FREE Money for Virginia Residents

Who turns down an offer of free money? It doesn’t sound possible, yet surprisingly few Virginians are aware of the Tuition Assistance Grant (VTAG) program for residents of the Commonwealth attending in-state private nonprofit colleges and universities.

Neither merit- nor need-based, VTAG is a little gift from the state legislature designed to bring down tuition rates for Virginia residents attending private institutions and level the playing field a little with the relatively inexpensive public system. Under the terms of the program, students do NOT have to

• Pay the money back


• Demonstrate financial need


• File any kind of financial statement

The exact amount of each academic year’s award is determined by both the amount appropriated by the Virginia General Assembly and the total number of eligible applicants. Until all the numbers are added up, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) only provides an estimated dollar value for applicant planning purposes.

This year’s undergraduate grant totaled $2,600 for the academic year. Over four years, this translates to $10,400—free money, no strings attached!

Note that graduate students enrolled in eligible degree programs also qualify for tuition assistance grants, which for the 2010-11 academic year amounted to $1,150.

Application forms are available to download on the SCHEV website. In order to receive the maximum award, a student must submit a completed application to the institution’s financial aid office by July 31st of the award year. Applications submitted after July 31st but no later than December 1st, will be considered for an award only if funds are available.

Participating institutions include:

1. Appalachian School of Law


2. Averett University


3. Bluefield College


4. Bridgewater College


5. Christendom College


6. Eastern Mennonite University


7. Edward Via Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine


8. Emory & Henry College


9. Ferrum College


10. George Washington University (VA campus only)


11. Hampden-Sydney College


12. Hampton University


13. Hollins University


14. Institute for the Psychological Sciences


15. Jefferson College of Health Sciences


16. Liberty University


17. Lynchburg College


18. Mary Baldwin College


19. Marymount University


20. Randolph College


21. Randolph-Macon College


22. Regent University


23. Roanoke College


24. Saint Paul's College


25. Shenandoah University


26. Southern Virginia University


27. Sweet Briar College


28. University of Richmond


29. Virginia Intermont College


30. Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine


31. Virginia Union University


32. Virginia Wesleyan College


33. Washington & Lee University

For more information about the Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant, contact the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, Financial Aid Department, at 804.225.2632 or visit the SCHEV website and click on Financial Aid.