22-0839 Yellow Ribbon Program Agreement

OMB Control No. 2900-0718
Respondent Burden: 14 Hours
Expiration Date: 10/31/2021

YELLOW RIBBON PROGRAM AGREEMENT
(Under Chapter 33 of title 38, United States Code)

IMPORTANT: Please read the instructions for VA Form 22-0839 on pages 4 and 5 before completing the form.
NAME OF INSTITUTION OF HIGHER LEARNING (IHL)

FACILITY CODE

(Check one)
MAILING ADDRESS OF INSTITUTION OF HIGHER LEARNING

PUBLIC IHL

PRIVATE IHL

AGREEMENT TYPE (Check one)

DATE RECEIVED
(For VA use only)

NEW OPEN-ENDED AGREEMENT
MODIFICATION TO EXISTING AGREEMENT
WITHDRAWAL OF YELLOW RIBBON AGREEMENT

NOTE: If selecting withdrawal of agreement, only the
signature of authorizing official and date are required.

The above named institution of higher learning (IHL) agrees to participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program under the Post-9/11 GI Bill
(authorized under title V of Public Law 110-252) subject to the terms, conditions, and representations provided in this agreement and
applicable VA regulations.
1. Once this agreement is accepted by VA, it will be considered an open-ended agreement that is in effect for the entire upcoming
academic year and all future academic years unless VA or the institution notifies the other party that changes are requested during
the annual open season enrollment period, March 15th - May 15th (or the following Monday if May 15th falls on a Saturday or
Sunday). Withdrawal or modifications to the terms shall be indicated in Agreement Type above. Modifications made during the
open enrollment period will go into effect for the subsequent academic year and will be posted to our website at www.gibill.va.gov
when the open enrollment period ends. Please see Page 5 of this form for information about how to submit the completed form.
2. The IHL agrees to provide contributions to eligible individuals who apply for such program at the institution (in a manner
prescribed by the institution) on a first-come-first-served basis. Funds for Yellow Ribbon contributions may derive from any
source of institutional funding that is not already allocated or awarded for a non-Yellow Ribbon purpose. Student ledgers must
denote contributions as "Yellow Ribbon." Yellow Ribbon funds cannot be denoted as any type of grant, scholarship or other fund
sources that would be applied to the student's account regardless of Yellow Ribbon program participation.
3. The IHL agrees to provide contributions on behalf of a participating individual during the current academic year and all
subsequent academic years in which the IHL participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program, provided that the individual maintains
satisfactory progress, conduct, and attendance according to the regularly prescribed standards of the institution.
4. The IHL agrees to provide the maximum amount of contributions payable toward the net cost for each participating individual
during each term, quarter, or semester the individual is enrolled if the IHL's total contribution toward the individual's net cost for
the term, quarter, or semester does not exceed the maximum dollar amount payable during the academic year as specified in
paragraph 6 of this agreement.
5. The IHL agrees to provide Yellow Ribbon Program contributions for up to _________________ eligible individuals during
the ________________ academic year and all subsequent academic years unless VA is notified of changes during any subsequent
open-enrollment period.
6. The IHL agrees to provide Yellow Ribbon Program contributions for each participant during the academic year up to the
following amounts (fill in all applicable fields):

A. MAXIMUM NUMBER
OF STUDENTS

B. DEGREE LEVEL
(Undergraduate, Graduate,
Doctoral, or All)

C. COLLEGE OR PROFESSIONAL
SCHOOL

D. MAXIMUM
CONTRIBUTION
AMOUNT
(NOTE: Enter dollar amount
or write in "Unlimited.")
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$

(Attach additional listings if necessary)
VA FORM
MAR 2020

22-0839

SUPERSEDES VA FORM 22-0839, OCT 2018,
WHICH WILL NOT BE USED.

