We are primarily communicating via email, telephone or video conference. Please be safe, be informed and be well.
Applying for Virginia State Financial Aid
Para información en español sobre la Solicitud VASA haga clic aquí.
The process for being considered for state financial aid requires two separate steps.
- Meet the requirements to be considered a Virginia student.
- Demonstrate financial need and meet the requirements for the specific financial aid program.
To be considered a Virginia student, the student must demonstrate to the institution that the student meets at least one of the following three provisions:
Students not meeting at least one of these requirements cannot be considered for most state financial aid programs. Contact your institution’s admissions office (at public institutions) or financial aid office (at private institutions) for details.
To apply for most state financial aid programs, students must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or the free Virginia Alternative State Aid (VASA) Application. These applications are used by the U.S. Department of Education and Commonwealth of Virginia, respectively, to collect financial and other information about students and their families to determine their financial need and eligibility for a number of financial aid programs.
Students should only complete one of the applications below, not both.
WHICH APPLICATION SHOULD YOU COMPLETE?
United States citizens and eligible noncitizens can complete this form to apply for federal and state financial aid.
Only the FAFSA gives you access to federal grants and federal student loans. The FAFSA also provides access to state financial aid.
For more information about the FAFSA, federal student aid eligibility requirements and more, click this link.
OR
Who should file the VASA Application and why? Virginians who are nonimmigrants, undocumented, have Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status or are otherwise ineligible to file the FAFSA and would like to be considered for state financial aid.
The VASA application provides access only to state and to some institutional financial aid programs. The VASA application does not provide access to federal student aid.
If you are eligible to complete the FAFSA, complete the FAFSA form. If you complete both forms, the institution will ignore the results of the VASA application and use only the results of the federal FAFSA. Only if you are ineligible to complete
the FAFSA should you complete the VASA application.
Also, if you are undocumented or a DACA recipient be aware that state financial aid programs require that if a student is unable to meet the Commonwealth’s domicile requirement, then the student must meet the requirements of the Tuition Equity provision (see below for details) in order to be considered for state aid.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE VASA APPLICATION
Students who meet these criteria shall be eligible for in-state tuition and state financial aid regardless of their citizenship or immigration status, except students with a current F-student, H3-trainee, J-exchange visitor or M-vocational visa.
Helpful Resources
● VASA Application Flyer
[English]
[
Spanish]
● State financial aid programs
● Domicile and In-State Tuition Guidelines
● VASA App Q&A [pdf]
Contact Information
If you have questions about the FAFSA or VASA Application, contact your financial aid office.
For technical assistance with the VASA application, email: tuitionequity@schev.edu
SCHEV values honesty, quality, diversity, inclusion, growth-orientation, personal well-being, equity, transparency and accountability.
Through these values, we create a welcoming work environment that represents the best of who
we are as an agency and as individuals.