Military-connected students at Georgetown say that the tuition benefits and programmatic support available at the university are increasing access to undergraduate and graduate programs and providing resources to help students thrive.
An expanded Yellow Ribbon Program
In January, Georgetown University announced an expansion of its tuition benefits for military-connected students, more than doubling the aid they would receive through the Yellow Ribbon Program (YRP), an agreement between higher education institutions and the U.S. Department of Defense to cover all or a portion of tuition and fees not funded by the Post-9/11 GI Bill®. The Post-9/11 GI Bill® offers educational benefits for military members who served after Sept. 10, 2001.
Related: Georgetown expands scholarships for military-connected undergraduate students >
The increase in tuition benefits will raise Georgetown’s undergraduate YRP benefits from $8,000 to $20,000 at the Georgetown University College of Arts & Sciences, Walsh School of Foreign Service, School of Nursing, School of Health, and the McDonough School of Business. Georgetown’s expanded benefits will allow undergraduate military-connected students who qualify for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® and the YRP to have their entire full-time tuition covered.
The Graduate School of Arts & Sciences and Biomedical Graduate Education programs also recently doubled YRP tuition maximums from $10,300 to $20,000—the school’s largest, single increase to the program to date. In the 2023-24 academic year, Georgetown University’s School of Continuing Studies (SCS) began offering unlimited YRP scholarship maximums, enabling military-connected students who qualify for both the Post-9/11 GI Bill® and YRP to have their full-time tuition costs fully covered.
“We’re honored to have many veterans, active duty, and military-connected community members in our University community,” Georgetown President John J. DeGioia said. “We appreciate all they have done and continue to do in service to our nation. We are always seeking to provide a context in which they can share their talents, deepen their knowledge, and uphold the values that have distinguished their service.”
‘I feel invested in.’
Military-connected students like Arthur Milhomens (B’24) and Raquel Burgett (G’25) say the expansion of benefits ensures more veterans and military members attend Georgetown who otherwise could not afford to.
“The fact that the YRP is so openly available spoke volumes before I even set foot on campus as to how supportive Georgetown is of the veteran community,” said Burgett, who served as a Spanish language intelligence analyst countering drug cartels in Latin America. “I can’t say it enough. If not for the financial support, I would not be here. I don’t just feel accepted at Georgetown. I feel invested in.”
Once enrolled, military-connected students achieve academic and professional success and feel a sense of belonging on campus with the help of support programs such as the Georgetown University Student Veteran Association (GUSVA).
“As you can imagine, it’s difficult as a 27-year-old to connect with 19-year-olds, just different stages in life,” Milhomens said. “But GUSVA put me in touch with folks who were around my age and had this very unique background experience that can be difficult to connect with elsewhere. They’re my conduit through which I can do better for Georgetown and leave it better than I found it.”
Read more about the impact of the tuition benefits and support programs available to Georgetown’s military-connected students.
GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Explore more information provided by the U.S. government about education benefits offered through the VA.