Virginia Scholarships & Grants (2027–2028): Commonwealth Award, VTAG & G3 Deadlines
Last updated: October 29, 2026 · Facts verified against the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (schev.edu), the Code of Virginia, and the 2026–2028 state budget
This page is for the Class of 2027: seniors starting college in fall 2027, paying with 2027–28 aid. Virginia changed its main public-college grant in 2026, and that change lands on this class first. Virginia has no state scholarship application and no statewide merit scholarship. Money reaches students three ways: through the college they choose, through a separate form at private colleges, and through community college programs that most four-year-bound families never price.
The one thing to know first
For the Class of 2027, Virginia’s grant at public colleges is one need-based program, the Commonwealth Award, and your college sets the amount. The 2.5 GPA rule you may still hear quoted is gone.
That rule belonged to VGAP, the Virginia Guaranteed Assistance Program. Under 2026 legislation (Chapters 272 and 273), no first-time student enrolling in fall 2027 or later can be offered a VGAP grant. What replaces it is the Virginia Commonwealth Award, rewritten into state law: a Virginia resident with financial need, enrolled at least half time at a Virginia public college, is eligible. No high school GPA minimum, no full-time requirement. There is no separate application. The FAFSA (or VASA) is the application, and the college’s aid office does the rest.
And the date: your college’s FAFSA priority date. Usually March 1. Sometimes much earlier.
Virginia has no statewide state-aid deadline for public colleges. The state sends grant money to each college, and the college awards it to students whose FAFSA arrived by its priority date, until the money runs out. The federal FAFSA stays open until June 30, 2028, and that date is useless for Virginia grant money. Most Virginia publics use March 1. A few do not: William & Mary posts priority dates of November 15, January 5, or February 1, 2027 depending on the admission plan, with the CSS Profile also required. VCU listed February 1 for the 2026–27 class. Virginia Tech asks for the FAFSA by January 22 for maximum aid, ahead of its March 1 priority date (both stated for 2026–27). File the 2027–28 FAFSA now. Here is the full calendar, college by college.
⏰ Where we are in the cycle (as of October 29, 2026)
- 2027–28 FAFSA, Class of 2027: ✅ Open since September 24, 2026. This is the form that unlocks the Commonwealth Award, G3, the Transfer Grant, Pell, and most college aid.
- Commonwealth Award, Class of 2027: ✅ Eligible through the FAFSA or VASA. ⚠ SCHEV’s detailed rules for the new version are due by April 1, 2027, after most priority dates. Do not wait for them.
- VGAP, Class of 2027: ❌ Closed to first-time students starting fall 2027 or later. Students already holding VGAP from 2026–27 can renew it.
- VTAG, 2027–28 (private colleges): ✅ Open once the student commits. SCHEV had not posted the 2027–28 application as of October 29, 2026. The line that matters is September 15, 2027.
- VTAG, 2026–27: ❌ Fall applications closed October 1, 2026. Spring-only applications are accepted through December 1, 2026, if funds remain.
- G3 at community colleges: ✅ Enrolling for spring 2027 and fall 2027. Apply to the community college and file the FAFSA.
If your student is a senior, the two things to do this month are the FSA IDs and the FAFSA. In Virginia there is no state portal to set up. The FAFSA is the state application.
- How Virginia aid works (the three front doors)
- The Commonwealth Award, and what replaced VGAP
- The September 15 line (VTAG’s fine print)
- Major programs (Commonwealth Award, VTAG, G3, Transfer Grant, VMSDEP)
- The G3 door: community college, then the Transfer Grant
- Deadlines (college by college)
- Free printable cheat sheet (PDF)
- How state aid stacks with college money
- Common ways Virginia aid gets lost
- Who benefits most (reality check)
- Colleges that stack best
- Smaller programs worth checking
- FAQs
- ✅ Put every college’s FAFSA priority date on one calendar. In Virginia, that list is the state aid deadline.
📌 What to do right now
- Create FSA IDs for both parent and student at studentaid.gov/fsa-id. About ten minutes, and nothing else moves without them. New to this? Start with FAFSA 101 for Parents.
- Senior (Class of 2027): file the 2027–28 FAFSA before the earliest priority date on your list, and list every Virginia college you are considering. A college not listed on the FAFSA cannot package your state grant.
- Not eligible to file the FAFSA? Students who are undocumented, have DACA, or fall in certain other categories and meet Virginia’s tuition equity rules file the Virginia Alternative State Aid application (VASA) instead. VASA unlocks state aid, not federal aid.
- Looking at a private Virginia college? Ask its aid office, in writing, for its VTAG application and its internal deadline. Read the September 15 section first.
- Moved to Virginia recently? Call the college’s domicile officer now. In-state tuition and every state grant require one year of Virginia domicile before the term starts.
- Junior or sophomore? Price the community college route now, while it is still a choice. The G3 door can cover two years of tuition, fees, and books for households under the income line.
