TUITION SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

INTRODUCTION

Vision and Mission

VIU affords individuals with unlimited potential the unique opportunity to acquire an excellent, multi-disciplinary education combined with the experience of living in a different culture. An important aspect of the VIU experience is the formal and informal exchange of information among scholars. VIU provides an environment for international students to enlighten fellow international and American students about their traditions and ethics, and to gain valuable insight into the multicultural aspects of America society in return.  Ideally, this will enhance the outstanding education we offer our extremely diverse undergraduate and graduate population.

By offering this scholarship, our aim is to attract the rare individual who will take these unparalleled experiences back to his or her home country, share the knowledge acquired with future generations, and launch successful careers as world leaders.

Scholarship Selection Procedures
Virginia International University occupies a special niche among institutions of higher education. The majority of our undergraduate and graduate population is comprised of international students from over 50 countries.  As such, our scholars have extraordinary challenges to confront with respect to funding their education.  Unable to obtain grants and loans in the traditional market of private and public financial support, they must rely on sponsors and personal resources.  The economic stability of the sponsor is especially significant in the assessment of financial need since international students are prohibited from being employed in the United States.

The VIU Scholarship Program was designed to attract exceptional students worldwide and provide them with a unique opportunity to study in the United States.  The awards are based on exemplary academic accomplishment, dedication to furthering international accord, and proven leadership skills.  VIU Scholarship recipients are also selected upon an objective, in-depth analysis of the applicant’s financial challenges, our commitment to economic and cultural diversity, and the applicant’s stated professional/career aspirations.

As would be expected, it is not unusual for students at VIU to require financial assistance at some point in the course of completing their education once their personal financial resources are depleted. It has always been our pleasure to award as many scholarships as feasible to those deemed eligible to promote their pursuit of higher education. The administrators and professionals at VIU believe that "Education should not be compromised due to financial inability."  In response to this critical need, we have developed a tuition scholarship program that is catered to the unique circumstances of the international student.

Each applicant’s file is reviewed and evaluated by the he Scholarship Committee. The Committee members are Dr. Sarac, President of the university; Dr. Khan, Provost; and Mr.  Burk, Dean of Students. Once an applicant is granted a scholarship he or she is issued a scholarship letter, with details that include the terms of the award, the conditions required to maintain the scholarship, and the annual renewal process. The committee also meets annually to review our  practices and procedures to provide a better scholarship program.

Scholarship Funding Sources
The VIU Tuition Scholarship program funding is derived from a number of sources. The Scholarship Program is supported by generous contributions from individuals, organizations, corporations and foundations.  Fundraising events are scheduled throughout the year.

The Board of Directors approves the allocation of resources for the scholarship program from the annual operating budget during its annual meeting prior to the start of the academic year.  These funds are awarded in the order in which the completed application and supporting documents are received during the periodic meetings of the Tuition Scholarship Committee.

The funds provided are allocated based on a formula that incorporates an analysis of which departments have the greatest number of students with potential financial hardship, as well as a specific financial assessment of the circumstances of the individual student applicant.  Scholarships range from $500 to $8,298 (full-scholarship).  Due to the limited amount of funding available, full scholarships are a rarity. 

Eligibility
All incoming freshmen, and continuing undergraduate or graduate students (including international students planning to attend Virginia International University full-time in a degree program) are eligible to receive an award, if the scholarship requirements as stated below are met.

Please be aware that eligibility and fulfillment of scholarship criteria do not guarantee the award of a scholarship. Scholarship selection is made by the Scholarship Committee based on a variety of other factors in addition to academic merit and outstanding success, such as financial need and an objective analysis of all aspects of the application.  
 
When to Apply
The completed application package must be postmarked on or before July 31 of the application year to be considered for the following fall semester. Students granted an award must also re-apply every year before July 31 for approval of the continuation of his/her scholarship award. Awards for the succeeding school year will be announced by August 15.  If you will be entering the university in the spring, the scholarship application packaged must be postmarked on or before November 30.

A scholarship application packet may be obtained from the Dean of Students Office at VIU if you are a current student or live nearby.  Most students will find it convenient to download a copy of the application from our Web site. Other individuals may request an application packet to be mailed to them by contacting the office by phone, mail, e-mail, or fax:

Virginia International University
Scholarship Office
3957 Pender Drive
Fairfax, VA 22030
Telephone: (703) 591-7042
Fax: (703) 591-7046
E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   

Scholarships Criteria
The amount of scholarship a student is awarded depends upon many factors. However, to be considered for a certain amount of scholarship, the candidate must meet at least two of the criteria listed below;

a. High school GPA is NOT acceptable. Incoming freshman, who does not have a college GPA, will need to study one full academic year, and then apply for scholarship. For master degree students, a bachelor’s degree GPA is needed.     

b. Based on single score from either the verbal or quantitative reasoning test. The range of scores for both GRE and GMAT is the same, which is 200-800.

c. Outstanding success is defined as when the student has achieved recognition in sports, music, art or academic Olympiads. Proof will need to be provided.

Applicants should make sure to include all paperwork required for the application, including official documents. Incomplete applications WILL NOT be considered for a scholarship.

Students should keep in mind that this is a tuition scholarship. The applicant, once found eligible, will not actually get cash in hand. However, the amount will be deducted from the fee they would normally have to pay in tuition.

1. Scholarship students-regardless of their level and program of study-  should maintain at least a B-grade for each course for every semester, and overall meet the required GPA for the scholarship they have been awarded.

2. The financial situation of the student should remain the same. Scholarship students must report to us if their financial situation improves.

3. Reported misbehavior, any negative feedback from your instructors, and any type of violation of the code of conduct (either academic or non-academic) will jeopardize your scholarship. We will randomly do a feedback check with your classmates and teachers about your overall performance.

4. Academic dishonesty will not only result in immediate termination of the scholarship award, it will also jeopardize the students’ academic history as it will be permanently recorded on your transcript.  

Renewal of Annual Scholarship
VIU’s tuition scholarship is an annual tuition scholarship, and the award will expire at its anniversary. Therefore, a student’s eligibility to be continuously qualified for a scholarship award is not only based on the above cited conditions, it also depends on annual review and renewal. A student must apply for renewal of his/her award, and must submit new scores for standard exams that are due to expire before the next semester starts. The renewal process is not any different than that of the initial grant of the award regardless of the applicant’s history at VIU.

Anticipated Changes in Policy
For the ten percent of students attending the university who are American, the industry standards for evaluating economic hardship are utilized.  VIU expects the number of American students who attend the institution to increase dramatically.  VIU is one of the best education options available at its price point in the region. As the number of American students who matriculate at VIU increases, the institution will utilize the necessary policies and accounting systems required to track, distribute, and monitor financial awards from state and federal sources. FAFSA, Income Tax Returns, and all other traditional tools used to evaluate financial status will be analyzed when determining who will receive a tuition scholarship from VIU.  

Click here to download scholarship application form