The number of colleges participating in the new Post-9/11 GI Bill’s Yellow Ribbon Program continues to climb. The program allows colleges to enter into matching agreements with the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs to cover charges over and above those provided for under the base GI Bill benefit. Two weeks ago, the director of the VA's Education Service said he expected the participation figure to stay pretty stable at around 700 institutions; the number has since grown to 1,165 participating colleges, however, and the VA is still finalizing a handful of agreements, according to a VA spokesman, Steve Westerfeld. Of the 1,165 participating colleges, 750 are private non-profit, 254 are for-profit and 161 are public.