"Days before a June 15 deadline, 521 private colleges had signed modest-to-grand 'Yellow Ribbon' agreements under the new Post-9/11 GI Bill benefit, making these higher-priced schools more affordable to at least some Iraq and Afghanistan war-era veterans who qualify for admission," Stars and Stripes reports. "But more than half of private colleges nationwide apparently will balk at entering Yellow Ribbon deals, at least for the 2009-2010 academic year. The final tally could disappoint veterans who hoped to see their new GI Bill entitlement enhanced by Yellow Ribbon deals enough to attend their school of choice from among America’s most prestigious names."