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7. An IHL with multiple campuses that wishes to submit a single Yellow Ribbon Program agreement covering more than
one campus agrees to submit a listing of all campuses covered under this agreement as an addendum to this agreement.
The listing must include the name, address, and facility code of each campus. The IHL further certifies that all
campuses covered under this agreement are subject to the authority of the authorizing official signing the agreement,
and each campus has a certifying official or other employee who meets the requirements of section 21.4266(f)(3)(ii)
of title 38, Code of Federal Regulations, and has access to the terms of this agreement.
8. This agreement is entered into under the authority of section 3317 of title 38, United States Code (as added by section
5003 of Public Law 110-252, effective August 1, 2009) and section 21.9700 of title 38, Code of Federal Regulations.
The terms of this agreement will be effective for the entire academic year beginning on the first day of August following
the date of acceptance by a duly authorized officer of VA, and all subsequent academic years unless VA is notified
of changes during any subsequent open enrollment period.
9. The terms of this agreement will be available for public viewing on VA's GI Bill website at www.gibill.va.gov.
10. Completed agreements (with the original signature of an official legally authorized to bind the IHL to this agreement)
must be received by VA no later than May 15th (or the following Monday if May 15th falls on a weekend). Late agreements
will not be accepted. The agreement, once accepted by VA, will be considered an open-ended agreement. See Page 1 for
information pertaining to modification of terms.
11. The IHL certifies that at least 1 of its VA-approved programs has tuition and/or fees that exceed the maximum rates
payable by the Post-9/11 GI Bill at the time this document is being submitted.
12. The IHL is strongly encouraged to adhere to the Principles of Excellence established by Executive Order 13607, provided
as an attachment to this document. The Principles of Excellence help ensure that Veterans, spouses, and other family members
have the information, support, and protections they deserve while pursuing their educational or vocational goals. If your
institution is currently in compliance with the Principles of Excellence, or if the institution intends to be in compliance with
the Principles of Excellence, while participating in the Yellow Ribbon Program, please check the box below. Adhering to
the Principles of Excellence is not a condition of approval for participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program. However, VA
intends to publish on its GI Bill website a list of those Yellow Ribbon schools that agree to comply with the Principles of
Excellence.
This institution agrees to comply with the Principles of Excellence while participating in the Yellow Ribbon Program.
13. Points of contact:
School Financial Representative/
Yellow Ribbon Program Point of Contact (POC)
Name (First, middle, last)

Telephone No. (Include Area Code)

E-mail

School Certifying Official
Name (First, middle, last)

Telephone No. (Include Area Code)

E-mail

RESPONDENT BURDEN: We need this information to determine your institution of higher learning's eligibility to participate in the Yellow
Ribbon Program. Title 38 United States Code allows us to request this information. We estimate that you will need an average of 14 hours to review
the instructions, find information, and complete the form. VA cannot conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless a valid OMB control
number is displayed. You are not required to respond to a collection of information if this number is not displayed. Valid OMB control numbers can
be located on the OMB Internet Page at www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. You may also call 1-888-GIBILL-1 (1-888-442-4551) to get
information on where to send comments or suggestions about this information collection. Your obligation to respond is voluntary.

AGREED TO:

SIGNATURE OF AUTHORIZING OFFICIAL

TITLE OF AUTHORIZING OFFICIAL

TELEPHONE NUMBER

DATE SIGNED

PRINT NAME OF AUTHORIZING OFFICIAL

ACCEPTED BY:

SIGNATURE OF VA OFFICIAL

VA FORM 22-0839, MAR 2020

FOR VA USE ONLY
DATE SIGNED

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PRINCIPLES OF EXCELLENCE FOR EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS
Institutions adhering to the principles of excellence agree to (a) prior to enrollment, provide prospective students who are eligible to receive Federal military and veterans
educational benefits with a personalized and standardized form, as developed in a manner set forth by the
Secretary of Education, working with the Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs, to help those
prospective students understand the total cost of the educational program, including tuition and fees; the
amount of that cost that will be covered by Federal educational benefits; the type and amount of financial aid
they may qualify for; their estimated student loan debt upon graduation; information about student outcomes;
and other information to facilitate comparison of aid packages offered by different educational institutions;
(b) inform students who are eligible to receive Federal military and veterans educational benefits of the
availability of Federal financial aid and have in place policies to alert those students of their potential eligibility
for that aid before packaging or arranging private student loans or alternative financing programs;
(c) end fraudulent and unduly aggressive recruiting techniques on and off military installations, as well as
misrepresentation, payment of incentive compensation, and failure to meet State authorization requirements,
consistent with the regulations issued by the Department of Education (34 C.F.R. 668.71-668.75, 668.14, and
600.9);
(d) obtain the approval of the institution's accrediting agency for new course or program offerings before
enrolling students in such courses or programs, provided that such approval is appropriate under the
substantive change requirements of the accrediting agency;
(e) allow service members and reservists to be readmitted to a program if they are temporarily unable to attend
class or have to suspend their studies due to service requirements, and take additional steps to accommodate
short absences due to service obligations, provided that satisfactory academic progress is being made by the
service members and reservists prior to suspending their studies;
(f) agree to an institutional refund policy that is aligned with the refund of unearned student aid rules applicable
to Federal student aid provided through the Department of Education under Title IV of the Higher Education Act
of 1965, as required under section 484B of that Act when students withdraw prior to course completion;
(g) provide educational plans for all individuals using Federal military and veterans educational benefits that
detail how they will fulfill all the requirements necessary to graduate and the expected timeline of completion;
and
(h) designate a point of contact for academic and financial advising (including access to disability counseling)
to assist service member and veteran students and their families with the successful completion of their studies
and with their job searches.

