Currently, active duty service members and spouse transferees are not allowed to participate in the 9/11 GI Bill’s Yellow Ribbon Program. This program allows institutions of higher learning to voluntarily enter into an agreement with VA to fund tuition and fee expenses that exceed the tuition and fee amounts payable under the Post-9/11 GI Bill.
By excluding active duty service members, the policy limits the funding that active duty receives to attain a degree. As such, it punishes those who made a decision to continue to serve. Moreover, their use of the Yellow Ribbon Program would directly benefit the nation because the skills and knowledge would be directly used to benefit the nation and each of the services. Military spouses would also benefit from a change in policy.