USD Expands Yellow Ribbon Program for Military-Connected Students, Providing Free Tuition for Eligible Students

The University of San Diego (USD) is essentially making USD tuition free for most military-connected students through the Yellow Ribbon Program starting in Fall 2022. Currently, students (excluding active-duty) receiving the 100% eligible Chapter 33 Post 9/11 G.I. Bill are granted additional funding for tuition through the Yellow Ribbon Program at USD. The Yellow Ribbon Program funding has previously been capped for undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and law students. But starting in Fall 2022, the cap will be lifted. Also starting in Fall 2022, the Yellow Ribbon Program at USD will be available to active service members and spouses of active service members. 

“This additional investment in the Yellow Ribbon Program deepens our commitment to our active-duty military, veterans and other military-connected students. USD honors the sacrifice of these students and their families and I am so pleased we are able to support their education in this way,” said Charlotte Johnson, JD, Vice President for Student Affairs of the University of San Diego. 

The Yellow Ribbon Program is a provision of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008, also known as the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill or Chapter 33. The program allows institutions of higher learning to enter into a voluntary agreement with the Department of Veterans Affairs to contribute funds to a veteran's unmet tuition and fee charges when their tuition and fee charges exceed the amount payable under Chapter 33. The program allows institutions to contribute up to 50 percent of a veteran's unmet costs; the Department of Veterans Affairs will match the amount. The University of San Diego has been a member of the Yellow Ribbon program since 2009. 

“We are committed to serving our military-connected students in ways that empower them to stay on the leading edge of learning and uncover new and innovative ways to contribute to positive change as they pursue their education and careers,” said Nelson Chase, Director of USD’s Military and Veterans Program.

USD’s commitment to military-connected students: 

• Currently, there are approximately 800 military-connected students at USD, which include active-duty, veterans, spouses, dependents and Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) members.
• USD has been the headquarters for the San Diego NROTC Unit since 1982. ● In 1999, the university’s School of Business created a Master of Science in Global Leadership in collaboration with the Naval Postgraduate School and Office of Naval Research. 
• USD’s Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science has teamed with the White House and other universities to educate current and future nurses on supporting the unique needs of our military-connected students. 
• USD’s School of Law has also been active at the local, state and federal levels, offering free legal assistance through military and veterans programs. 
• With small class sizes and hands-on instruction, USD’s Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering offers special programs for military-connected students who want to pursue degrees in general or specialized disciplines within the field of engineering. 
• The university’s Veterans Center is open to all, where students can gather to socialize, study, and build community.
• For our commitment, the University of San Diego has been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top universities for veterans and The Military Times ranks the University of San Diego as one of the “Best for Vets.”

About the University of San Diego

Strengthened by the Catholic intellectual tradition, we confront humanity’s challenges by fostering peace, working for justice and leading with love. With more than 8,000 students from 75 countries and 44 states, USD is the youngest independent institution on the U.S. News & World Report list of top 100 universities in the United States. USD’s eight academic divisions include the College of Arts and Sciences, the Knauss School of Business, the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering, the School of Law, the School of Leadership and Education Sciences, the Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science, the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies, and the Division of Professional and Continuing Education. In 2021, USD was named a “Laudato Si’ University” by the Vatican with a seven-year commitment to address humanity’s urgent challenges by working together to take care of our common home.