Frequently asked questions
Have questions about applying, admissions or next steps to take once you're accepted? Browse our FAQs to find answers or contact us.
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Select from the options below to find answers to your questions.
Applicants
General questions
Yes, students may be able to waive their application fee.
Fee waivers that may be accepted:
- NACAC Fee Waiver
- Free Lunch Waiver
- CollegeBoard Fee Waiver
For other fee waivers not listed, contact myreply@vcu.edu.
Most fee waivers can be obtained from a current school counselor, advisor or through the College Board. For more information, please reach out to the fee processing team at myreply@vcu.edu.
If you are an applicant or parent/family member who has concerns about the common application, please direct them to the Common Application's customer service. Find Common App help resources here.
Students should submit their Social Security number as soon as possible to ensure timely processing. If you submitted your Social Security number after the deadline, it is up to the Social Security number committee to determine financial aid eligibility.
Contact Erin Heath at heathee@vcu.edu or (804) 827-0151 with your concerns or questions.
If there is no longer an X on your checklist next to Tax-ID number, we have received your Social Security number.
Contact Erin Heath at heathee@vcu.edu or (804) 827-0151 with your concerns or questions.
First-year and transfer applicants can check the status of their applications via the applicant portal. If you are still interested in learning more about your application status, please contact your processor or an available counselor.
Please check to see if we have received your transcript by logging into the VCU applicant portal.
Rolling admission means institutions review applications as they are submitted and provide admission decisions throughout the admission cycle.
For prospective first-year students, we strongly advise you to get your application in by May 1. Transfer and readmission applicants are advised to get your application in by March 17. With VCU rolling admissions, first-year and transfer students can still apply after these dates.
Please contact the Office of the University Registrar with questions about VCU transcripts.
You can defer your application by submitting a reactivation application to the request deferred term along with speaking with your application processor.
To access VCU's eServices, follow these steps:
- Go to myeID to get your VCU eID
- Once received, go to my.vcu.edu
- Login to myVCU with your eID
- Select eServices from the provided options
Please contact the Office of Admissions via email at ugrad@vcu.edu or by phone at (804) 828-1222.
Technical issues
If you are an applicant or parent/family member who is experiencing issues with the Common Application, please direct them to the Common Application's customer service. Find Common App help resources here.
If you are applying as an undergraduate and not using the Common App, please email slatesupport@vcu.edu.
Connect with your application processor to make updates.
First-year applicants
Yes, the Jan. 15 regular decision deadline for fall is a preferred deadline and not a hard deadline. Note: those who apply after Jan. 15 are no longer guaranteed an answer by April 1.
First-year applicants who submit all materials by the Jan. 15 fall regular decision deadline will receive a decision by April 1, otherwise, decisions are sent on a rolling basis until enrollment capacity is met.
Learn about transferring credits earned in high school on the VCU Transfer Center website.
Transfer applicants
Transfer applicants who submit all materials by the March 17 deadline for the upcoming fall semester will receive a decision by May 1, otherwise, decisions are sent on a rolling basis until enrollment capacity is met.
Graduate applicants
Please contact VCU's Graduate School admissions staff at vcu-grad@vcu.edu or (804) 828-6916.
International applicants
Please connect with our international admissions staff at vcuia@vcu.edu or (804) 828-6016. You can also find your application processor in our admissions contact details.
Military applicants
Please visit the Military Student Services website or contact their team at militaryserv@vcu.edu or (804) 828-6563.
DACA applicants
If you are a DACA student, please contact the Office of Admissions at ugrad@vcu.edu.
Previous applicants
Students who have enrolled in classes at VCU and are returning after three consecutive semesters away should follow the steps below to apply:
- Go to the VCU application management portal
- Select Create a New Profile and complete the login
- Select Term
- Select Application Type as Readmissions
- Complete the application
Students who have enrolled in classes at VCU and are returning before three consecutive semesters away do not have to fill out an application and can go straight to register for classes. To learn more about the semester guidelines, visit VCU's readmission guidelines.
Students who applied to VCU but were not accepted can submit a Reactivation of Application, found in the application manager portal. Note, this is not the same as the Readmission Application.
Cost and aid
Financial aid typically begins emailing packages in March. If a student has received a VCU scholarship, that information will be included in their financial aid award package as well.
Financial aid information also may be accessible via the eServices website.
Yes, a Social Security number must be on file to receive financial aid. If there is a discrepancy in the Social Security number, please reach out to Erin Heath in the Office of Admissions at heathee@vcu.edu.
Prospective, accepted and current students can contact scholarship coordinator Kittinun Wongsirikul at wongsirikulk@vcu.edu or (804) 828-6528 with questions about VCU scholarships.
If you have questions about outside or third-party scholarships, please contact VCU's Student Financial Management Center staff at sfmc@vcu.edu.
To determine if you qualify for in-state tuition, please visit the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia's eligibility for in-state tuition page. You may also connect with your application processor for assistance.
Accepted students
Visit your accepted student portal to complete your VCU response form. After you have completed the form, you may pay your tuition deposit to let us know you'll be joining us at VCU. Both your response form and tuition deposit must be received in order for your account to reflect that you have accepted the offer of admission.
