FAQ

The Yellow Ribbon Program is a provision of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008. This program allows degree granting institutions of higher learning in the U.S. to voluntarily enter into an agreement with the VA to fund tuition expenses for eligible veterans. Details and eligibility guidelines for Post 9/11 benefits, including the Yellow Ribbon Program, can be found at www.gibill.va.gov.

Applicants should complete and submit the VA Education Benefits application form available online. Please see www.gibill.va.gov for more information.

Students will receive written notification explaining the VA's decision regarding your eligibility for the program. If you are eligible, your Certificate of Eligibility (COE) will also advise you if your service meets the requirements for the Yellow Ribbon Program.  

Once you have received your COE you should submit it to the Registrar’s Office at the University of Pennsylvania as soon as possible. Submit the Certificate of Eligibility to:

The Office of the University Registrar
University of Pennsylvania
Room 221 Franklin Building
3451 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6273
http://www.upenn.edu/registrar/

Federal law states that Yellow Ribbon awards must be on a first-come, first-serve basis.  Applicants will be placed in the queue for available awards based on the date they present the VA COE indicating Yellow Ribbon eligibility to Penn’s Registrar's Office.

Please note: Phone calls and e-mail inquiries will not hold a place in the queue. 

For newly admitted students, the date when they submit their online Intent to Enroll form will also be used to certify their place in the queue for awards.

For more information about the Yellow Ribbon program at Penn, please consult the Registrar’s website. http://www.upenn.edu/registrar/yellow-ribbon.html.

Yes, only admitted students who have already matriculated into a degree program or who have accepted their offer of admission by submitting an online Intent to Enroll form may be considered for the program.

There are 15 openings for LPS undergraduate degree students in Academic Year 2009-2010. Awards will be made on a first-come, first-served basis in the order in which students submit their Certificate of Eligibility to the Penn Registrar's Office and the order in which they submit their Intent to Enroll form at LPS.

Yes, there are a limited number of spaces (10) available for graduate students in the School of Arts & Sciences. Students in LPS master's programs (Master of Liberal Arts, Master of Environmental Studies, Master of Science in Applied Geosciences, Master of Applied Positive Psychology, and Master of Medical Physics) are eligible for these Yellow Ribbon allocations.

No, only degree programs are eligible for funding under the Post 9/11 GI Bill Yellow Ribbon program.

Visit www.sas.upenn.edu/lps/ or contact an LPS Recruitment Specialist at 215-898-7326 or lps-info@sas.upenn.edu.