Virginia Alternative State Aid (VASA)

• Have attended high school (public or private high school, or program of home instruction) for at least two years in the Commonwealth
• Graduated on or after July 1, 2008 (or passed on or after July 1, 2008, a high school equivalency examination approved by the Secretary of Education).
• Submit evidence that you, or, in the case of a dependent student, at least one parent, guardian, or person standing in loco parentis has filed, unless exempted by state law, Virginia income tax returns for at least two years prior to the date of registration or enrollment.
• Register as an entering student or enrolled in a public institution of higher education in the Commonwealth.

All students who meet the criteria are eligible for in-state tuition regardless of citizenship or immigration status (with the exception of F, H3, J, or M visas). This provision also applies to U.S. Citizens.

The VASA application is used to collect highly personal information needed to evaluate eligibility for need-based financial aid. This is your personal information, so it needs to be password protected so that only you, and your institution, have access.

At the initial sign-in, you will be requested to sign up for an account by clicking on “Sign Up.”

Make sure you and your parents have separate email accounts and then protect your password. You will need that password if you have to come back and finish an application later and for future years as a renewal application will be required each year.

Once you have set up an account, you will be required to reenter the application through an email that the system will send to you. This is to verify your email address and should only take a few moments. Simply click on the web link in the email and you are in!

After logging in the first time, you will be able to enter the application using only your email address and password.

If you forget your password, let SCHEV (tuitionequity@schev.edu) know and they will send you information through the email address you provided when setting up the account.

Gather the following information for yourself (and your parents or spouse, if applicable):

1. Student and Parent/Spouse email address (must be different)
2. Date of birth, phone number, address and other demographic information
3. Tax return and other income information from two years prior (if applying for the 2022-23 award year, have information from the 2020 tax year)
4. Bank statements, records of untaxed income, and/or records of investments

Create a student account and password for the application portal at www.vasaapp.org *Note: It may take up to 15 minutes to receive the verification link to your email after you create your profile Complete the application in full (including the electronic signature) If parent information is required, you will be given the option to enter your parents’ email, so they are able to create an account and complete their portion of the application including the electronic signature.

To aid in the application process of the Virginia Alternative State Application, the First-Gen+ Center has compiled some frequently asked questions and answers.  Please see the questions below and do not hesitate to contact us at firstgen@gmu.edu for more information.   Students are also highly encouraged to contact the Office of Financial Aid or the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) at tuitionequity@schev.edu for questions they may not see below.  

• When do I apply for state aid?
  • The application for state aid is expected to open in December 2021/January 2022.  

• What year will the aid apply to?
  • The aid awarded from this year’s application will be applied to the 2022-2023 school year (starting Fall 2022 semester)   

• What is proof of high school graduation?
  • A high school transcript or diploma will serve as proof of graduation. 

• Where can I find support when filling out the application?
  • The Financial Aid Office, Student Support and Advocacy Center, and the First-Gen Center can help students with their application process.  

• Will there be an email reminder when we should begin our applications?
  • Yes, students will receive an email from the First-Gen+ Center when the form is released. 

• I am a dependent student under my parents. Can I put in their tax information and still proceed with the application?
  • Yes, if you are marked as a dependent on your parents’ tax documents then you will be able to complete the application. 

• If I am an independent student, will I need to put in my parents’ tax information? 
  • No, you should not need to put in parent tax information if you file independently. 

• I am undocumented, am I a resident of Virginia?  
  • Yes, if you have filed taxes in VA then you are considered a resident of VA.  

• If I am undocumented, do I need to select “yes” for Selective Service?  
  • Yes, almost all male US citizens and male immigrants, who are 18 through 25, are required to register with Selective Service. While the federal government has removed this requirement for eligibility for federal student aid, the Commonwealth of Virginia still requires that state aid recipients meet the federal Selective Service requirements. 

• Do I need to file both the VASA Application and the FAFSA? 
  • If you are a United States citizen or an eligible noncitizen (see below), you should file a federal FAFSA to apply for federal and Virginia financial aid each academic year. If you complete both the federal FAFSA and the state application, the institutions will use the results from the federal FAFSA and disregard the state application. 

