Report Outside Scholarships and Other Assistance
Students must report any scholarships, grants, loans or other third-party program sending funds to Virginia Tech or directly to the student from outside sources including high school, community, civic, employers, and professional associations. Scholarships received from Virginia Tech colleges, departments, and alumni chapters should not be reported, as these scholarships will be reported directly to the Office of University Scholarships and Financial Aid.
Federal and state regulations require students to report any scholarship, grant, special teacher rate, or other assistance received from sources OTHER THAN Virginia Tech. Failure to do so may result in cancellation of aid administered by Virginia Tech. Federal and state regulations also state that a student cannot receive scholarships and other need-based financial aid in excess of their financial need. The combined amount of a student’s aid cannot exceed cost of attendance if the student also receives any institutional, federal, or state aid. Third-party assistance, including employer reimbursement not sent to Virginia Tech, should be reported on the form below.
When reporting an award, please use the official name of the scholarship and the awarding organization. A separate submission should be completed for each scholarship and/or for every academic year received. If the award amounts are for the full year, all semesters and terms should be reported as soon as you are notified of a scholarship or award.
Pending credits WILL NOT be entered on the student account unless a copy of official documentation from the awarding organization (containing the student name, ID, amount, semesters, and sponsor billing address with contact information) is attached to the reporting form. Please do not include sensitive information such as bank account numbers or SSNs.
The student should log into their Virginia Tech account and use the link below to report:
Reporting Form for Scholarships and Other Assistance:
What happens to scholarship checks from donors
If your scholarship sponsor sends your scholarship check directly to the University, it will be applied to your student account, one-half in the Fall semester, one-half in the Spring semester, unless the sponsor specifies otherwise. Scholarship checks received are usually processed within the same business day and can be viewed in your online account summary. If the payment creates a credit balance on your student account, the credit will be released to you after the last day to add courses by direct deposit.
What to do if you receive a scholarship check or other assistance
If your scholarship sponsor sends your scholarship check directly to you, you should follow these instructions to make sure it is applied to your University student account:
- If the check is made out to the University: Deliver to the Bursar's office at the address below.
- If the check is made co-payable to you and the University: Endorse the check and deliver to the Bursar's office at the address below.
- If the check is made payable to you only: It is your responsibility to report this resource to us and to apply any funds necessary to your student account.
Scholarship Providers: Where to submit checks
Please send private scholarship checks (include your Federal Tax ID number and Student Identification Number on your check or accompanying correspondence) to:
Office of the University Bursar (MC0143)
Student Services Building, Suite 150, Virginia Tech
800 Washington Street SW
Blacksburg, VA 24061
What if my sponsor requires an invoice before sending payment to the University
If your sponsor requires an invoice before sending payment to the University, we ask that you provide us with a letter of authorization from your sponsor detailing the award and their billing instructions. Once approval is received, we will post a temporary pending credit on your student account while awaiting payment from the sponsor. Please be advised that Virginia Tech will only invoice for terms within the current academic year plus the previous summer term.
Frequently Asked Questions
You should allow 7-10 days for processing after you submit your form/award letter due to the high volume of scholarship awards being sent to the Office of the University Bursar, especially during peak times such as the summer months before the start of fall semester and during December and January before the start of spring semester.
Students will not receive a pending credit for one of the following funds until notification is sent directly to the Office of University Scholarships and Financial Aid from the agency awarding the funds: National Merit Corporate Sponsor Awards, PA Higher Education Assistance Agency, Vermont Student Assistance Agency, Southwest VA Burley Tobacco Scholarships, Southside Tobacco Forgiveness Loan Program, Maryland Senatorial and Delegate Scholarship Awards, Rhode Island Higher Education Assistance Authority Awards, Gear-Up Awards, Delaware Higher Education Commission Awards, Vermont Student Assistance Corp. Awards, DC Tuition Grant and Leap awards
All sources of financial aid must stay within a student's cost of attendance and a student's need eligibility as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). So when a student receives an outside scholarship, there are times that other financial aid will have to be reduced. Virginia Tech will reduce student loans and work study if at all possible before reducing other scholarships and grants. Please visit www.finaid.vt.edu for more information on a student's cost of attendance.
