ribbon funding, combined with national expansions of Yellow Ribbon Program eligibility, will be a game changer in making Georgetown University financially accessible to those who have served,” Wesley Wilson, director of Georgetown’s Military and Veterans’ Resource Center, said.
Nationally, legislative changes under the Forever G.I. Bill® will allow active-duty military personnel and spouses using transferred benefits to access the Yellow Ribbon Program effective Aug. 1, 2022. The Yellow Ribbon Program is structured to take effect once an eligible participant has met the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill® private tuition maximum of $26,381 for an academic year. Once a student meets the maximum, the Georgetown school in which they enroll will contribute Yellow Ribbon funding up to the dollar amount specified by its Yellow Ribbon agreement. The VA matches the college’s Yellow Ribbon contributions to reduce or eliminate a student’s out-of-pocket expenses.
All military-connected students who are deemed eligible for the Yellow Ribbon program can participate. According to a recent assessment of Georgetown’s military-connected community, roughly 63% of Georgetown military-connected students say that Georgetown’s membership in the Yellow Ribbon program was a critical factor in choosing to attend Georgetown.
The Military and Veterans’ Resource Center (MAVRC) strives to improve the quality of life of Georgetown’s nearly 1,200 military-connected students by providing the necessary support services to successfully navigate the military-to-civilian transition and operationalizing the Jesuit value of cura personalis, or care of the person, to foster a military-inclusive campus community. The MAVRC supports Georgetown’s military-connected community through tailored advising, connection to student resources, student programming, alumni engagement and research and assessment.
GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Explore more information provided by the U.S. government about education benefits offered through the VA.
###