You can pay the tuition deposit online or in person via check or money order. Cash and credits card are not accepted in person.
Accepted students must pay their tuition deposit before they can sign up for Orientation or register for classes. You will need your eID and password, as well as your V-number, to pay your tuition deposit. Find out how to obtain these by selecting the appropriate accepted student checklist.
To pay your tuition deposit online, please follow these steps:
- Log in to eServices using your eID.
- Click the Applicant tab in the main menu.
- Scroll to the bottom of the page and select to pay the admissions tuition deposit.
- Scroll to bottom of the next screen to confirm that you want to pay the admissions tuition deposit.
- A new tab will open and bring you to the payment screen (showing a $0.00 balance). Click Deposits at top of the purple banner.
- Follow prompts and enter desired deposit amount. All students accepted into VCU undergraduate programs, with the exception of those accepted into programs in the School of the Arts, must submit a $100 tuition deposit. The tuition deposit for the School of the Arts is $300. (Note that the system will allow a maximum payment of $5,000.00.)
- Enter payment information.
- Submit your deposit to reserve your spot at VCU.
- Please allow one to two business days for processing to occur once your deposit has been submitted.
The last day to accept your offer of admission is as follows:
- May 1 for students accepted before or on April 1
- Within two weeks of your acceptance for students accepted after April 1
Please connect with your application processor for assistance.
Tuition deposits are mainly waived using a Student Aid Report or a VCU Scholarship Letter.
For alternative tuition deposit waivers, reach out to our fee processing team at myreply@vcu.edu.
Scholarship Letter (for VCU scholarship recipients only)
To request a tuition deposit waiver, the accepted student needs to fill out a response form and attach a copy of the VCU Scholarship Letter. This can be done electronically and sent via email to ugrad@vcu.edu, by fax to (804) 828-1899, brought in person to the Office od Admissions, or mailed to 821 West Franklin St., Richmond, VA 23284.
Student Aid Report
Student Aid Reports are located on the student’s FAFSA online account and can be printed out. Student Aid Reports are not the same as the actual financial aid package.
To request a tuition deposit waiver, the accepted student needs to fill out a response form and attach a copy of the Student Aid Report. This can be done electronically and sent via email to ugrad@vcu.edu, by fax to (804) 828-1899, brought in person to the Office of Admissions, or mailed to 821 West Franklin St., Richmond, VA 23284.
Student life
No, however our tour guides do talk about them in detail. If you are still interested in seeing the inside of a residential hall, you may visit the Housing website for virtual tours or come to campus during Open House when residential halls are open for visits.
Learn about the events here:
- Open House: Open to all interested individuals and provides detailed insight on the campus, residential life and housing, majors and studies available to students, and other campus resources. Prospective students and family members are provided a free meal voucher to more than one location on campus and are able to tour residential halls.
- Preview Days: Open to accepted students only (this does not mean that they have to accept their offer). It also provides insight on the campus, residential life and housing, majors and studies available to students, and other campus resources. Prospective students are provided a free meal voucher to more than one location on campus and are able to tour residential halls.
- Information sessions: Very general and do not go into detail about residential life and housing, majors and studies available to students, or other campus resources. Prospective students and family members are provided a free meal voucher to Shafer (granted that it is open), a free parking voucher, and are unable to tour residential halls.
Housing applications open up at various times depending on student type:
- Accepted student: Opens first week of April
- Transfer students: Opens first week of April
- Current students: Opens early spring, but students are able to apply again later on
It doesn’t necessarily close, and instead applications usually stop coming in. Please contact VCU's Residential Life and Housing at vcuhousing@vcu.edu or (804) 828-7666 with your housing questions.
First-year students are not allowed vehicles on campus. An exception to this are students who do not live on campus and are being considered as a commuter.
The VCU Police Department has 95 sworn officers; officers patrol both campuses 24/7. Private security guards are stationed in most academic buildings and in residence halls. VCU is a weapon-free campus, however, community members can carry pepper spray. In the latest safety survey, 92% of students, faculty and staff surveyed reported feeling "safe" or "very safe" at VCU. The university uses the VCU Alert system, which is a multichannel system for emergency communications. Community members can reach VCU Police at any time by calling (804) 828-1234 or by using the LiveSafe app. VCU Police have a list of Top 10 safety FAQ's, an orientation video for parents and families and publish VCU's Annual Security and Fire Safety Report online.
Roommate selection varies year to year. Specific questions can be directed to VCU's Residential Life and Housing Department at vcuhousing@vcu.edu or (804) 828-7666.
VCU houses the Interfraternity Council, College Panhellenic Council, National Pan-hellenic Council, Multicultural Greek Council and the Order of Omega. For more information about specific fraternities and sororities, prospective students and families are encouraged to learn more on the Student Affairs website.
Learn about meal plans and other dining-related options on the Dining Services website. You can also contact Dining Services with your questions.
Students and others in the VCU community typically get around campus by:
- Walking
- Biking
- Taking the bus
- Using RamSafe
- Using scooters
Important dates
Don't miss an important deadline for applicants and accepted students.
Review deadlines