Oakland, CA–July 9, 2009. Mills College is offering one of the most generous educational opportunities in the state of California by participating in the Yellow Ribbon Program for veterans.

The Yellow Ribbon Program, a supplement of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008, allows colleges and universities nationwide to join the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs to provide more educational funds to veterans, in particular to those who choose to attend private institutions such as Mills College.

The Post-9/11 program provides a tuition benefit that fund up to the highest public in-state undergraduate tuition, creating a financial gap particularly for those attending private colleges and universities. The Yellow Ribbon Program allows private colleges and universities to help bridge that gap.

The program allows Mills College and other private institutions to contribute up to 50 percent of the tuition exceeding the cap and Veteran Affairs will match that same amount. Previous support for veterans included the Montgomery GI bill, which paid only a monthly stipend based on number of credits in which the student was enrolled.

Furthermore, while other colleges are capping their support at 10 or even 100 veterans, Mills College will provide an unlimited number of undergraduate and graduate educational funds to qualified veterans under the Yellow Ribbon Program. Funds will be worth $12,000 for undergraduates, and $7,500 for graduate students, surpassing most other California college and university offers.

Qualified veterans include those who have served a total of at least 36 months of active duty after Sept. 10, 2001; were honorably discharged from active duty for a service- related disability and served 30 continuous days after Sept. 10, 2001; or those who are a dependent of a veteran who is eligible for the Transfer of Entitlement under the Post-9/11 GI Bill based on the veteran's service under the eligibility criteria listed above.

Nationwide, 300,000 veterans will be eligible for this educational benefit within the next year with more than 1,800 colleges and universities participating in the program.

Funds may be in the form of grants or scholarships. Eligible veterans would also be required to be admitted to a Mills College undergraduate or graduate program.

For information visit Mills College Admission and the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Nestled in the foothills of Oakland, California, Mills College is a nationally renowned, independent liberal arts college offering a dynamic progressive education that fosters leadership, social responsibility, and creativity to approximately 950 undergraduate women and 500 graduate women and men. Since 2000, applications to Mills College have more than doubled. The College is named one of the top colleges in the West by U.S. News & World Report, one of the Best 368 Colleges by the Princeton Review, and ranks 75th among America's best colleges by Forbes.com. Visit us at www.mills.edu.

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