Military Benefits and Graduate Financial Aid

Benefit programs
Applying for VA benefits
Bill payment and pending military benefits
Additional resources

Benefit programs

The U.S. government offers a variety of education benefits for student veterans and active service members. The most commonly utilized programs are outlined below.

Post-9/11 GI Bill®

The Post-9/11 GI Bill offers higher-education and training benefits to veterans and service members who served after Sept. 10, 2001, as well as to their families. Benefits include:

Tuition funds are paid directly to the school, while the housing allowance and book stipend are paid directly to the student. For more information, see the VA’s Education and Training website.

The Post-9/11 GI Bill allows service members to transfer all or some unused education benefits to their spouse or dependent children. For more information, see the VA's Web page on transferability options.

GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website for Veterans Affairs.

Yellow Ribbon program

The Yellow Ribbon Program supplements the Post 9/11 GI benefit at participating private universities, like Yale. Yellow Ribbon provides additional funding for tuition costs above the Post 9/11 GI Bill maximum. Students must qualify for 100% of the Post 9/11 GI benefit to receive the Yellow Ribbon supplement. The benefit and eligibility rates are found on the Certificate of Eligibility (COE). For more information, see the VA’s Education and Training website.

The amount of Yale's Yellow Ribbon funding for students enrolled in Yale College is $16,400 annually. Yale College does not cap the number of Yellow Ribbon recipients. 

Montgomery GI Bill®

The Montgomery GI Bill offers higher-education and training benefits to veterans and service members who agree to a specified reduction in pay during their first year of active service. For more information, see the VA’s Education and Training website.

Vocational Rehabilitation

Veterans and service members who have service-connected disabilities may be eligible for education benefits under the Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment program. For more information, see the VA's Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment program website.

Applying for VA benefits

Choosing a program

You may qualify for more than one type of VA education benefit. Because applying for a certain education benefit could affect your eligibility for others, you should consider your options before selecting a benefit program. The VA provides resources to help you choose the best benefits for you and your family:

Certificate of Eligibility

The first step for using your educational benefits at Yale is to provide us with the Certificate of Eligibility you received from your VA benefits administrator. See the VA website for instructions on how to apply for this certificate. For assistance, contact your regional VA office.

Copies of your Certificate of Eligibility should be submitted to Student Financial Services and Jennifer VanBrederode, Veteran & Military Student Resource Coordinator. Graduate and professional students should also submit a copy to their school's financial aid office.

Bill payment and pending military benefits

Yale will not impose any penalty, including the assessment of late fees, the denial of access to classes, libraries, or other facilities, or the requirement that a student borrow additional funds, on any student because of the student’s inability to meet their financial obligations to the institution when the delay is due to the delayed disbursement of funding from the VA under chapter 31 or 33.

Yale will permit a student to attend or participate in their course of education during the period beginning on the date on which the student provides to Yale a Certificate of Eligibility for entitlement to educational assistance under chapter 31 or 33 and ending on the earlier of the following dates:

  1.  The date on which payment from VA is made to Yale;
  2.  90 days after the date Yale certifies tuition and fees following the receipt of the Certificate of Eligibility.

Additional resources