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The cost to attend college can seem insurmountable for a large number of Virginia students. But during February – Financial Aid Awareness Month -- the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) wants students to know that there are many ways – some free -- to help pay for college.
First, students should know that the advertised “sticker” price of a college’s tuition and fee charges are not necessarily what they will pay out of pocket. With the assistance of financial aid, many students pay far less.Second, understanding how financial aid works is crucial. Financial aid comes from many different sources and includes grants and scholarships, work-study, loans and other tuition waiver and savings programs. The best part is that students may use a combination of these financial aid sources at the same time to make college more affordable.Nearly all of these types of aid require completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. Completing the FAFSA should be at the top of the to-do list for anyone considering college. Students can submit a FAFSA annually beginning October 1. Virginia colleges also use information from the FAFSA to award most state and college-based aid.Colleges have different deadlines to submit the FAFSA and may have additional requirements to receive aid. March 1 is the most common priority deadline, but students should confirm dates for each college of interest. Priority deadlines for Virginia’s public colleges and universities are located on SCHEV’s website.In 2017-18, the Commonwealth of Virginia awarded more than $256 million to institutions to support student aid awards. Virginia’s six primary state aid programs help Virginia residents attend public and private nonprofit two- and four-year institutions.Review the resources listed below for ways to pay for college.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
A full list of Virginia’s available financial aid programsA list of Virginia colleges’ and universities’ deadlines to submit financial aid applications: www.schev.edu/FinancialAidDeadlinesFAFSA information: https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa. For assistance, call, email and/or chat with the Federal Student Aid Information Center at https://studentaidhelp.ed.gov/app/chat/chat_launchCollege cost calculator: https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/Additional resources about student financial aid: www.studentaid.ed.govMedia resources about Virginia higher education, including news advisories and releases: www.schev.edu/media
OTHER LINKS eVAExpendituresOrg Chart