The Yellow Ribbon Program is an annual tuition-support arrangement between the University of Pennsylvania and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. At Wharton, it supports eligible MBA students studying on campus in Philadelphia whose Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits do not cover all tuition and required fees.
Penn administers the school contribution and the VA provides an equal match. Awards are placed against the remaining eligible tuition gap, and Penn handles benefit certification each semester.
Benefits & funding
- For academic year 2024–25, the latest amount published on Wharton’s page, Wharton could contribute up to $23,000 per student and the VA would match the amount granted.
- The combined Penn contribution and VA match cannot exceed the difference between actual tuition charges and the basic Chapter 33 tuition benefit.
- VA benefits and all other scholarships, sponsorships, fellowships, and aid cannot exceed Wharton’s cost of attendance.
Eligibility
- Be enrolled in the Wharton MBA program and qualify for the Post-9/11 GI Bill at the 100% benefit level.
- Also meet at least one VA route: 36 months of qualifying active duty with the required status; a qualifying Purple Heart; 30 continuous qualifying days followed by discharge for a service-connected disability; qualifying active-duty service; use of transferred benefits as an eligible spouse or dependent child; or Fry Scholarship status.
- Penn must certify the student’s enrollment and Yellow Ribbon information.
- No separate nationality, residence, age, gender, or work-experience threshold is published; eligibility turns on VA benefit status and Wharton enrollment.
Can you apply?
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Education required
Master Enrolled
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Application process
- 1Apply to the VA for Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits or obtain current proof of eligibility if already approved.
- 2Submit Penn’s Veterans Affairs Information Form.
- 3Upload an official Certificate of Eligibility dated within the last year through Penn’s secure portal; separated veterans must also upload the Member 4 copy of DD-214.
- 4Penn orders requests by the date the COE is submitted, certifies enrollment, and notifies the student of acceptance and the award amount.
Program timeline
May 1 each year
Penn may begin processing Certificates of Eligibility for the upcoming academic year.
Each semester
Penn first certifies enrollment, then reports tuition and fees after the add/drop period.
No fixed Yellow Ribbon application deadline is published.