Outside Awards

VA Benefits and the Yellow Ribbon Program

If you are a qualifying veteran, you may be eligible for educational benefits from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) through one of several VA programs. Military dependents may also be eligible if education benefits have been transferred to them. In all cases, the decision to use your benefits or to save them for graduate school, for example, is a personal one and we encourage you to consider all of your options. Instructions for activating VA educational benefits for enrollment at Stanford can be found at VA Education Benefits. For any VA education benefit inquiries, please contact the VA Certification Officer at VABenefits@stanford.edu. The VA Certifying Officer acts as an intermediate between the VA, Stanford University and the student to ensure accurate reporting and compliance with VA regulations.

The Post-9/11 GI Bill®, also known as Chapter 33, is the most commonly used VA educational benefits program at Stanford. This program provides funding for tuition, required fees, books and housing. The level of an individual student’s Chapter 33 benefits is determined by the qualifying veteran’s length of military service since 9/11/2001. For the 2024–2025 academic year, the base benefit for tuition and fees is capped at $28,937.09.

If you qualify for Chapter 33 benefits at the 100% level, you may be eligible for additional funding through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Under this program, Stanford provides an annual contribution to supplement the Chapter 33 base tuition benefit. The VA matches Stanford's Yellow Ribbon contribution. For the 2024–2025 academic year, Stanford's maximum annual Yellow Ribbon contribution for undergraduate students is $10,000 per student, with the VA providing a matching amount of up to $10,000. For graduate and professional students, the amount of Stanford's Yellow Ribbon contribution varies by school and program; please consult the Yellow Ribbon chart on the Student Services Center website.

Most of the VA educational benefit programs pay benefits directly to students on a monthly basis. However, under the Post-9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33), the VA sends tuition and fees benefits to Stanford, where the Financial Aid Office is responsible for applying the funds to the student account (university bill). Chapter 33 books and housing benefits are sent directly to students monthly. Students are responsible for paying any non-required fees and housing-related charges.

The logistics of receiving Chapter 33 benefits at Stanford vary depending on your program level and dependency status. In general, undergraduate students who are veterans themselves are considered independent, and undergraduates who are receiving transferred benefits from their parents are usually considered dependent. The pages linked below provide details for each category of students.

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 at http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.

Updated on June 27, 2024 2:30 PM