• When is the deadline to file a VASA Application? 
  • Each Virginia institution determines its own deadline for a student to submit an application for financial aid. Students should follow the same deadline that’s provided for filing the FAFSA.  A list of the deadlines can be found at: https://www.schev.edu/financialaiddeadlines 

• How do I create an account for the VASA Application? 
  • The VASA application is used to collect highly personal information needed to evaluate eligibility for need-based financial aid. This is your personal information, so it needs to be password protected so that only you, and your institution, have access. 
  • At the initial sign-in, you will be requested to sign up for an account by clicking on “Sign Up.” 
  • Make sure you and your parents have separate email accounts and then protect your password. You will need that password if you have to come back and finish an application later and for future years as a renewal application will be required each year. 
  • Once you have set up an account, you will be required to reenter the application through an email that the system will send to you. This is to verify your email address and should only take a few moments. Simply click on the web link in the email and you are in! 
  • After logging in the first time, you will be able to enter the application using only your email address and password. 
  • If you forget your password, let us know and we will send you information through the email address you provided when setting up the account. 

• What do I need in order to file the VASA Application? 
  • Gather the following information for yourself (and your parents or spouse, if applicable): 
  • Student and Parent/Spouse email address (must be different) 
  • Date of birth, phone number, address and other demographic information 
  • Tax return and other income information from two years prior (if applying for the 2022-23 award year, have information from the 2020 tax year) 
  • Bank statements, records of untaxed income, and/or records of investments 

• How is my VASA Application information used once I submit it? 
  • Once you have completed your application, your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) will be calculated and sent to the Virginia institution(s) you select. Your EFC is an important part of determining your eligibility for need-based financial aid as it assesses your family’s ability to pay as compared to other families based on information provided on the VASA application. This is not necessarily what the family is required to pay but it is a factor in determining financial need and need-based assistance. . 

• When will I know about financial aid awards? 
  • Virginia is decentralized, so most state and institutional awards will be determined and announced by the institution through its financial aid notification document. Historically, this document has been mailed or emailed to students but more institutions are now using student portals set up for each specific student.  

• What if I need to correct information on my VASA Application? 
  • If information needs to be corrected, contact your institution’s financial aid office. They can decide if a correction is necessary and, if so, make those updates on your behalf. 

• How do I answer the question about being convicted of a drug offense while receiving student financial aid? 
  • This question is on both the FAFSA and the VASA applications because conviction of a drug offence while receiving student financial aid would disqualify a student from receiving any further federal assistance. As of the 2021-22 award year, the federal government has eliminated this requirement and will remove the question from future FAFSA applications beginning in 2023-24. The Commonwealth of Virginia has never included this restriction and the question will also be removed from the VASA application in future years. Students should respond honestly but with confidence that the answer, whether “yes” or “no,” will not affect their eligibility for state aid. If the student has never received federal student aid, the answer would be “no,” regardless of whether there ever was a conviction of any kind. 

• Do I need to answer the question about meeting the Selective Service requirements? 
  • Yes. While the federal government has removed this requirement for eligibility for federal student aid, the Commonwealth of Virginia still requires that state aid recipients meet the federal Selective Service requirements. You can learn more about who is required to register at https://www.sss.gov/register/who-needs-to-register/ 

• This page has information and resources about Virginia’s Tuition Equity Provision.
  • Virginia Tuition Equity Provision webpage https://www.schev.edu/tuitionequity

• This page provides information and resources to help Virginia students and families pay for college.
  • Paying for College in Virginia https://www.schev.edu/pay

• Virginia college and university is responsible for setting their own financial aid application deadlines. You can find those deadlines here.
  • Virginia College’s Financial Aid Filing Deadlines https://www.schev.edu/financialaiddeadlines

• This page includes a listing of all Virginia state financial aid programs on the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia’s website.
  • Virginia State Financial Aid Information https://www.schev.edu/stateaidprograms

• This is the main student financial aid information site for the U.S. Department of Education and includes information about applying for and receiving federal student aid and about loan repayment. This site also includes a link to the FAFSA application.
  • Federal Student Aid information https://www.studentaid.gov/

• This website provides higher education resources for Latino/x students, including undocumented.
  • Virginia Latino Higher Education Network https://www.valhen.org/resources