Sixteen of twenty AIKCU member colleges and universities signed on to participate in the Post 9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 (commonly referred to as the New GI Bill).

The New GI Bill, which goes into effect August 1, provides for payment of tuition and fees, a housing allowance, and a stipend for books and supplies for eligible veterans who have served on active military duty since September 11, 2001.  The maximum tuition and fees benefit available under the law is pegged to the level of the in-state charges at the most expensive public institution in a state.

For AIKCU members and other institutions with higher tuition and fees, the new law also creates the “Yellow Ribbon G.I. Education Enhancement Program.”  Under the Yellow Ribbon program, the federal government will match, dollar-for-dollar, contributions that colleges and universities make to help veterans cover tuition costs above the maximum in-state public college tuition amount.  Participating colleges had to sign participation agreements by June 15 that specified how the institutional matches will be provided, the maximum amount of individual contributions, and the number of eligible veterans. A complete list of participating Kentucky institutions can be found here.

AIKCU is proud of our campuses’ support of our nation’s veterans and extremely pleased that so many of our campuses have chosen to participate in the Yellow Ribbon program. Even though most AIKCU institutions are participating, veterans should not exclude a campus from consideration because it is not a Yellow Ribbon participant. There are many sources of financial aid available to students who wish to enroll at an independent college or university; all potential students, including veterans, are advised to contact the financial aid offices at all institutions they are considering to see what kind of aid may be available.

Learn more about the Yellow Ribbon Program on the VA’s website.