Looking beyond state aid? Browse every college on our College Scholarships hub, compare awards using the CRP Scholarship Search Tool, or see how aid works elsewhere on the State Scholarships & Grants hub.
How Virginia State Aid Actually Works
Virginia aid follows the college, not the student. Public colleges award state grants from the FAFSA. Private colleges need a separate state form. Community colleges run their own program. Nothing transfers automatically from one door to another, which is why the order of operations matters more here than in most states.
Door 1: The FAFSA (public colleges)
The FAFSA, or VASA for students who cannot file it, is the whole application.
Drives: Pell, the Commonwealth Award, the Transfer Grant, and each college’s own need-based aid.
Door 2: The VTAG form (private colleges)
A paper or electronic form you get from the private college and return to it.
Covers: the Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant. Not need-based. The FAFSA does not trigger it.
Door 3: The community college
Apply to the college, enroll in an approved program, file the FAFSA.
Covers: G3 last-dollar aid, then the Transfer Grant later at a four-year school.
🔒 Setup that prevents most Virginia problems
- Use a personal email on the FAFSA and every college portal. School-issued addresses get shut off after graduation, sometimes mid-cycle.
- Enter the student’s name exactly as it appears on the Social Security card. Mismatches stall verification, and verification stalls the state grant.
- Write down every login where a parent can find it. Virginia has no state portal, so each college’s portal becomes the place where documents get requested.
- Answer the residency questions on each admission application carefully. Your answers there drive the domicile decision that decides state grant eligibility.
What changed in 2026, and why older handouts are wrong
The 2026 General Assembly passed a financial aid consolidation (HB 1221 and SB 167, Chapters 272 and 273) and a separate eligibility fix (HB 414, Chapter 135). If a Virginia handout predates spring 2026, assume these four things are wrong on it:
- VGAP is closed to new students. No first-time student enrolling in fall 2027 or later can be offered VGAP. Students who held it during 2026–27 can renew for up to four years total under the old rules.
- The Commonwealth Award is the need grant at public colleges. It is now written into the Code of Virginia, with no high school GPA minimum and half-time enrollment allowed.
- Selective Service registration is no longer required for VTAG or the Transfer Grant, as of July 1, 2026. SCHEV’s 2026–27 application forms, printed before the law took effect, still ask about it. The requirement remains for the Commonwealth Award.
- The VTAG amount is set for two years. The 2026–28 budget caps it at $5,250 for undergraduates in both 2026–27 and 2027–28, with larger add-ons at private HBCUs.
Three Virginia myths that cost real money
- Myth: “The FAFSA deadline is June 30, so we have time.”
Reality: June 30 is the federal deadline. Virginia’s grant money is spent at each college’s priority date, which for most publics is March 1, and earlier at a few. - Myth: “VTAG is need-based, and we make too much.”
Reality: VTAG has no income test at all. A Virginia family earning any amount qualifies at an eligible private college. Families skip the form because they assume they are over a line that does not exist. - Myth: “Community college means giving up state aid.”
Reality: It can mean the opposite. G3 pays the remaining tuition, fees, and books in approved programs, and the Transfer Grant adds up to $3,000 a year later at a four-year school.
The Commonwealth Award: Virginia’s Need Grant for the Class of 2027
A Virginia resident with financial need, enrolled at least half time at a Virginia public college, is eligible. The college decides how much. That is the whole rule, and it is written into § 23.1-638 of the Code of Virginia as amended in 2026.
An undergraduate is eligible if, on or after the term’s census date, the student:
- Is enrolled at least half time in an eligible program at a Virginia public college. The census date is the day each term when enrollment is locked for aid purposes, usually within the first two weeks of classes.
- Meets Virginia’s domicile requirements, or qualifies under the military dependent or tuition equity provisions.
- Demonstrates financial need, meaning the college’s Cost of Attendance (COA, the full annual budget including tuition, housing, food, books, and transportation) is higher than the Student Aid Index (SAI, the number the FAFSA produces).
- Complies with federal Selective Service registration requirements, where they apply.
To renew, the student keeps making satisfactory academic progress (the college’s standard for federal aid) and keeps meeting the four rules above. The old VGAP renewal traps, continuous full-time enrollment and advancing a class level every year, are not in the new statute.
⚠ What we do not know yet, and why we are not guessing
The law directs SCHEV to adopt emergency regulations for the new Commonwealth Award by April 1, 2027. Until then, the award amounts, how colleges must rank students, and whether the award can go beyond tuition and fees are not set for 2027–28. Under SCHEV’s current rules, Commonwealth Awards are limited to tuition and fees. We will update this page when the regulations are adopted.
Your move: do not wait for April. File the FAFSA by every priority date, then ask each public college’s aid office: “Will my student be considered for the Virginia Commonwealth Award for 2027–28, and is anything missing from our file?” SCHEV’s financial aid staff take questions through schev.edu/financial-aid.
