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Receiving Aid
Receiving financial aid at Virginia Military Institute is a structured process crafted to support success from offer to disbursement.
The following steps provide clear direction to accept financial aid and ensure funding is applied accurately to your account. With discipline and attention to detail, you'll remain mission-ready: monitor your status, respond to notifications, complete federal loan actions, and manage your aid once it posts.
REMINDER: Notify our office of any additional aid received from outside sources. Receipt of outside awards may impact VMI's award of financial aid because the combination of all financial aid and scholarships cannot exceed the student's demonstrated need. If such assistance is received, VMI will revise the financial aid award.
1. Track Your Financial Aid Status and Accept Aid
Check your application status in Post View and accept or reject student loans.
- Log in with your VMI credentials and open the Financial Aid section.
- Review your checklist for outstanding requirements, award status, and confirmation that your FAFSA is matched to VMI.
- Ensure institutional forms, tax documents (if requested), and verification materials are marked as received.
Understand financial aid notifications.
- Award Notice: When your package is ready, you will see your award in Post View and may receive an email. It details grants, scholarships, and loan eligibility so you can accept financial aid with confidence.
- Changes or Revisions: Updates may occur based on new information, verification results, or enrollment changes. Read every message carefully to understand the impact on your balance and next steps.
- Action Required Flags: If prompted to accept or decline loans, act promptly to keep financial aid on schedule.
Respond to requests for additional information.
- Verification: If selected, upload income documents, W‑2s, or a verification worksheet through Post View by the stated deadline to avoid holds.
- Clarifications: If the Financial Aid Office requests clarification on household size, dependency, or enrollment, respond swiftly to prevent delays.
- Get support: Use the contact details in your portal notifications to ask questions and confirm exactly what to provide and how to submit it.
2. Complete Loan Requirements Before Disbursement
Cadets borrowing federal student loans must complete several actions before funds can disburse. These steps are handled at the Federal Student Aid website and reflected in Post View. Completing them early—ideally well before matriculation—keeps your aid on track.
1. Complete Entrance Counseling: Finish mandatory Entrance Counseling to understand borrower responsibilities, interest, and smart strategies for responsible borrowing.
2. Sign the Loan Agreement (Master Promissory Note): Sign the Master Promissory Note (MPN), agreeing to the terms and conditions for your federal Direct Loans. Make sure to confirm the status as “accepted/verified” in Post View.
3. Complete the Annual Student Loan Acknowledgement: Review and acknowledge your estimated total student loan debt and projected payments if prompted. This honest appraisal helps you accept financial aid responsibly each year.
Parent PLUS Loans: Parents applying for PLUS Loans must submit a separate application. Ensure PLUS actions are complete well before the FAFSA deadline for seamless coordination.
3. Receive and Manage Your Aid.
When you accept financial aid and meet all requirements, VMI will apply funds to your account according to the academic term. Grants, scholarships, and loans post to tuition and mandatory fees first. Monitor your Post View account to verify posting dates, view balances, and track refunds. This disciplined approach ensures receiving financial aid is efficient and accurate.
When and how disbursement happens.
- Disbursement timing: Aid generally disburses shortly after the start of each term once eligibility and enrollment are confirmed.
- Direct application: Awards automatically apply to tuition and fees. For loans, confirm Entrance Counseling, the MPN, and Annual Student Loan Acknowledgement are complete in advance.
- Refunds: If aid exceeds institutional charges, set up direct deposit (if available) and follow refund dates in Post View for faster access to funds.
Use aid for tuition and other educational expenses.
- Priority charges: Tuition, mandatory fees, and room and board are covered first.
- Educational costs: Remaining funds may be used for books, materials, technology, transport related to study, and other education-related needs.
- Smart budgeting: Build a term-by-term budget to steward refunds and minimize borrowing. Accept financial aid only up to what you need.
4. Maintain Ongoing Eligibility.
Students must complete both the VMI Statement of Educational Purpose form and the free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA, #003753, for each year of enrollment. Maintain eligibility by meeting academic and administrative standards with integrity.
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
- Meet GPA, completion rate, and maximum timeframe standards as defined by VMI policy.
- Review your SAP status in Post View each term and engage academic support promptly if needed.
FAFSA renewal
- File the FAFSA every year by the priority deadline to maximize eligibility and keep processing smooth.
- Submit your FAFSA at studentaid.gov and confirm receipt in Post View.
Updates and reporting
- Notify the Financial Aid Office of changes to residency or outside scholarships. VMI may revise your package to ensure compliance.
- Keep copies of submitted documents, studentaid.gov confirmations, and Post View receipts for your records.
Financial Aid in Action
“It made my world.”
That’s how Cadet Aiden Psczulkoski ’27 describes receiving VMI’s Call to Duty scholarship, which made his top-choice school possible by covering room and board and lifting the financial burden left after his U.S. Air Force ROTC scholarship covered tuition.
VMI Aid Snapshot
In the 2023-24 Academic Year:
- XX % of cadets received some form of aid (need and non-need based).
- $7,071,059 of need-based aid was awarded via federal, state, institutional, and external scholarships, gits, and grants.
- 48% of that total – over $3 million – came from Institute endowed scholarships, annual gifts, and tuition funded grants (excluding athletic aid and tuition waivers).
- $28,613,533 was awarded in non-need-based federal, state, institutional, and external scholarships, gits, and grants.
- The average financial aid package for a cadet at VMI was $27,274.