Virginia Tech offers a mix of merit-based, need-based, departmental, and donor-funded scholarships. Some awards are based primarily on academic achievement, but many also consider financial need and other factors such as major, class year, or special programs.

No. Virginia Tech does not publish specific GPA or test score cut-offs for scholarships. Academic performance is important, but scholarship decisions typically consider a combination of academics, the strength of the applicant pool, financial need, and available funding.

No. While some scholarships are restricted to Virginia residents, there are also scholarships available to out-of-state students. Many awards are based on a combination of merit and financial need rather than residency alone.

Some scholarships are one-year awards, while others are renewable. Renewable scholarships usually require the student to maintain specific criteria, such as a minimum GPA, full-time enrollment, and Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). Renewal terms are outlined in your financial aid portal.

Remember that Virginia Tech makes a commitment to meet a certain level of need each academic year with a combination of federal, state, and institutional grants and scholarships—including college and departmental scholarships. The name and amount of a grant or scholarship may change, but as long as students continue to otherwise meet their eligibility requirements, the sum of gift aid will remain the same for 4 years—5 for Architecture students.

Scholarship Central is Virginia Tech’s online portal for most university and donor-funded scholarships. Students complete the General Scholarship Application in Scholarship Central and may also complete specific college applications and other opportunities that require additional questions or materials.

Prospective students access Scholarship Central through the applicant portal used in the admission process. Current students sign in directly at vt.academicworks.com using their VT credentials.

No. You do not need an admission decision before completing the General Scholarship Application. Once you have applied for admission, you may log into your applicant portal and submit the application by January 22nd.

Yes. The General Scholarship Application in Scholarship Central is used to consider students for a wide range of scholarships, including awards that are merit-based, need-based, or a combination of both.

Many departmental scholarships are connected to the General Scholarship Application in Scholarship Central. Some colleges or departments may have additional applications or requirements. Students should review Scholarship Central carefully and also check their college or department website for any extra steps.

First, confirm that you are using the correct path: prospective students must log in through the applicant portal rather than through the financial aid portal or Hokie SPA. If prospective students still cannot access Scholarship Central through their applicant portal, contact the financial aid office for assistance.

In most cases, yes. Many Virginia Tech scholarships have a need-based component, so the FAFSA (or VASA for eligible Virginia students not able to fill out the FAFSA) is required to determine financial need. Even families who do not expect to qualify for need-based aid are encouraged to submit the FAFSA, because most scholarship opportunities still require it.

No. Virginia Tech does not use the CSS Profile. The university relies on the FAFSA (and VASA where applicable) along with the General Scholarship Application in Scholarship Central.

Students should complete the FAFSA for the academic year they plan to attend (for example, the 2026–2027 FAFSA for fall 2026 enrollment) as soon as it becomes available. Filing early and before Virginia Tech’s priority date helps ensure full consideration for need-based aid and scholarships.

When you complete the FAFSA, you will be asked to list the schools that should receive your information. You will select Virginia Tech by entering the university’s federal school code (003754) in that section of the FAFSA.

Students who are not U.S. citizens or eligible noncitizens (such as U.S. permanent residents) cannot complete the FAFSA. Non-FAFSA-eligible Virginia residents should fill out a VASA.

The General Scholarship Application in Scholarship Central and the FAFSA should both be completed by Virginia Tech’s priority date of January 22nd annually. Meeting this priority date ensures maximum scholarship consideration.

Yes. The priority date applies to all students—Early Action, Regular Decision, and transfer—regardless of admission plan. Students do not need to wait for an admission decision to complete the General Scholarship Application or the FAFSA.

Yes. Applying early gives students time to complete all required questions carefully and allows recommenders, if needed, time to respond. However, students who meet the published priority date are considered equally; late applications may have limited opportunities.

Not necessarily. Admission notifications and scholarship priority dates do not always align. Students are encouraged to submit the FAFSA and General Scholarship Application by the priority date even if they have not yet received an admission decision.

Transfer students are considered for many of the same scholarships as incoming first-year students through Scholarship Central. In addition, some programs (such as the Virginia Community College Transfer Grant) are specifically for eligible transfer students. Transfer students should still complete the FAFSA and General Scholarship Application by the priority date. For a full list of eligibility requirements, please visit our transfer grant webpage.

Athletic scholarships are offered and managed by the Athletics Department. If a student is being considered for an athletic scholarship, the Athletics Department will communicate next steps, including any Grant-in-Aid documents. These awards are then coordinated with other financial aid.

ROTC and Military benefit awards are coordinated with other university, state, and federal aid to ensure the total package remains within the student’s cost of attendance and complies with all regulations. Students should notify the financial aid office when they receive an ROTC or Military benefit so that their aid package can be updated correctly.

529 college savings plans are not considered a scholarship or grant. However, financial aid may need to be adjusted if the 529 covers all tuition and fees, and the student has financial aid that is specific to tuition and fees. Work with the 529 organization directly to send the Virginia Tech Bursar’s Office all the documentation of the funding coming in so adjustments can take place early if needed. Often, 529 funds are used later to help pay the student’s bill and are coordinated with other aid in accordance with federal, state, and institutional policies. For more information, visit the 529 webpage.

In many cases, yes. Outside scholarships can often be added on top of the aid Virginia Tech offers. University scholarships, however, generally do not stack on top of each other beyond the cost of attendance. If adjustments are required, loans and work-study are typically reduced before grants or scholarships.

Private or outside scholarships may result in adjustments to your overall aid if your total aid would otherwise exceed your cost of attendance or violate federal/state rules. In most cases, these scholarships first reduce loans or work-study rather than grants or institutional scholarships whenever possible.

Students should report outside scholarships through the Outside Scholarship Reporting Form. Remember, providing documentation early helps ensure that the scholarship is applied to the student’s account in a timely manner and that the aid package remains accurate.