VGAP versus the Commonwealth Award, side by side
| Rule | VGAP (students who started by 2026–27) | Commonwealth Award (Class of 2027 forward) |
|---|---|---|
| High school GPA | 2.5 minimum from a Virginia high school | None |
| Enrollment | Full time, continuously | At least half time |
| Renewal GPA | 2.0 cumulative, checked annually | Satisfactory academic progress |
| Class level | Must advance a class level every year (typically 30 credit hours) | No class-level rule in the statute |
| Losing it | Permanent; the student can fall back to the Commonwealth Award | Regained if the student meets the rules again |
| New students | None after fall 2027 | Yes |
VGAP rules: 8VAC40-132-110 and 120. New rules: Chapter 273 of the 2026 Acts of Assembly. The “regained” line reflects the statute’s renewal test; confirm it with your college until SCHEV’s regulations are final.
The September 15 Line (Virginia’s Most Expensive Fine Print)
A VTAG form that reaches the private college on September 15 is paid in full. One that arrives September 16 is paid only if money is left. Same student, same college, same form.
How SCHEV ranks VTAG applications
- Category 1: returning students who received VTAG the prior year, including transfers who held it elsewhere.
- Category 2: new students whose application reaches the college by September 15. Categories 1 and 2 are combined and receive the same award.
- Category 3: new students who apply September 16 through October 1. Paid only after Categories 1 and 2 are fully funded, and the amount is not known until mid-spring.
- Category 4: spring-only students who apply by December 1. Same rule: only if money remains.
The trap is in who gets the form. The FAFSA does not trigger VTAG, SCHEV does not mail it, and some colleges do not hand it out until after the deposit. Families who commit in May, move in mid-August, and handle paperwork after classes start are the ones who land in Category 3. The award is also an estimate: if the money appropriated runs short, SCHEV reduces the spring payment for everyone.
⚠ Two rules that disqualify quietly
- Full time only. VTAG requires full-time enrollment. Dropping below full time can cancel the semester’s payment.
- Domicile, not address. The student must be a Virginia domiciliary resident for one year before the term, judged on the parent’s domicile for a dependent student. A family that moved in during senior year usually does not qualify for the first year.
Your move: the day your student commits to a private Virginia college, email the aid office: “Please send us the VTAG application and your internal deadline, and confirm when you receive it.” Submit it that week, keep the confirmation, and calendar September 15, 2027 as the backstop, not the plan. You are allowed to ask the college to confirm receipt in writing.
Major Virginia Programs
Virginia has no statewide merit scholarship. Every program below is either need-based, tied to the type of college, or tied to a family circumstance. VTAG is the exception: no income test, no grades test.
Virginia Commonwealth Award (Need-Based, Public Colleges)
- Award: set by each college based on remaining need and available state money. SCHEV publishes no statewide amount.
- Who it’s for: Virginia residents with financial need, enrolled at least half time at a Virginia public two-year or four-year college
- Deadline: each college’s FAFSA priority date, most often March 1
- Trap: a late FAFSA is the most common reason a qualified student gets nothing. The money is allocated before June.
Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant (VTAG)
- Award: up to $5,250 a year for undergraduates attending in person in 2027–28; $2,625 for new online-only students; $500 more in the senior year for students headed into teaching
- HBCU add-on: up to $7,500 more at Hampton University and Virginia Union University, which SCHEV lists as $12,750 a year
- Who it’s for: Virginia residents, full time, at one of 28 eligible private nonprofit colleges. Not need-based.
- Deadline: September 15 to the college. Trap: see The September 15 Line.
G3: Get Skilled, Get a Job, Give Back
- Award: last-dollar tuition, mandatory fees, and books. Last-dollar means it pays what is left after Pell and other grants, so a Pell student may receive $0 from G3 because Pell already covered the bill. Full-Pell students enrolled full time can receive an extra support grant.
- Who it’s for: Virginia residents in an approved program at one of the 23 community colleges, with household income at or below 400% of the federal poverty level ($124,800 for a family of four in the 2025–26 report)
- Deadline: no statewide date. Enroll in at least six credit hours and file the FAFSA.
- Trap: only approved programs qualify, and the list differs by college. Up to three years for an associate degree.
Two-Year College Transfer Grant (CTG)
- Award: up to $1,000 a year, plus up to $1,000 for eligible STEM, teaching, nursing, and related majors, plus up to $1,000 at Norfolk State, Old Dominion, Radford, UVA Wise, VCU, or Virginia State (two years max). Up to $3,000 a year in total.
- Who it’s for: associate degree from a Virginia public two-year college with a 3.0 GPA, transferring full time to a participating public or private nonprofit four-year college, with an SAI of 15,000 or less
- Deadline: enroll by the fall or spring right after the associate degree; apply at the receiving college (JMU, for example, lists August 31 for fall)
- Trap: a semester off after the associate degree ends eligibility, and so does a break in renewal. Keep a 3.0.
Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program (VMSDEP)
- Award: waiver of tuition and required fees at Virginia public colleges, plus a stipend of up to $2,200 a year toward room, board, and books
- Who it’s for: spouses and children of qualifying veterans, including those rated 90% or 100% disabled and those killed in service, certified by the Virginia Department of Veterans Services
- Deadline: certification through DVS before the term, then the college’s process
- Trap: residency and service rules are strict and were debated again in 2026. Start the DVS certification early.
