Barnard College Barnard College
Office of the Registrar

Veterans Educational Benefits

Veterans Educational Benefits 

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) administers a wide variety of education benefit programs for veterans and their dependents. 

Students who wish to apply veterans education benefits towards their student account at Barnard should follow the steps below:

Checklist for Getting Benefits

  1. Apply online. Complete the VONAPP application for education benefits.
  2. The VA will process your application and forward a Certification of Eligibility to the veteran student or dependent. This letter will show the percentage of benefit and the delimiting date.
  3. Register for classes during the appropriate registration window.
  4. Each semester in which you are enrolled and want to apply your veterans benefit towards your student account, you must complete the Veterans Benefits Certification Request form. 
    • Important: You must submit this form each semester. Otherwise, we will not be able to certify your enrollment with the Veterans Administration and you will not receive funds.
    • You should submit the form as soon as you register for classes — and no later than the add deadline for the semester.
    • If this is your first time receiving veterans benefits at Barnard – or if your benefits have changed –  you will need to upload the Certificate of Eligibility as part of the Request form.
  5. Be sure to declare a major by the end of your sophomore year.  This is required by the VA.
  6. Barnard’s School Certifying Official (SCO) will certify your enrollment with the Veterans Administration, for each semester in which you submit the Slate form.  
    • **It is your responsibility to track your eligibility for these benefits (e.g. end date of benefits, maximum number of semesters, etc.**) 
    • For questions about your certification, please contact David Ernst in the Registrar's Office at dernst@barnard.edu.
  7. Enrollment information will be reported to the VA.
  8. If your enrollment status changes for the term – for instance, if you drop below full-time status or are withdrawing entirely from the semester – please notify David Ernst at dernst@barnard.edu. 
  9. Payment will be issued by the VA.
  10. Ch 33 benefits are automatically sent to the College and will be applied towards your student account and reflected in your term bill. Please note that the funds may cover only a portion of your tuition and fee charges for the academic year.

  11. Ch 35 benefits are automatically sent to the veteran or dependent student, depending on your specific circumstance. 

    Combination of Chapter 33 and Yellow Ribbon Benefits:
    The combination of Chapter 33 benefits and Yellow Ribbon funds can help cover full tuition and fees, but this depends on the amounts involved:

    • For the 2026–2027 academic year, the Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) tuition and fee cap for private institutions of higher learning is $30,908.34 per academic year at the 100% eligibility tier.
    • If tuition and fees exceed the Chapter 33 cap, the Yellow Ribbon Program can help cover the remaining costs.
    • Under the Yellow Ribbon Program, Barnard and the VA split the remaining tuition and fees. For students beginning in Fall 2026, Barnard will match the Veterans Administration's contribution up to $2,500 for a total Yellow Ribbon award of up to $5,000 per year. For students who enrolled at Barnard prior to 2026, after a qualifying student's Post 9/11 GI Bill payment is applied to their eligible tuition and fees, the remaining amount of their tuition and fees are covered by the Yellow Ribbon Program. Half of the Yellow Ribbon funding comes from Barnard and half from the VA.  
    • Yellow Ribbon funds are automatically sent to the College, applied to the student’s account, and reflected in the term bill. However, the funds will only appear on the term bill if they are received by the College before the bill is issued to the student.
    • Participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program is determined annually by the College, at which time Barnard determines the contribution amount and number of students it will fund.

To follow up on payment status or find out where your payment is, please call the VA directly at 1-888-442-4551.

Please note that the College can only certify your enrollment when you have completed the application process and registered for classes. You may only register for classes that apply credit toward graduation in your chosen major/curriculum.

Covered Programs

Chapter 33 Post 9/11 G.I. Bill®

Individuals who have served for a minimum of 90 days on active duty after September 10, 2001, are generally eligible. Students eligible for this benefit receive a percentage for tuition, fees, monthly housing allowance, and book stipend based on their aggregate active duty. 

Chapter 35 Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance Program

A child or spouse of a veteran may qualify for assistance if the veteran died on active duty, has become permanently and totally disabled due to a service-related condition, has died of a service-related disability, or is listed as a prisoner of war or missing in action. Please be advised that this entitlement does not pay for tuition.

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 Web site at www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.

 

Yellow Ribbon Program 

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What is the Yellow Ribbon Program?
The transition to civilian life after military service opens a brand-new chapter full of possibilities. Regardless of whether you are pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree, it’s important to know your options for reducing out-of-pocket education expenses. One option is the Yellow Ribbon Program, a form of aid when your educational costs exceed your Post-9/11 GI Bill® benefits.

The Yellow Ribbon Program can help you pay for higher out-of-state, private school, foreign school, or graduate school tuition and fees that the Post-9/11 GI Bill doesn’t cover. The program allows colleges, universities, and other degree-granting schools in the U.S. to voluntarily enter into an agreement with the Department of Veterans Affairs to fund tuition and fee expenses that exceed the tuition and fee amounts payable under the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

The Post-9/11 GI Bill covers the entire cost of in-state public school tuition, fees, and housing assistance, plus a stipend for books and supplies for qualified Veterans over a 36-month period, a normal pace to earn a four-year bachelor’s degree.


Barnard College is a proud participant of the Yellow Ribbon Program that aids eligible military Veterans, active service members, and their families in pursuit of higher education to better their lives. Barnard College is thankful to our men and women in uniform for their service.  We are proud to be a part of the Post-9/11 Yellow Ribbon Program.  If you were on active duty on or after September 10, 2001, you and your family may qualify for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Slots for the Yellow Ribbon Program are unlimited for undergraduate students, the only requirement is that the student be 100% eligible for Post-9/11 G.I. Bill®.

 

Please refer to the "Checklist for Getting Benefits" above for additional details