APPENDIX A: THE POST-9/11 G.I. BILL

Assuming you are eligible (see here if you are unsure about your eligibility status), the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill will significantly decrease the cost of your law school education. For the year 2023, recipients receiving full Post-9/11 G.I. Bill benefits receive the following: 36 months of maximum in-state tuition for public schools or the national rate of up to $26,381. 37 towards tuition at private schools; a yearly book stipend of $1,000; and a monthly housing allowance (BAH) at E-5 with dependents rate (based on your school’s zip code).

In addition, many private schools now participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program, which you may be eligible for if you qualify for full G.I. Bill benefits. Under that program, a school will contribute a scholarship on top of your existing G.I. Bill benefit, which is then matched by the VA. For instance, let’s say a private school with $50,000/year tuition offers a $10,000 Yellow Ribbon grant– as a recipient of that grant, you would get the 26,381.37 towards tuition from the core G.I. Bill, $10,000 from the school and a matching $10,000 from the VA (for a total of 46,381.37) towards tuition, with BAH on top of all that. This can lower the cost of law school to almost nothing, and many veterans are able to graduate debt-free because of it. Obviously, this changes your calculus considerably. In 2022, all of the top 14 law schools were 100% tuition-free for those receiving 100% G.I. Bill/Yellow Ribbon Program assistance. To search for schools currently participating in the Yellow Ribbon Program or to view a particular school’s contribution amount, check out the VA's YRP page.

Let’s take a look at some 2020 search results for a few schools in Washington D.C. (Data reflects the 2019-2020 school year only):

A few things to note– some schools have different contribution amounts depending on the type of degree you are pursuing. For example, at American University, the Yellow Ribbon Scholarship amount for those at the Washington College of Law is $16,679.61 but only ~$12,000 in its other graduate programs. Another thing you’ll see is that some schools list dollar amounts while others are designated as “unlimited” Yellow Ribbon Program contributors, meaning they will contribute whatever amount is necessary to meet the full cost of tuition. Also note that some of these “unlimited” schools have a capped number of scholarships, which means that if there are more veterans seeking (or already receiving) assistance than there are scholarships available, you may not be eligible to receive that money. We recommend calling the financial aid offices of schools you’re considering to ask about the specific details of their Yellow Ribbon contributions for that year. These numbers can and do change year-to-year, so it’s that important you find the most current information out there.

One last thing to keep in mind when looking up Yellow Ribbon schools– some public schools may appear not to participate in this program, but that does not mean they are not tuition-free for veterans. Many public universities offer in-state tuition for veterans, in which case your degree would already be covered in full by the core G.I. Bill.