The Yellow Ribbon program will only pay the difference between in-state and out of state tuition.  

It does not provide additional funds for any other purpose and a 702 waiver is most often the best route to cover the difference.  With the introduction of the 702 waiver, the Yellow Ribbon program at Charlotte is generally only a good option for undergraduates who attend Charlotte while living in another state (South Carolina for instance).

To receive benefits under the Yellow Ribbon Program you must be eligible for the maximum benefit rate under the Post-9/11 GI Bill®.

• This includes:
  • Those who served 36 months (may be aggregate) on active duty
  • Purple Heart recipients with an honorable discharge and any amount of service
  • Those discharged after 60 days with a service-connected disability and served 30 continuous days after Sept. 10, 2001
  • Children using transferred benefits
  • Children using transferred benefits if their servicemember transferor is at the 100 percent level (36 months served)
  • Effective August 1, 2022, servicemembers at the 100 percent level and transferee spouses whose transferor is at the 100 percent level
  • Your school must agree to participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program
  • Your school must have not offered Yellow Ribbon to more than the maximum number of individuals, as stated in their participation agreement
  • Your school must certify your enrollment to VA and provide Yellow Ribbon Program information
  • You are not eligible if:  You are an active duty Service member or their spouse.

To receive Yellow Ribbon funds, an application must be submitted each academic year, indicating the term(s) for which consideration is being requested. 

To apply for Yellow Ribbon at Charlotte you must be an undergraduate, non-resident and not eligible for the 702 waiver (meaning you will not be residing in North Carolina while attending UNC Charlotte).  North Carolina uses a centralized office to determine residency for tuition purposes at all state institutions of higher education.  All students that are looking to attend any state school must apply to the NC  Residency Determination Service (RDS) to have their eligibility for residency (in-state tuition) determined.

Given the limited number of Yellow Ribbon slots at Charlotte it is expected that applicable students will have exhausted all other avenues to be granted in-state tuition.  Therefore, in order to apply for the Yellow Ribbon, we require that you have applied through the RDS and been denied residency.  As proof of this, we require that you upload a screenshot of your request status with your Residency Certification Number (RCN) and that shows your application has been considered and your status has been deemed “Non-Resident”.

Additionally, we will need documentation that demonstrates that you/your transferor meet the service requirements.  If you are the veteran/your transferor is a veteran, we will ask you to upload a copy of your/their DD-214.  If your transferor is still active duty, we can also accept a redacted copy of their current Leave & Earnings statement.

If you would like to apply for the Yellow Ribbon Program at Charlotte please check back in the fall for the new application process.