F.A.Q. - National Scholarship Office - Virginia Commonwealth University

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F.A.Q.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are the questions most commonly posed to the NSO.

Can the NSO help fund my education at VCU?

The NSO does not have any scholarship money to give out. Additionally, the NSO is not involved in the decision making process for awarding any need-based or merit-based scholarships. For students looking for funding to attend VCU, we suggest utilizing the VCU Student Financial Management Center.

Additionally, you can apply for VCU scholarships through the RAMS Scholarship Hub and VCU Business Services Scholarships. There are a few scholarships that can go towards VCU tuition, including the SMART Scholarship and the Pat Tillman Scholarship.

Students can meet with a Financial Counselor during virtual Drop In Hours via Zoom. Appointments are not required to participate in drop-in sessions which are offered, Monday - Friday, from 9 am to 11 am and from 2 pm to 4 pm, daily. Please use this Zoom Drop-in link for virtual support.

When can I expect funding to begin from a scholarship or fellowship I have been awarded?

All scholarships that we work with have deadlines between 6-12 months before funding begins.

What don’t we do?

We do not provide funding for VCU tuition.

I have to write a personal statement for the scholarship that I’m applying for, how can the NSO help?

You can always meet with the NSO by booking an appointment with one of our staff members to discuss your personal statement.

We have a semi-annual How to Apply Workshop Series that explores how to approach writing a personal statement.

Additionally, the NSO will host one-off personal statement workshops that students can attend. Check out the Events tab to see any upcoming workshops.

My recommender asked me to write a draft of my letter of recommendations. What should I do?

Do not ever agree to write your own letter of recommendation. Not only is this a conflict of interest, but you’ll be doing yourself a disservice. You won’t be able to compare your performance with other students. VCU is a member of the National Association of Fellowships Advisors (NAFA) that has a code of ethics stating, “[students can] neither compose their own letters for faculty to sign (even at the request of faculty) nor ask faculty members to show them their own letters of recommendation.”

How can I meet with the NSO?

You can meet with the NSO by booking an appointment with one of our staff members.

I’m an international student, what awards can I apply for?

Many of the awards that the NSO works with are geared towards U.S. citizens, but there are other awards that do not have any citizenship requirements. Check out the awards listed on our International Students page.

My GPA isn’t strong, can I still apply to scholarships?

While some scholarships have GPA requirements, but many do not. There are many ways to be a strong applicant without having a strong GPA. Please reach out to the NSO to get some help crafting a strong application.

SMART Scholarship

The Science, Mathematics And Research For Transformation (SMART) Scholarship is awarded to undergraduate and graduate students pursuing degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Established by the Department of Defense (DoD), recipients participate in summer research internships at a DoD laboratory and are expected to complete a post-graduation employment service as a DoD civilian.

In addition to these benefits, participants receive:

Full tuition and education related fees
Stipend paid at a rate of $25,000-$38,000 depending on degree pursued
Health insurance allowance up to $1,200 per calendar year
Miscellaneous supplies allowance of $1,000 per academic year
Mentoring
Employment placement after graduation

Applicants must be a citizen of the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, or United Kingdom, 18 years or older, and in good standing with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

The application deadline for the SMART Scholarship is usually December 1.

Pat Tillman Scholarship

The Tillman Scholars Program provides active-duty service members, veterans, and military spouses with funds to help cover educational expenses, including tuition, fees, books, and living expenses. Since the creation of the program, there have been over 450 Tillman Scholars at more than 100 institutions nationwide. The program also offers other benefits: access to the Tillman Community and leadership opportunities within the network, invitations to annual conferences such as the Pat Tillman Leadership Summit, research opportunities in the veteran and military community, and volunteering opportunities.

Applicants must be veterans or active-duty military service members, or current or surviving spouses pursuing a degree as a full-time student. The application requires military service history, academic history, enrollment plans, and expected academic/living expenses and income for the upcoming academic year. Each award amount is determined on a case-by-case basis, but Tillman Scholars can anticipate an average scholarship of $10,000 per academic year. Scholarship funding can only be used toward a single post-secondary degree, and is only available to those attending American institutions.

This application generally opens around the first of February, with a deadline at the end of that month.