As a veteran, you deserve access to a quality, college education. At Goodwin College, our goal is to give that to you. Goodwin College – located in the Greater Hartford area of Connecticut – works to support veterans and service members as they transition from military to campus life. If you are a veteran in Connecticut, and looking to pursue a college education, know that we are here for you.

Goodwin College participates in the Yellow Ribbon GI Education Enhancement Program. As a Yellow Ribbon School in Connecticut, we make additional funds available for veterans’ education, without an additional charge to their GI Bill entitlement. Read more about Yellow Ribbon schools below, and find out if you are eligible for the veteran benefits at Goodwin College.

What is the Yellow Ribbon Program?

The Yellow Ribbon program is designed to help veterans go to (and afford) the college or university they want, without having to worry about costs. This program is a provision of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, which provides educational benefits to military veterans who have served on active duty for 90 or more days after September 10, 2001. To be eligible for the Yellow Ribbon school benefits, you must qualify for the maximum benefit under the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Eligibility requirements are listed on the VA website.

How Do Yellow Ribbon Schools Work?

Yellow Ribbon schools are Institutions of Higher Learning (i.e. colleges and universities) that have volunteered to offer additional tuition benefits for veterans seeking a college education, without charging their GI Bill entitlement.

As you may know, the Post-9/11 GI Bill does not cover all of a person’s tuition (particularly from private schools), but rather, a maximum limit which is set each year. For example, the bill’s maximum amount was $22,805.34 for the 2017/2018 academic year. The Yellow Ribbon Program is designed to waive a portion (or all) of the remaining tuition costs for veterans that qualify.

Yellow Ribbon schools choose the amount of tuition and fees that they wish to contribute to tuition costs – the VA then matches that amount. Again, this is in addition to what the Post-9/11 GI Bill covers. So, if a Yellow Ribbon school decides to cover $5,000 beyond the set, GI bill maximum (and the VA matches it), an added $10,000 will go towards your college tuition.

Educational Benefits for Veterans at Goodwin College

Goodwin College is listed among the top military-friendly colleges in Connecticut, due to the resources and benefits we extend out to our military community, as well as the flexible, career-focused programs available to veterans in school. Whether you are pursuing a college degree or a specialized certification for your career, you can find part-time, full-time, on-campus, online, and even accelerated courses available at the College – helping you to complete college at your own pace, or begin your career as quickly as possible.

On top of being a Yellow Ribbon school and program participant, we offer a variety of grants, scholarships, and work study opportunities that can help offset your tuition costs. Goodwin is also certified by the Connecticut State Department of Higher Education to offer VA-approved degree and training programs to veterans (and qualified dependents) under select chapters or sections of the reserves, such as:

• Chapter 30 (MGIB – Active Duty)
• Section 1606 (MGIB – Select Reserves)
• Section 1607 (Reserve Education Assistance Program)
• Chapter 33 (Post 9/11 GIBill)
• Chapter 31 (VA Vocational Rehabilitation)
• Chapter 35 (Dependents Education Assistance)

You can read more about our veteran educational benefits here. For maximum assistance, we also encourage you to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), to see whether you qualify for any additional student aid. One of our financial advisors can help you determine which benefits you are eligible for.

A college education is within your reach. To learn more about Yellow Ribbon schools, or about the veteran services available at Goodwin College, please do not hesitate to reach out. Call us at 800-889-3282 or apply now.