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How Post 9/11 and Yellow Ribbon Apply

The Yellow Ribbon Program was established by the Post-911 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008. This program allows institutions of higher learning (such as colleges, universities, and other degree-granting schools) in the United States to voluntarily enter into an agreement with VA to fund tuition and fee expenses. The institution can contribute a specified dollar amount of those expenses, and VA will match the contribution-not to exceed 50% of the difference. The purpose of the Yellow Ribbon Program is to help the student receive aid which comes closer to the cost of tuition and fees when their other Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits do not reach that level.

Effective August 1, 2019, the Post-9/11 GI Bill will pay up to $24,476.79 per academic year for a private school (such as Messiah College).

Messiah College has elected to participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program to make matching VA funds available for your educational program. Our commitment is to provide a total package, which for most students is up to, but not exceeding, the total of tuition and qualifying fees. Your package may include:

· Post-9/11 GI Bill Benefits;

· Messiah College Yellow Ribbon contribution;

· VA Yellow Ribbon contribution.

For the 2019-2020 academic year, Messiah College has committed to a maximum Yellow Ribbon Program match of $6,000. For a student who receives no other tuition specific institutional financial aid, this level of match will allow the student to receive aid equal to tuition and fees. Messiah College institutional aid will be re-allocated for the purposes of making the Messiah College portion of Yellow Ribbon. The VA will then match this allotted amount for their Yellow Ribbon. Here are some examples of how the Yellow Ribbon Program match will be calculated:

Example 1:

Mark is a full-time student at Messiah College. He had been awarded $6000.00 in Messiah aid and his VA benefits which will cover his Fall tuition and fees. He will need to access Yellow Ribbon funds for the Spring semester. His tuition and fees for each semester total $18,060.00. The yearly cap set by the VA for the Chapter 33 funds is $24,476.79, so after Fall tuition and fees have been paid the remaining benefits from the VA is $6,416.79. The Yellow Ribbon portion will now be able to help pay up to, but not exceed, the rest of his tuition and fees which is $11,643.21 ($18,060.00 - $6,416.79). A majority of Mark’s Messiah aid will be re-allocated as the Messiah Yellow Ribbon contribution. Messiah will pay half of this amount and the VA will match by paying the second half.

 

Fall 2019

Example 1 – Yellow Ribbon eligible student who receives no other tuition specific financial aid

Tuition and Qualifying Fees

$18,060

Minus VA Benefits

$18,060

Equals – Net Tuition and Fees due from student

$0

   

2016/2017 VA Benefit Cap

$24,476.79

Fall Chapter 33 Benefits

$18,060

Remaining Chapter 33 Benefits

$6,416.79

Spring 2020

Example 1 – Yellow Ribbon eligible student who receives no other tuition specific financial aid

Tuition and Qualifying Fees

$18,060

Minus VA Benefits

$6,416.79

Equals – Total Remaining Amount for Yellow Ribbon

$11,643.21

Divide Remaining Amount by 2

The Yellow Ribbon contribution from Messiah will be this amount ($5,821.61) or $6000.00 whichever is lower

Messiah College portion of Yellow Ribbon (re-allocated from Messiah Aid)

$5,821.61

Matching VA portion of Yellow Ribbon

$5,821.60

Equals – Net Tuition and Fees due from student

$0

Example 2:

Amy is a full-time student at Messiah College. She had some additional fees for her Fall semester for Health Insurance and two labs. Her Fall tuition and fee submission to the VA was $19,065.00, which was paid in full through her Chapter 33 benefit. For her Spring semester, only $5,411.90 remains from her Chapter 33 funds. Her tuition and fees for her Spring semester total $18,060.00 and the remaining tuition and fee balance will be $12,648.10. That amount divided in half is $6,324.05, which is higher than the maximum amount Messiah will contribute of $6,000.00. Amy will have an out-of-pocket expense for her tuition and fees of $648.10.

Fall 2019

Example 2 – Yellow Ribbon eligible student who receives no other tuition specific financial aid

Tuition and Qualifying Fees

$19,065

Minus VA Benefits

$19,065

Equals – Net Tuition and Fees due from student

$0

   

2016/2017 VA Benefit Cap

$24,476.79

Fall Chapter 33 Benefits

$19,065.00

Remaining Chapter 33 Benefits

$5,411.79

Spring 2020

Example 2 – Yellow Ribbon eligible student who receives no other tuition specific financial aid

Tuition and Qualifying Fees

$18,060

Minus VA Benefits

$5,411.79

Equals – Total Remaining Amount for Yellow Ribbon

$12,648.10

Divide Remaining Amount by 2

The Yellow Ribbon contribution from Messiah will be this amount ($6,324.05) or $6,000.00 whichever is lower

