Harvard Law School participation in the VA Yellow Ribbon Program

For the 2009-10 academic year, Harvard Law School will provide up to 12 qualifying post-9/11 veterans the maximum assistance available under the federal government’s new Yellow Ribbon Program.

Under the Program, the Department of Veterans Affairs will match contributions made to eligible veterans. Harvard Law School has agreed to contribute the maximum amount to be matched by the Department—approximately $21,000 per student. The combination of federal and HLS grants is expected to cover the full cost of tuition and fees next year.

If you are an eligible veteran and an enrolled HLS student (or if you will enroll in the fall of 2009), please contact Student Financial Services at sfs@law.harvard.edu to notify the school of your interest in the program. We will ask you to submit a copy of your Certificate of Eligibility (COE) to HLS Student Financial Services prior to the start of the academic year.

Veterans who choose to receive the Yellow Ribbon benefit at Harvard Law School will waive their eligibility for need-based HLS aid. Harvard Law School will award a direct grant to the student to cover the 50% of the maximum amount of unmet tuition as determined by the VA’s Yellow Ribbon guidelines. This direct grant is expected to be approximately $21,000 per eligible student, and will be matched dollar for dollar by a Yellow Ribbon contribution from the VA. The combination of HLS direct grant and total VA benefits is expected to cover the full cost of tuition and fees, and will exceed the level of HLS need-based grant assistance available to single students who receive assistance only from Harvard Law School.

Although Harvard Law School has established a limit of 12 veterans to receive this benefit, we expect the number of eligible veterans at the law school to be lower. In the event that more than 12 eligible veterans submit a COE, Harvard Law School will meet the VA’s “first come, first served” rule for the Yellow Ribbon program by awarding direct grants, to be met by the VA Yellow Ribbon benefit, in the order that COE’s were received.