Financial Information

Graduate Tuition and Fees

Any student who already holds a bachelor's degree is considered a graduate student for purposes of assessing tuition fees. For any course, undergraduate or graduate, taken by a student who has graduated from college with a bachelor's degree, the fee charged is the graduate tuition fee.

For information, see the current Tuition and Fee Guide, available at http://www.vsu.edu/student-accounts/tuition-fees.php.

AUDITING FEES: Students approved to audit a course will be charged at the same rate as for credited semester hours.

TRANSCRIPT FEE: The Registrar's Office is the source for all University transcripts. A nominal fee is charged for each transcript requested.

COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION FEE: The comprehensive examination fee will be charged when a student enrolls in the comprehensive exam course and is not enrolled in any other courses.

THESIS FEE: This fee will be charged when the student enrolls in Thesis in Absentia (no credit hours) during any semester.

LATE REGISTRATION FEE: Registration dates for the first and second semesters are provided in the University Calendar and Course Schedule Bulletins. A late fee is assessed after the open registration period ends.

GRADUATION FEE: Students are required to file for graduation and pay the applicable administrative fee for processing the master’s diploma.  Additional fees are assessed for keepsake caps, gowns, and hoods necessary for University graduation ceremonies.

Financial Assistance

Qualified students requiring financial assistance can apply for loans, scholarships, grants, and part-time employment through Virginia State University’s Office of Financial Aid. Federal-guaranteed loans are available to graduate students, whether they have full-time jobs or not. The maximum loan (currently $8,500 per year for two (2) years) is available to full-time students. Half of the amount of the maximum loan amount is available to part-time graduate students who are carrying at least six (6) hours per semester.

Virginia State University awards graduate assistantships each semester to students who have demonstrated exceptional promise and achievement. These assistantships provide a stipend to students each semester towards their tuition and fees for up to four (4) semesters. Graduate assistants may be required to work 25 hours per week. After acceptance, students may contact the Graduate Studies Office at gradstudies@vsu.edu or (804) 524-3692 to inquire about the application process for the Graduate Fellowship/Assistantship.

Guaranteed Student Loan Applications are obtained from the Financial Aid Office.  The Financial Aid Form (FAF), also obtained from the Financial Aid Office, must be filed each year to establish eligibility for loans and work-study assistantships. To find more information, please visit the Financial Aid page on the VSU website or contact the Financial Aid Office at (804) 524-5990 or (800) 823-7214.

The Office of Sponsored Research may offer information about assistantships to graduate students whose interests correlate with the goals of research projects. Applicants should consult with the chief investigator.

Several positions as resident hall assistants are open to graduate students. Inquiries for these positions should be made to the Director of Residence Life and Housing.

Occasionally, graduate students may be selected for part-time jobs by offices and other non-teaching departments of the University to which graduate assistant funds do not apply.  Graduate students may consult the Director of Financial Aid and/or the Director of Career Services.