Virginia Alternative State Aid (VASA)
- Award: not an award itself. VASA is the application that puts a student in line for Virginia state aid at participating colleges.
- Who it’s for: students who cannot file the FAFSA (for example undocumented or DACA students) and who meet Virginia’s tuition equity requirements
- Deadline: same as the FAFSA: each college’s priority date
- Trap: VASA does not unlock Pell or federal loans. Students who can file the FAFSA should file the FAFSA.
One VTAG add-on we cannot pin down yet. The 2026–28 budget also provides up to $2,000 more per student at TAG-eligible private colleges where Hispanic students make up at least 25% of undergraduates on a three-year average. SCHEV has not published which colleges qualify, so we are not naming any. Ask any private college’s aid office whether its students receive the Hispanic-Serving Institution TAG add-on.
The G3 Door: Community College, Then the Transfer Grant
For a household under the G3 income line, two years at a Virginia community college can cost nothing in tuition, fees, or books, and the Transfer Grant then pays up to $3,000 a year at the four-year school. Very few four-year-bound families run this math, because G3 is marketed as workforce training.
- Check the approved program list at your community college. Since 2025–26, the approved lists at many colleges include transfer degrees such as the Associate of Science in Science, Engineering, Computer Science, and Education, not only certificates. The list differs by college, so check the one you would attend.
- File the FAFSA and enroll in at least six credit hours. G3 pays the gap after Pell and other grants. A family over the Pell line but under the G3 line is exactly who gains the most.
- Finish the associate degree with a 3.0 GPA. That is the Transfer Grant’s academic bar.
- Transfer full time by the very next fall or spring. Apply for the Transfer Grant at the receiving college as soon as the degree posts.
The honest caveats. G3 covers tuition, fees, and books, not housing. Its income limit is checked
through the FAFSA. Funding runs up to three years in the same program, and it requires satisfactory academic
progress. The Transfer Grant’s SAI limit (15,000 on SCHEV’s 2026–27 application) is lower than G3’s income line,
so some G3 families will not qualify for the Transfer Grant later. And the bachelor’s degree only stays on schedule
if the courses transfer. Use a guaranteed admission agreement between your community college and the four-year
school you want, and confirm it with a transfer advisor in the first semester.
Your move: ask the community college admissions office one question: “Which of your G3-approved
programs are transfer degrees, and which four-year schools have guaranteed admission agreements for them?”
Virginia State Aid Deadlines
Virginia’s state aid calendar is really a list of college calendars. These are the FAFSA priority dates each public university posts for first-year students. Where a college has not posted 2027–28 dates, we show the most recent date it stated and label the year.
| College | FAFSA priority date (first-years) | Year stated | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| William & Mary | Nov 15, 2026 (ED I), Jan 5, 2027 (ED II), Feb 1, 2027 (Regular) | 2027–28 | CSS Profile also required |
| Virginia Commonwealth University | February 1 | 2026–27 | Earlier than most publics |
| Virginia Tech | January 22 for maximum aid; March 1 priority | 2026–27 | General Scholarship Application also Jan 22 |
| University of Virginia | March 1, FAFSA and CSS Profile | 2026–27 | UVA calls it the deadline for all aid |
| James Madison University | March 1, 2027; Jan 1 target for scholarships | 2027–28 | |
| Old Dominion University | March 1, 2027 | 2027–28 | |
| George Mason University | March 1 | Not stated | Same page also says February 1; call to confirm |
| Radford University | March 1 | Not stated | Same page also says February 1 for new freshmen; call to confirm |
| Christopher Newport, Longwood, Mary Washington, VMI | March 1 | 2026–27 or not stated | |
| Norfolk State University | March 15 | 2025–26 catalog | Not on the aid office’s own pages; call to confirm |
| Virginia State University | March 31 | Not stated |
The state program dates that repeat every year
| Program | Deadline | Where you apply |
|---|---|---|
| FAFSA (2027–28) | Open since September 24, 2026. Federal deadline June 30, 2028, which is far too late for Virginia grants. | studentaid.gov |
| Commonwealth Award | Each public college’s FAFSA priority date | FAFSA or VASA; the college awards it |
| VTAG | September 15 (full priority); September 16 to October 1 (if funds remain); December 1 (spring-only) | The private college’s financial aid office |
| Two-Year College Transfer Grant | Enroll by the fall or spring right after the associate degree; college deadlines vary (JMU: August 31 fall, January 31 spring) | The receiving four-year college |
| G3 | No statewide date; before the term starts | The community college, plus the FAFSA |
The milestone chain for the Class of 2027
| When | What has to happen |
|---|---|
| October to November 2026 | FSA IDs and the 2027–28 FAFSA. Earliest Virginia priority date is November 15 (William & Mary, Early Decision I). |
| November 1 to December 1, 2026 | Early admission dates that double as merit scholarship dates at JMU, Mason, VCU, Mary Washington, ODU, and UVA. |
| January 5 to February 15, 2027 | Virginia Tech’s January 22 aid target, VCU’s February 1, the Feb 1 admission dates for Longwood and Radford merit review, and CNU’s February 15 scholarship date. |
| March 1, 2027 | Priority date at most Virginia publics. |
| April 1, 2027 | SCHEV’s deadline to adopt the new Commonwealth Award regulations. Watch for award letters changing after this date. |
| May 1, 2027 | Most enrollment deposits due. Committing to a private college? Request the VTAG form the same day. |
| September 15, 2027 | VTAG full-priority line for new students. |
| Census date, each term | Half-time enrollment for the Commonwealth Award; full time for VTAG, the Transfer Grant, and most college merit. |
Free counselor resource
The Virginia State Aid Cheat Sheet, two printable pages
Everything on this page condensed for a desk or a bulletin board: every program at a glance, the college priority dates, the VGAP to Commonwealth Award change, the VTAG categories, a month-by-month counselor calendar, and the mistakes that cost Virginia students money. No email, no signup, no data collection. Just the PDF.
