Virginia College Grants

If you are going to attend school in Virginia, it may be wise to look into government grants and other state-specific funding that can help you pay for some of your college education. Grants are made available to offer equal opportunity, as well as to reward some individuals for special achievements or circumstances. The state of Virginia seeks to assist students in many ways by awarding grants to individuals based on specific qualifications.

In terms of grants, the VTAG, or Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant, is a provision of annual assistance for full-time Virginia residents who attend a private college or university in state. The emphasis is on the student being a bona fide resident and not living in state for the purpose of going to college. It is not need-based and can be awarded in amounts of up to $11,000 over the course of 4 years.

The Virginia Commonwealth Award Program, on the other hand, is based on need and offers grants to undergraduate and graduate students in Virginia with financial hardship. Amount of money received is proportionate to the needs of the student recipients, who must be a state resident attending a public two- or four-year college or university at least half time and working toward a degree or certificate to qualify.

The Granville P. Meade Scholarship is awarded to a high school senior in Virginia annually based on a combination of need and merit. The student must demonstrate academic achievement, interest and participation in extracurricular activities, good character (based on letters of recommendation), and financial need.

List of Virginia College Grants

• Bernice Pickins Parsons Fund — $500 awarded each year to 10 undergraduate students who are residents of West Virginia.


• Virginia Commonwealth Award — varied amount awarded each year to varied number of undergraduate students attending Virginia college.


• Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant Program (Private Institutions) — $1900 to $2500 awarded to 18600 undergraduate and graduate students attending Virginia college.


• West Virginia Space Grant Consortium Undergraduate Scholarship Program — $1000 to $2000 awarded each year to varied number of undergraduate students attending West Virginia college and majoring in aerospace science.

Paying for school is not easy, but we are here to help. OEDb's student finance section will help you find the money you need to pay your tuition and other college expenses. We cover scholarships, college grants, and student loans. Scholarships and grants are both forms of "free money", meaning they don't need to be paid back. Scholarships are typically awarded by businesses or individuals, with the money being earmarked specifically for tuition. They can be awarded based on a student's location or by religious affiliation, such as Catholicism or Islam. Grants are typically awarded by governments or non-profit organizations and the money often can be applied to several different expenses a student may incur, not solely tuition. They can be awarded based on location or ethnicity, for instance African American or Hispanic. Loans are not considered "free money", because unlike scholarships and grants, they do need to be paid back after graduation. Common federal loans include Perkins and Stafford. Loans are also available by location.