Federal Financial Aid
Students applying for federal, state, and institutional financial assistance for the 2024-2025 academic year are required to complete the 2024-2025 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The new 2024-2025 FAFSA application will come out on December 31st of 2023. It is important to submit the FAFSA in a timely manner and meet Virginia Peninsula Community College's priority dates. The priority date to submit the FAFSA for Fall is May 1, Spring November 1, and Summer April 1.
Students who are not eligible to complete a FAFSA: please see the "State Financial Aid Expanded for Ineligible Non-Citizens" section below (this includes information for students with non-immigrant status, undocumented status, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)).
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
This form provides the Federal Processing Center with household, income, and asset information used to determine the expected family contribution and Federal Pell Grant eligibility for each applicant. The FAFSA is required for federal and state financial assistance.
Parent information is required unless the student is one of the following: 24 years of age, a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces or on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces for purposes other than training, working on a master's or doctorate degree program, married, both parents are deceased, dependent of the court, has children who receive more than half of their support from the student, has legal dependents other than children or a spouse, has been an emancipated minor by a court in their state, or has been determined to be an unaccompanied youth who is homeless. It is possible for students to complete their FAFSA even in the rare instance that parents refuse to complete/submit their portion. The student will need to report (on their FAFSA and also to the Financial Aid Office) that their parents refuse to provide their information, and as a result, the student will only be eligible/considered for unsubsidized educational loans.
The Virginia Peninsula Community College Financial Aid School Code is 006871. The Financial Aid Office will receive your FAFSA data/results electronically if the school code is listed.
Complete the 2024-2025 FAFSA online at www.studentaid.gov. The student, parent(s), or spouse must create their own StudentAid.gov account. If you do not have Internet access, you may visit the Virginia Peninsula Community College Financial Aid Office, the College Library, or any other public library to complete a FAFSA application or create your account.
General Eligibility RequirementsStudents must meet all eligibility requirements described here to be considered for any Title IV federal financial aid programs and need-based assistance from Virginia Peninsula Community College:
- Approved Degree Program
Students must be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a regular student working toward a degree or certificate program with a minimum of 16 credit hours to complete the program. - High School Diploma
Students must have a high school diploma, GED, or completed/graduated from home school. - Enrollment Status
Students who register less than full-time are still eligible to receive financial aid. However, their awards will be reduced to reflect their actual enrollment. Students may receive financial aid if they are at least part-time (6 credit hours) but as little as one (1) credit. - Satisfactory Academic Progress
To remain eligible for all grant, loan, or work assistance programs, students must maintain satisfactory academic progress according to the standards and practices of Virginia Peninsula Community College. Students who fail to maintain satisfactory academic progress may not receive federal, state, or institutional aid. - Citizenship Status
Students must be U.S. citizens or registered permanent residents to be eligible for federal, state, and institutional financial assistance. - Valid Social Security Number
Students must have a valid Social Security number to receive financial aid. Students from the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau are exceptions to this rule. - Default or Owe Refund
To be eligible for financial assistance, students must not default on a Federal Perkins Loan or Stafford Student Loan, nor do they owe any refund on a federal student grant. - Drug Conviction
The new law suspends federal student aid eligibility for students convicted under federal or state law for possession of or sale of illegal drugs (not including alcohol or tobacco). If you have been convicted in the past, this does not automatically mean that you are ineligible for federal student aid. To determine your eligibility, you will need to answer questions on the FAFSA.
State Financial Aid Expanded for Previously Ineligible Non-Citizens
Beginning with the 2024-2025 aid year, students who are unable to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) can now be considered for state financial aid by submitting the Virginia Alternative State Aid (VASA) application.
The process for being considered for state financial aid requires two separate steps.
- Meet the requirements to be considered a Virginia student.
- Demonstrate financial need and meet the requirements for the specific financial aid program.
To be considered a Virginia student, the student must demonstrate to the institution that the student meets at least one of the following three provisions:
Students not meeting at least one of these requirements cannot be considered for most state financial aid programs. For example, students currently on an F-student visa, H3-trainee visa, J-exchange visitor visa, or M-vocational visa would not be eligible.
However, other individuals, including students with non-immigrant status, undocumented status, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status could be eligible for state financial aid if they have:
- Completed at least two years of high school in Virginia or the recognized equivalent,
- Finished high school in Virginia after July 1, 2008, and if they
- Filed at least two years of Virginia income tax returns (or if at least one parent/guardian filed Virginia taxes for at least two years in the case of dependent students).
It is important to note that students who are eligible to file a FAFSA should submit the FAFSA and not submit the Virginia Alternative State Aid (VASA) application. Submitting the FAFSA enables students to be considered for both federal and state aid. The VASA application does not provide access to federal student aid.
To learn more about the Virginia Alternative State Aid (VASA) application and to submit the VASA application (if you are eligible to do so), please visit Virginia Alternative State Aid Application.
Incarcerated students and sex offenders
Students incarcerated in federal and state penal institutions aren't eligible for Pell Grants, but students incarcerated in local penal institutions are eligible. Students incarcerated by jurisdictions defined as a state in the law, such as the District of Columbia, are considered to be in a state penal institution and aren't eligible for Pell Grants. A student isn't considered incarcerated if she is in a halfway house or home detention
or is sentenced to serve only on weekends. The cost of attendance for students who are incarcerated in local
penal institutions is limited to tuition and fees and the price of books and supplies specifically related to the student's course of study.
The Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) disqualifies from receiving Pell grants students who are subject to an involuntary civil commitment following incarceration for a sexual offense (as determined under the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Program).
Deadlines for Submission of Applications
If you submit your FAFSA after the priority deadlines, it will be processed in the order received, and you should have alternative means to pay your tuition and fees by the tuition deadline dates for each semester.
Renewal Information
Financial assistance is not automatically renewed each year. Recipients must apply each year. Most students are automatically sent a renewal reminder by e-mail if they provide an e-mail address or by regular mail if they do not. Students can reapply using Renewal FAFSA on the Web.