Download the Virginia State Aid Cheat Sheet (PDF) →
2 pages · Free to print, copy, and distribute · Verified against SCHEV and the Code of Virginia, October 2026 · Questions or corrections: leo@collegereadyparent.org
How Virginia Aid Stacks With College Money
Virginia does not write a stacking order into law the way some states do. Two rules do the work instead: total gift aid cannot exceed the Cost of Attendance, and last-dollar programs such as G3 pay only what is left after other grants. Everything else is the college’s packaging policy.
- The Commonwealth Award is part of the college’s package, so it moves with the college’s own need-based aid. Compare total grant aid across colleges, not the line labeled “state.”
- VTAG is flat. It pays the same at every eligible private college, apart from the HBCU and Hispanic-Serving add-ons, so the college’s own scholarship decides the bill.
- Outside scholarships can reduce other aid once the total reaches the Cost of Attendance. Ask each college which award it reduces first. Loans first is the answer you want.
Example A: freshman year, four-year Virginia public, on campus, Pell-eligible (illustrative)
| Tuition & mandatory fees | $15,000 |
| Housing & meals | $13,000 |
| Pell Grant | − $6,000 |
| Virginia Commonwealth Award (set by the college) | − $5,000 |
| College need-based grant | − $6,000 |
| College automatic merit award | − $2,000 |
| What the family actually faces | $9,000 |
The state grant is real, but it is the smallest gift line here. The college’s own need-based grant is usually the bigger lever, and it is awarded on the same FAFSA by the same priority date. Miss the date and both shrink.
Example B: community college, commuting, middle income, not Pell-eligible (illustrative)
| Household of four, income $95,000, enrolled in a G3-approved transfer program | |
| Tuition & mandatory fees | $5,400 |
| Books | $1,200 |
| Pell Grant | $0 |
| G3 (last-dollar) | − $6,600 |
| Tuition, fees, and books owed | $0 |
This is the family G3 helps most: over the Pell line, under the G3 line. Two years like this, then a 3.0 associate degree and a transfer, is the cheapest route to a Virginia bachelor’s degree that most families never price.
The CRP move: line up the award letters side by side and compare the net price, not the size of any single grant. Our guide to comparing aid offers walks through it, and the CRP Scholarship Search Tool shows what each college adds.
Common Ways Virginia Aid Gets Lost
None of these are about grades or intelligence. They are process problems, and process problems are fixable.
1. Filing the FAFSA after the priority date
The Commonwealth Award and the college’s own need-based aid are allocated by date. A complete file in April often gets loans where a March file got grants.
2. Leaving a college off the FAFSA
A public college that never receives your FAFSA cannot award the state grant. List every Virginia school you are considering.
3. The VTAG form nobody asked for
VTAG does not start from the FAFSA. If the form reaches the college after September 15, payment depends on leftover money.
4. Ignoring a verification request
If a college portal asks for documents, the state grant waits too. Treat every portal task as a deadline.
5. A recent move and a late domicile question
In-state tuition and every state grant need one year of domicile. Raise it with the domicile officer before the deposit, not after the bill.
6. A gap semester after the associate degree
The Transfer Grant requires enrolling by the next fall or spring. A semester off ends eligibility for good.
Who Benefits Most (Reality Check)
Low-income families
Pell plus the Commonwealth Award plus the college’s own need-based grant is the strongest combination in Virginia, and it depends almost entirely on filing by each priority date. At a community college, Pell often covers tuition on its own, and full-Pell students enrolled full time can receive G3’s extra support grant on top.
Middle-income families
Virginia’s two biggest openings are aimed squarely at you. VTAG has no income test, so a family that qualifies for no need-based aid still gets it at an eligible private college. And G3’s income line sits far above Pell’s, so families who assume community college aid is not for them are often wrong.
