1. Domicile Requirements;
2. Military Dependents Provision; or
3. Tuition Equity Provision (Section 11, pages 9-14).

The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) has oversight of state financial aid programs and manages the Virginia Alternative State Aid (VASA) Application. SCHEV is committed to providing opportunities and support to ensure every Virginia student can pursue education beyond high school.

Regarding concerns about the confidentiality of information submitted through the VASA application, the primary purpose of the application is to collect necessary information for colleges and universities in Virginia that award state need-based financial assistance. SCHEV provides VASA application information only to the institutions selected by the student, solely for determining eligibility for state financial aid and ensuring compliance with state financial aid policies. Campuses are prohibited by law from using the information for any other purpose or sharing it with unauthorized parties.

SCHEV is firmly committed to safeguarding all personally identifiable information submitted through the VASA application portal and protecting the confidentiality of the information and the privacy of students and families, in full compliance with the law.

A student is considered a Virginia student if the institution confirms that the student is eligible for in-state tuition through one of the following:

1. Domicile Requirements;
2. Military Dependents Provision; or
3. Tuition Equity Provision (Section 11, pages 9-14).

 Visit www.schev.edu/domicileguidelines for more information.

The sole purpose of the VASA application is to calculate the applicant’s Student Aid Index (SAI) for Virginia institutions to use to determine if the student is eligible for need-based state aid. The VASA application, by itself, does not provide final verification of whether any student is eligible for state aid. To award state aid, the institution must first confirm that the student is a Virginia student (usually within the admission process) and then that the student meets all the eligibility requirements for the specific state aid program.  

To view the student’s SAI, the student should log into their VASA application account, select "Review and Update" under the appropriate “Satisfied” application. Their SAI will show above the application PDF link as well as in the application PDF above the “Certifications and Signatures” section usually on the last page. For dependent students, there will likely be two application PDFs, so they should look for their SAI on the version that includes their parent’s signature.

Each Virginia institution determines its own deadline for students to submit applications for financial aid. Students should follow the same deadline institutions set for filing the FAFSA unless otherwise noted. A list of the deadlines can be found at www.schev.edu/financialaiddeadlines. Please contact the institution for questions and updates.  

A student planning to attend school...

• during Fall 2025 and/or Spring 2026, needs to submit the 2025-26 VASA application.
• during Fall 2026 and/or Spring 2027, needs to submit the 2026-27 VASA application.
• during a summer semester, needs to contact their school to verify which application year they should submit.

Once the student has submitted their application (application status must be “Satisfied”), the results, including their calculated SAI, are sent to the Virginia institution(s) they selected.

The institution’s financial aid office, following their own timeline, will review the student’s application, determine their eligibility, and post the student’s aid, if eligible. An institution may request documents from a student to verify their application information.

The student should monitor their email and student account with the institution for updates. If the student has questions about the status of their aid, eligibility, award amount, etc., they should contact the institution’s financial aid office for assistance.

Public Virginia institutions will review the student’s VASA application results to determine their eligibility for state aid such as the Virginia Commonwealth Award, Virginia Guaranteed Assistance Program, Two-Year College Transfer Grant and possibly institutional aid.

Private, non-profit Virginia institutions will review the student’s VASA application results to determine their eligibility for the Two-Year College Transfer Grant, if applicable, and possibly institutional aid.

Please be aware that institutions are not required to accept the VASA application for institutional aid. Students should contact the institution’s financial aid office if they have questions. Visit www.schev.edu/stateaidprograms for more information on state aid programs.

Virginia’s financial aid process is decentralized, so state and institutional award amounts are determined and announced by the institution’s financial aid office through their student notification system. Students should monitor their student accounts and email on file with the institution for updates. If a student has questions about the status of their aid, eligibility, award amount, etc., they should contact the institution’s financial aid office for assistance.  

If a student has questions about the status of their application or financial aid, eligibility, award amount, etc., they should contact the institution’s financial aid office for assistance.  

Go to www.VASAapp.org and click the “File a VASA Application” button and you will be taken to a secondary page where the student will select the appropriate user type. If the student has previously completed a VASA application, they will click the "Returning User" button. If the student has never completed a VASA application, they will click the "New User" button. Please do not create multiple accounts. If a student has forgotten their password, they can click the "Reset Your Password" option on the login page.

For new users, the student must sign up for an account. The account registration process requires the student to provide an email address and create a password. The student should provide their personal email address, not a school, work or parent email address. Once the student has completed the initial registration process, they can sign into their account and begin their application by clicking on the appropriate application under “Documents.”

Important note: Parents can only create accounts through the signature request email they receive from the student.

Click "Reset Password" on the login page. An email with instructions to reset your password will be sent to the email address you used to create your account.

To make changes to your application (application status must be “Satisfied”), log into your account, select "Review and Update" under the appropriate application then select "Start, Edit, or Complete a Form." Go to the appropriate section of the application in the left column and make your updates. Once you’ve made your updates, you must go through the entire e-signature process again for both the student and parent, if applicable, to successfully complete the application.

Important note: Please review your application thoroughly. Each revision creates another application transaction which will require that the student and parent, if applicable, complete the e-signature process again.

To add schools to your application (application status must be “Satisfied”), log into your account, select "Review and Update" under the appropriate application then select “Start, Edit, or Complete a Form.” Locate the “School List” section in the left column and add the school. Once you’ve made your updates, you must go through the entire e-signature process again to successfully complete the application.

Important note: Please review your application thoroughly. Each revision creates another application transaction which will require that the student and parent, if applicable, complete the e-signature process again.

Parent signature invitations expire after 72 hours. To have the invitation sent again, have your student log into their account and click “Request Parent Signature” under the appropriate application.