Financial Aid

Graduate students are encouraged to apply for financial aid. Financial aid application packages are available online from Virginia Tech's Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid. Applications should be submitted by the first week of March for the next academic year in order to have the best choice of options; however, applications can be submitted at any time.

Federal financial aid is restricted to U.S. citizens and resident aliens. If a student has applied for financial aid, and then receives an offer for an assistantship, scholarship, or fellowship, it is important to notify the financial aid counselor as soon as possible.

Fellowship Selection and University Policy
Policy 3400 outlines protocols for awarding and managing scholarships and similar awards (fellowships) held by the Virginia Tech Foundation.  This policy is effective for graduate and professional level awards July 1, 2011. Technical assistance (for department coordinators) is available from the Foundation or the Office of University Scholarships and Financial Aid (USFA).

Posting of Fellowships and Assistantships
To better coordinate the interaction of fellowships/assistantships and student financial aid, departments should please attempt to have these student benefits entered into the university system as early as possible.  Ideally, they should be entered 21 days prior to the beginning of any term and for the entire year when possible.  Awards entered later than this could conflict with financial aid awards and negatively impact students in that they could be required to repay financial aid funds.

Information to Newly Admitted Students Regarding Financial Aid
When notifying students of their admission to a program, please add the following text at some point in their notification.

• For information on financial aid and loan opportunities not associated with assistantships and fellowships, please visit http://www.finaid.vt.edu/
  
  
• For information on funding sources for International students not associated with assistantships and fellowships, please visit http://www.finaid.vt.edu/types_of_aid/scholarships/international/index.html
  

Another source of external funding information for international students is: International Education Financial Aid.

Although international students are not eligible for federal or state sponsored financial aid, they may take advantage of the Budget Tuition Plan which allows them to make monthly payments on their tuition bills rather than pay the full amount at the beginning of the semester.