High-achieving students
There is no state merit money in Virginia. For a strong student, the money is in the colleges’ competitive scholarships, and most of them close between November 1 and February 15 with the admission application. UVA’s Jefferson and Walentas scholarships close December 1. William & Mary’s 1693 Scholars and Monroe Scholars are reviewed from the January 5 admission application. Applying Regular Decision in late January quietly removes a student from most of these.
Students who test poorly
Virginia’s state programs never ask for a test score, and the Commonwealth Award no longer asks for a GPA. Several Virginia colleges pay automatic merit on GPA alone. Longwood’s and Radford’s in-state grids start at a 3.0 GPA, and Mary Washington publishes a separate test-optional grid. See the college list below.
Adult and returning students
This one is for the parents reading. G3 is open to adults, covers short-term workforce credentials as well as degrees, and requires only six credit hours. The Commonwealth Award allows half-time enrollment. Many first-generation parents finish a credential alongside their student.
First-gen families
Same eligibility as everyone else, higher risk of losing it to a missed step. Virginia aid has no single portal and no single deadline, which means the family has to build the calendar. If you feel behind, you are not. You need a checklist and the list of priority dates above. Start with our First-Gen Parent Guide and the grade-level checklists.
Colleges That Stack Best With Virginia Aid
Virginia’s state grants are either flat (VTAG) or set by each college (the Commonwealth Award). So the real question is which college adds the most on top, at the numbers your student actually has. Below are the 17 Virginia colleges in the CRP database. Each link goes to that college’s full scholarship page with verified amounts. Here we list the entry point, the structure, and the deadline. Every award called automatic means no essay, no interview, no committee.
The finding most Virginia families never hear
In Virginia, published automatic merit for in-state students lives at the regional publics, not the famous ones.
Of the 14 public universities in our database, only four publish automatic in-state grids: Longwood, Radford, Mary Washington, and Virginia State. UVA, William & Mary, Virginia Tech, VMI, and Norfolk State publish none. And two publics, Christopher Newport and VCU, publish automatic grids only for out-of-state students. A Virginia student with a 3.0 to 3.5 GPA is more likely to see automatic money from a regional public, or from a private college stacking VTAG, than from a flagship.
The lowest academic bar for real money
- Longwood University (Farmville): a five-tier automatic grid that starts at a 3.00 GPA and tops out at a 4.00, with no test score required. Open to in-state and out-of-state students. Priority December 1, deadline February 1. Renew with a 3.0. Longwood is also one of five schools in the state’s Enslaved Ancestors scholarship program.
- Radford University (Radford): three automatic tiers at a 3.00, 3.25, and 4.00 GPA, with separate, larger out-of-state amounts. Apply for admission by February 1 for automatic review. Renew with a 2.5. Radford also lists a need-based Tuition Promise for in-state students who apply by February 1 and file the FAFSA by March 1, and it pays the extra $1,000 Transfer Grant incentive.
- University of Mary Washington (Fredericksburg): the most detailed grid in the state, with separate test-submitted and test-optional ladders for in-state students, starting at a 3.00 GPA (with a 20 ACT or 1000 SAT if submitting scores). Does not superscore the ACT. Priority November 15, final February 1. Renew with a 2.5.
- Liberty University (Lynchburg, private): a six-tier automatic GPA ladder starting at a 3.00, plus a Virginia resident award and a test-score bonus. Superscores the ACT. Rolling deadlines. As a private nonprofit college, Liberty is VTAG-eligible, so in-state students stack VTAG on top. A 35 ACT or 1540 SAT with a 3.0 GPA earns full tuition.
The clean automatic grids that start higher
- Virginia State University (HBCU, Petersburg): automatic awards at a 3.50, 3.75, and 4.00 GPA. Deadline May 1. Renew with a 3.0. VSU’s FAFSA priority date of March 31 is the latest among Virginia publics, and VSU pays the extra Transfer Grant incentive.
- Hampton University (HBCU, Hampton, private): the Office of Admission Merit Scholarship requires a 3.50 GPA with a 22 ACT or 1000 SAT and a completed Early Action application with official scores by November 15. Does not superscore. Hampton is one of two colleges where Virginia students receive the VTAG HBCU add-on.
Merit decided from the application, with no published grid
- James Madison University (Harrisonburg): the Madison Award for Academic Excellence is reviewed from the admission application with no published cutoffs. Honors College scholarships require Early Action by November 1. JMU’s FAFSA date is March 1, 2027, with January 1 as the scholarship target.
- George Mason University (Fairfax): Mason Merit Scholarships are awarded from the admission application, with November 1 Early Action as the priority date. Mason posts both February 1 and March 1 as FAFSA dates; call the aid office to confirm which applies to first-years.
- Old Dominion University (Norfolk): the in-state Monarch Scholarship is considered with the admission application, with a 3.00 GPA floor and a December 1 priority date; ODU does not publish amounts. ODU pays the extra Transfer Grant incentive.
