Yellow Ribbon Supplementary Document

SUPPLEMENTARY DOCUMENT FOR VA FORM 22-0839

YELLOW RIBBON PROGRAM AGREEMENT

(2900-0718)

Public Law 110-252 established an educational assistance program known as the Post-9/11 GI Bill, chapter 33 of title 38, United States Code. The Post-9/11 GI Bill authorized the Yellow Ribbon G.I. Education Enhancement Program (known as the Yellow Ribbon Program). This program allows schools to partner with VA to cover unmet tuition and fee expenses of certain individuals.

The Yellow Ribbon Agreement VA Form 22-0839 as only been implemented for one academic year. After careful review of the questions/comments/errors made by the Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) officials. VA is amending this form to provide more clarity and details to items that were previously confusing to the IHL officials.

The amendments to this form will streamline the process by making it easier and less confusing for completion by the IHL’s Yellow Ribbon officials. The streamlining process will eliminate some of the concerns and errors with completing the form. VA removed multiple fillable fields and replaced them with a user-friendly chart. By adding a chart with multiple fields, the institutions/schools are capable of completing one form with several options as explained in item 7.

The instruction pages provide examples and detailed explanations on how to properly complete the form. The examples and detailed explanations, this will decrease the errors and mistakes previously made by IHL officials.

In addition, VA extended the participation date to provide a distinct receipt date for which forms are due. The receipt date was previously February but has been extended to May 21^st. This extension of the date allows the IHLs more time to complete and return the forms. The amended form includes item #13 to appoint a point of contact. This section allows the IHL to designate and provide contact information for the Yellow Ribbon Program Coordinator and Certifying Official, which may be different.

No substantive changes are being made and the annual burden for the information collection remains the same.