Yes. The award letter and reporting form must be received before the payment deadline in order for a pending credit to be applied and possibly prevent a late fee if there is a balance due.
Yes, you should report all scholarships awarded to you by filling out the reporting form. If the check is payable to both you and Virginia Tech you will need to send or bring it to the Office of the University Bursar for endorsement.
If your scholarship has been awarded through a college, department, or office at Virginia Tech, you do not need to turn in the Scholarship Reporting Form. The financial aid office and the Bursar's Office will be notified directly about these awards.
If your scholarship is awarded by Virginia Tech you should contact the University Scholarships and Financial Aid Office (finaid@vt.edu) and if your scholarship is coming from an organization outside of Virginia Tech you should contact the Office of the University Bursar (bursar@vt.edu).
No. You should pay the amount you owe before the payment deadline (deduct all pending credit showing on your student account and pay the remaining balance due). Make sure you have turned in all scholarship letters so that the pending credits plus your own payment cover the entire balance due.
You will receive a refund if your account balance is paid and there are no pending credits at the time the scholarship payment is received. Anytime your balance is paid and a new scholarship is received, it creates an overpayment and a refund should process.
In order for a student to get a refund, the scholarship money has to already be paid and a refund will be processed if there is no other balance due on the student account (unless the sponsor requires that the overpayment amount be returned directly to them). Unpaid scholarships which are still in pending status cannot be refunded.
Yes, you should report any scholarships you received. If the check for books is made payable to you or the Bookstore you can take it directly to the Bookstore when you purchase your books. If the Office of the University Bursar receives a scholarship check with the notation that it is designated for books only, the funds will be sent to the Bookstore. Scholarship checks received stating that it is to cover tuition, fees, room, board and books will be deposited to the student account and any remaining funds will be refunded to the student to purchase books, supplies, etc.
All checks (scholarship checks and personal checks) should be made payable to Treasurer of Virginia Tech (not co-payable to both and the student).
You should contact the Office of the University Bursar to let them know. The scholarship check may have had the organization name, while the scholarship letter sent to the Office of the University Bursar may have shown the name of the scholarship and that may have caused them both to be showing on your account. Once we determine that it is the same scholarship we will cancel the pending credit.
If you are not enrolled, the scholarship money will be returned to the awarding organization. For example, If you don't enroll in the fall semester but plan to be enrolled spring semester, have your sponsor send us a letter stating that the funds can be used for the spring semester.
Yes. Please report it and indicate that the scholarship is eligible for renewal on the reporting form. That way, we can make sure your pending credit is entered before and your sponsor is billed each semester/year.
Scholarships which will not be paid until after the semester has ended are considered "reimbursement" and no pending credit will be entered on the student account. When the sponsor sends payment it will be applied to your student account and refunded to you if your account is paid in full.
New students participating in the Virginia 529prePAID (VA529) should submit a “Web Withdrawal Form” to the Virginia College Savings Plan (VCSP) Office in Richmond. Returning students should already be on the roster of participants the Office of the University Bursar receives in early July for the fall semester. For students using Virginia Education Savings Trust (inVEST) funds, the original Distribution Request form should be sent to the Virginia College Savings Plan Office and a copy of the form should be sent (faxed) to the Office of the University Bursar in order for the pending credit to be applied until payment is received.
Please submit this form as soon as you are notified of a scholarship or award. For credit to appear on the fall semester bill (July 15), the Office of the University Bursar must receive the reporting form along with a copy of the official award notification at least 10 days prior to the bill date. Award notifications and payments received after that time will be processed in the order they are received and will be available for viewing on the Hokie Spa. To allow for processing time, all award notifications must be received at least one week prior to the payment deadline to avoid holds and late fees.