VA FORM 22-0839, MAR 2020

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INSTRUCTIONS FOR VA FORM 22-0839
YELLOW RIBBON PROGRAM AGREEMENT
Please read through the instructions before completing the Yellow Ribbon Program Agreement. If you have any
issues completing the form, please send an e-mail to [email protected] with any inquiries.
General Eligibility
The institution must be an Institution of Higher Learning (IHL) that offers programs of education approved for
VA benefits. In addition, the IHL must be located in the United States or be a branch of such institution located
outside of the United States. Foreign schools are eligible to participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program as of
August 1, 2021.
Name, Address, & Facility Code
Enter the name, mailing address, facility code, and check the type of agreement, and the category of the IHL.
Items 1-4
By signing and submitting this form to VA, the IHL agrees to adhere to the provisions listed in
Items 1-4.
Item 5
Enter the total number of students for which the IHL will provide Yellow Ribbon Program contributions.
The total number of students entered here should equal the sum of students listed in column A of the table in
Item 6. Enter the dates of the upcoming academic year (e.g. 2020-2021) for which the agreement is being
submitted. (NOTE: An academic year for VA purposes is August 1 to July 31.)
Item 6
A. Maximum Number of Students - Enter the maximum number of students eligible for the specific contribution.
If the IHL wishes to offer Yellow Ribbon Program contributions to an unlimited number of qualifying students,
enter unlimited.
B. Degree Level - Specify the degree level (undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, all) of students for which the
specific contribution will be provided.
C. College or Professional School - This column may be left blank, or specify the appropriate sub-element
(college or professional school) of the institution for which students must be enrolled to receive the specific
contribution. Please be advised that an IHL cannot list a specific degree program (e.g., Masters of
Business Administration, Juris Doctorate, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, etc.)
D. Maximum Contribution Amount - Specify the maximum annual contribution amount to be provided for each
student eligible for the specific contribution. Do not enter the maximum amount payable by term or credit hour. If
the IHL wishes to provide 50% of the unmet tuition and fees for each student eligible for the specific
contribution, please enter unlimited.
NOTE: IHLs must complete columns A and D for each contribution listed. IHLs must also complete column B,
C, or both B and C for each contribution listed.

EXAMPLE:
A. MAXIMUM NUMBER
OF STUDENTS

B. DEGREE LEVEL
(Undergraduate, Graduate,
Doctoral, or All)

10

Undergraduate

15

All

20

Graduate

VA FORM 22-0839, MAR 2020

D. MAXIMUM
CONTRIBUTION
AMOUNT

C. COLLEGE OR PROFESSIONAL
SCHOOL
$

2,000

School of Liberal Arts

$

1,000

School of Business

$

5,000
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INSTRUCTIONS FOR VA FORM 22-0839
YELLOW RIBBON PROGRAM AGREEMENT (Continued)
Item 7
IHLs may enter into a centralized Yellow Ribbon Program agreement. If an IHL has multiple campuses (that are
all subject to the authority of the official signing the agreement) and wants to use the same contribution
information for multiple campuses, it may do so by attaching an addendum to this agreement which lists name,
mailing address, and facility code of each participating campus. You may only include any locations/branches
that have facility codes.
NOTE: Each campus will be held to the terms specified in the agreement.
Items 8 and 9
Self-explanatory.
Item 10
Yellow Ribbon Program Agreements must be received by VA no later than May 15th (or the following Monday if
May 15th falls on a Saturday or Sunday) to be considered for participation.
Item 11
By signing and submitting this agreement, an IHL certifies that, as of the date the agreement is signed, at least
one of its VA approved programs is assessed tuition and/or fees that exceed the maximum amounts payable in
the state or territory under the Post-9/11 GI Bill.
Item 12
Self-explanatory.
Item 13
Enter the contact information for the school financial representative/Yellow Ribbon Program Point of Contact
(POC) and the School Certifying Official. These contacts may or may not be the same individual. (Please ensure
that the information is legible.)
SIGNATURE OF AUTHORIZING OFFICIAL
The signature must be from an official legally authorized to bind the institution to this agreement with the VA.
The title, telephone number, and date must be provided. Agreements will not be processed without a valid
signature.
FORM SUBMISSION
The preferred method is via email. Confirmation of email constitutes VA's receipt of the agreement and should
be maintained for the IHL's records. Only submit one signed agreement. The institution will receive an approved
agreement and accompanying letter or other related communication.
This form must be submitted in the following manner:
Via e-mail to [email protected]. When submitting via e-mail, please attach a scanned copy of the signed
form. (VA cannot process applications received without a signature.)
When sending via email, retain proof of submission (email).

VA FORM 22-0839, MAR 2020

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