A different model entirely
- University of Virginia (Charlottesville): no automatic merit. UVA’s aid is need-based and requires both the FAFSA and the CSS Profile by March 1. The Jefferson and Walentas full-ride scholarships close December 1.
- William & Mary (Williamsburg): no automatic in-state merit. Competitive awards, including 1693 Scholars, are reviewed from the January 5 admission application. Aid requires the FAFSA and CSS Profile by the plan-specific dates in the deadline table.
- Virginia Tech (Blacksburg): no published automatic grid for in-state students. Scholarships run through the General Scholarship Application and the FAFSA by January 22.
- Virginia Military Institute (Lexington): Institute Merit Scholarships, up to a full-cost tier, are competitive, with a February 15, 2027 deadline. More than 500 donor scholarships come from the FAFSA by March 1.
- Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond): competitive Provost and Deans’ Scholarships close November 1. VCU’s automatic grid is for out-of-state students only. FAFSA by February 1. VCU pays the extra Transfer Grant incentive and has its own transfer scholarship for community college graduates (March 15).
- Christopher Newport University (Newport News): competitive Presidential and leadership scholarships, deadline February 15. CNU’s automatic award is for out-of-state students only.
- Norfolk State University (HBCU, Norfolk): no automatic grid. Honors College awards carry a February 1 priority date, and the DNIMAS science scholarship uses November 30 (early) and January 31. NSU pays the extra Transfer Grant incentive.
- University of Richmond (Richmond, private): aid is primarily need-based, with need-based forms due November 15 or February 1 depending on the admission plan. Richmond is VTAG-eligible. Students from the City of Richmond have a dedicated aid program.
If you live just across the state line, look at the Virginia publics that publish out-of-state grids: Mary Washington, Radford, Longwood, VCU, Christopher Newport, and Old Dominion all post automatic or guaranteed-review awards for nonresidents, and JMU has a separate out-of-state award. Families in North Carolina, Maryland, West Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, and D.C. should price these against their own in-state options before assuming home is cheaper. Virginia’s state grants do not follow nonresidents, but these college awards do.
Not yet in our database. We have not verified the following Virginia colleges, so we are not publishing numbers for them. VTAG applies at every private college on SCHEV’s eligible list, so check each college’s own scholarship page directly. Publics we have not added: UVA Wise, Richard Bland College, and the 23 community colleges. VTAG-eligible privates we have not added: Virginia Union University (HBCU, Richmond), Marymount, Roanoke, Randolph-Macon, Bridgewater, Shenandoah, University of Lynchburg, Mary Baldwin, Averett, Ferrum, Emory & Henry, Hollins, Sweet Briar, Regent, Washington and Lee, Hampden-Sydney, Randolph, Eastern Mennonite, Bluefield, Southern Virginia, Christendom, and Batten. We would rather leave them without numbers than publish a guess.
The two-year and transfer pathway
The state award changes on transfer, in the student’s favor. G3 covers the community college years for families under its income line. The Transfer Grant then pays up to $3,000 a year at the four-year school for a 3.0 associate degree, and up to $1,000 of that is only at Norfolk State, Old Dominion, Radford, UVA Wise, VCU, and Virginia State. The Commonwealth Award continues at any public four-year college. Colleges such as George Mason allow only one state grant at a time, with the Transfer Grant as the stated exception, so it can sit alongside the Commonwealth Award. Several colleges add their own transfer merit on top, including VCU, Radford, Mary Washington, and Liberty.
Three cautions. The Transfer Grant requires enrolling by the very next fall or spring after the associate degree. It requires full-time enrollment at the four-year school. And it lasts three years at most, so a slow start at the four-year school eats into it.
Compare schools side by side using the CRP Scholarship Search Tool, or look up your student’s numbers in the scholarships-by-GPA guide.
Smaller Virginia Programs Worth Checking
These do not apply to everyone, but when one applies to your family it is usually significant.
| Program | Who it’s for |
|---|---|
| Enslaved Ancestors College Access Scholarship and Memorial Program | Descendants of people enslaved at Longwood, UVA, VCU, VMI, and William & Mary. Each school sets its own benefit and process. Code of Virginia § 23.1-615.1. |
| New Economy Workforce Credential Grant (FastForward) | Short-term, noncredit workforce training at community colleges leading to an industry credential. G3 can cover the first-third share for eligible students. |
| VTAG for graduate health programs | Virginia residents in eligible health professions graduate programs at participating private colleges: up to $5,000 a year. |
| Optometry grants | Virginia students at schools of optometry: up to $5,000 a year, in exchange for two years of practice in Virginia. |
| Virginia Space Grant Consortium scholarships | STEM and aerospace students, plus high school pilot and Earth science programs. |
| GEAR UP scholarships | Students who participated in a GEAR UP program in middle and high school. Ask the school’s GEAR UP coordinator. |
Program amounts for the last four rows: 2026–28 Appropriation Act, Item 131.
Virginia State Aid FAQs
Is VGAP still available for the Class of 2027 in Virginia?