Messiah College portion of Yellow Ribbon (re-allocated from Messiah Aid)

$6,000

Matching VA portion of Yellow Ribbon

$6,000

Equals – Net Tuition and Fees due from student

$648.10

Example 3:

Jeff is a full-time Undergraduate student living on campus at Messiah College. He does have Yellow Ribbon eligibility but he wanted to know what his out-of-pocket expenses would be if he used the Yellow Ribbon benefits vs. not using Yellow Ribbon benefits. He has been awarded school aid for the school year totaling $12,500.00. Messiah will re-allocate a portion of these school funds as Messiah College Yellow Ribbon so that we can receive matching Yellow Ribbon funds from the VA. His tuition and fees total $18,060.00 and his housing and meal plan total $5,290.00. The total cost for each of the Fall and Spring semesters will be $23,350.00. Below is an example for each case of how the Yellow Ribbon and the Messiah aid are applied.

 

Example 3 – Fall semester without Yellow Ribbon

 

Spring Semester without Yellow Ribbon

Fall Semester with Yellow Ribbon

Spring Semester with Yellow Ribbon

Tuition and Qualifying Fees

 

$18,060

 

$18,060

  $18,060   $18,060

Housing and Meal Plan

+

$5,290

+

$5,290

+

$5,290

+

$5,290

Post-9/11 payment for tuition and fees

-

$18,060

-

$6,416.79

-

$18,060

-

$6,416.79

Amount of Messiah aid for the semester

-

$6,250

-

$6,250

-

$3,041.61

-

$3,041.60

         

Messiah College portion of Yellow Ribbon (re-allocated from Messiah Aid)

           

-

$5,821.61

Matching VA portion of Yellow Ribbon

           

-

$5,821.60

Equals - Net Tuition and Fees due from student

 

-$960

 

$10,683.21

 

$2,248.39

 

$2,248.40

 

 

Two calculations are done to determine the numbers for the above table. The amounts for the Messiah Yellow Ribbon contribution and the Messiah aid adjustment. The Yellow Ribbon will pay up to, but not exceeding the rest of the tuition and fees. In this example the tuition and fees are $18,060 and the VA Chapter 33 payment for the Spring semester is $6,416.79. The Yellow Ribbon portion is then $11,643.21. Half is a contribution from Messiah and the VA matches with the second half ($11,643.21 / 2 = $5,821.61).

Messiah will re-allocate part of the initial school year award that the student received of $12,500 and call this re-allocated amount the Messiah Yellow Ribbon contribution. Take the awarded aid subtract the amount of the Yellow Ribbon contribution; $12,500 - $6,416.79 = $6,083.21. The remaining amount is then split between the Fall and Spring semesters; $6,083.21 / 2 = $3,041.61. This will be the aid that is applied to each of the Fall and Spring semesters under the initial aid name.

 


 

Here are the procedures to follow to apply for your Yellow Ribbon Program benefits:

1. Student applies for VA Education Benefits (VANOPP) http://benefits.va.gov/gibill/

2. Student receives written notification from VA regarding eligibility for Post-9/11 benefits. The Certificate of Eligibility will advise the student if his/her service meets the requirements for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

    a. Only individuals who are entitled to the maximum benefit rate based on service requirements (qualified at the    100% rate) are eligible for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

i. To be eligible for 100% of the benefit, an individual must have served an aggregate of 36 months of active duty service after September 10, 2001,

ii. or have been honorably discharged for a service-connected disability and served 30 days of continuous service after September 10, 2001.

iii. Active-duty service time required by graduates of a Service Academy or ROTC does NOT count toward the three years necessary to qualify for full benefits.

    b. Veterans must have an honorable discharge or other qualifying discharge to be eligible.

    c. Dependents may be eligible for Transfer of Entitlement under the Post-9/11 GI Bill based on an individual’s service under the eligibility criteria above.

3. The student completes the Messiah College Yellow Ribbon Program Application.

4. Student brings both the Messiah College Yellow Ribbon Program Application and the Certificate of Eligibility to the Messiah College School Certifying Officer (SCO) – Steve Gross in the Student Financial Services Office: PH: 717-766-2511 x7187, Email: sgross@messiah.edu.

5. SCO requests certification of enrollment from the Veteran’s Administration and notifies Financial Aid Office of student’s eligibility.

6. Financial Aid Office determines if student has unmet tuition/fees after Post- 9/11 benefits.

    a. Post-9/11 GI Bill pays $24,476.79 maximum amount for private institutions.

    b. The institution contributes up to 50% of tuition and fee expenses that exceed the basic Post-9/11 benefits, after other institutional financial aid.

    c. The VA will match the institution’s contribution.

7. SCO determines the total of unmet charges applicable to Yellow Ribbon Program and certifies Yellow Ribbon eligibility with VA.