No, not for new students. Under Chapters 272 and 273 of the 2026 Acts of Assembly, no first-time student enrolling in fall 2027 or later can be offered a Virginia Guaranteed Assistance Program grant. Students who already received VGAP during 2026-27 can keep renewing it for up to four years total under the old rules. For the Class of 2027, the need-based state grant at public colleges is the Virginia Commonwealth Award, awarded by each college from the FAFSA or VASA.
How much is the Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant (VTAG) for 2027-28?
The 2026-28 state budget caps VTAG at $5,250 a year for undergraduates attending in person at an eligible private nonprofit Virginia college, and $2,625 for new students enrolled only online. Students at Hampton University and Virginia Union University, the two TAG-eligible private HBCUs, can receive up to $7,500 more, which SCHEV lists as $12,750 a year. Undergraduates headed into teaching get $500 more in the senior year. The amount is a maximum, not a guarantee, and depends on funding and how many students apply.
What is the VTAG deadline?
Get the completed VTAG application to the private college’s financial aid office by September 15 of the year the student starts. Applications received September 16 through October 1 are funded only if money remains after on-time and returning students are paid. December 1 is the deadline for spring-only awards. Many colleges set an earlier internal date, so ask the aid office for theirs.
Is the Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant need-based?
No. VTAG is not based on financial need, so family income does not matter. The student must be a Virginia domiciliary resident (or qualify under the military dependent or tuition equity provisions), enrolled full time at an eligible private nonprofit Virginia college, in a program other than religious training or theological education.
Does Virginia state aid cover housing?
Rarely. VTAG is a tuition grant, and the Two-Year College Transfer Grant is a fixed annual amount. Under SCHEV’s current rules the Commonwealth Award is limited to tuition and fees, and the new rules for the Class of 2027 are due from SCHEV by April 1, 2027. Housing money usually comes from Pell and the college’s own need-based aid. The Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program pays a stipend of up to $2,200 a year toward room, board, and books for eligible students.
Is community college free in Virginia?
For many families, in specific programs, yes. The G3 program is last-dollar aid at Virginia’s community colleges: after Pell and other grants, it pays the remaining tuition, mandatory fees, and books for students in approved programs in education, health care, information technology, public safety, manufacturing and skilled trades, and hospitality and culinary arts. The household income limit is 400% of the federal poverty level, which the 2025-26 G3 report listed as $124,800 for a family of four. Students file the FAFSA and enroll in at least six credit hours.
How much is the Virginia Two-Year College Transfer Grant?
Up to $1,000 a year, plus up to $1,000 more for eligible majors in science, technology, engineering, math, teaching, nursing, and related fields. Students who transfer to Norfolk State, Old Dominion, Radford, UVA Wise, VCU, or Virginia State can receive another $1,000 a year for up to two years. Eligibility requires an associate degree from a Virginia public two-year college with a 3.0 GPA, enrollment by the fall or spring right after the degree, and a Student Aid Index of 15,000 or less on SCHEV’s 2026-27 application.
How long do you have to live in Virginia to get in-state tuition and state aid?
One year. Virginia law requires domicile in Virginia for at least one year immediately before the term, and for a dependent student it is the parent’s domicile that counts. Families who move to Virginia during the senior year of high school usually do not qualify for in-state tuition or state grants in the first year of college. Contact the college’s domicile officer before the deposit deadline if your move is recent.
Prefer a printable version? Download the Virginia State Aid Cheat Sheet (PDF), two pages, free to copy, print, and share.
Sources & verification
Program rules, amounts, and deadlines verified October 29, 2026 against the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, the Code of Virginia, and the 2026–2028 Appropriation Act: Commonwealth Award statute · Chapter 273 (VGAP phase-out) · HB 414 (Selective Service) · VTAG program page · 2026–27 VTAG application · Budget Item 131 (VTAG, Transfer Grant, VMSDEP) · Transfer Grant statute · 2026–27 Transfer Grant application · G3 annual report, 2025–26 · Domicile statute · SCHEV in-state residency · VASA. College priority dates come from each university’s financial aid office website and are labeled with the aid year each college stated.
College scholarship details come from the CollegeReadyParent scholarship database and reflect published award structures at the time of verification. See our data methodology. Virginia is rewriting its need-based grant rules through April 2027. Always confirm current details on the official pages and with the college’s financial aid office before making financial decisions.
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I started CollegeReadyParent while working through college costs for my own kid, and quickly figured out that the number a school advertises and the number a family actually pays are two very different things. Since then I've gone school by school pulling apart award letters, scholarship pages, and cost sheets to find what families are supposed to just know. This site is the version of that research I wish someone had handed me. More about Leo →
Looking beyond Virginia? Visit the State Scholarships & Grants hub. A Virginia resident’s state grants generally stay in Virginia, so out-of-state options are priced on the college’s own aid. Our tuition reciprocity guide covers the regional exchanges.
If you are reading this and thinking “we’re late,” you’re not. Most families don’t learn any of this until senior year. The win is doing the next right step.