Frequently Asked Questions

• Students applying for scholarships must file FAFSA prior to the on-line Scholarship Application deadline.
• Update Hokie-Spa and major(s)/minor(s) information and expected graduation date!  Avoid becoming ineligible for scholarships by updating your record!  Check all contact information, anticipated graduation date, and major(s)/minor(s) etc.  Most scholarships have specific restrictions in the criteria that must be verified against the student record.
• Review the Scholarship List on Scholarship Central’s Site to determine your eligibility for our current individual scholarships. Read the scholarship qualifications very carefully so that you do not apply for scholarships for which you are not eligible.
• Update your resume and create an individual essay for each intended scholarship application.  Each applicant will submit one resume and then will submit one essay per scholarship (1 page, maximum file size 250k).  Save each document separately so that you may upload them individually when you apply.

No, the online Scholarship Application is for the purposes of students who are currently enrolled at Virginia Tech (completed at least one semester at VT), with a declared major in the Pamplin College of Business (Bus Undecided, ACIS, BIT, ECON, FIN, HTM, MGT, or MKTG). Check back here next year to find out how to apply for the college-level scholarships.

Some scholarships mention specific GPA requirements.  For those that do not, recipients generally have an overall GPA of 3.4 or higher, but that can vary depending upon the applicant pool.

Yes, because recipients will receive their scholarships in the same academic year.

No, you are not.

Go to the Financial Aid and Scholarships website for general information, helpful hints, FAFSA4caster, frequently asked questions, and a link to apply for the FAFSA on-line.  The FAFSA is available for completion prior to the upcoming aid year, and must be submitted (with valid signatures) by Virginia Tech’s deadline.  However, for Pamplin Scholarships you may file up till the Pamplin Deadline.

• Starting with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid(FAFSA®), the following changes have been put in place:
• Students are now able to submit a FAFSA as early as Oct. 1 every year.
• Students now report earlier income information. Beginning with the 2017–18 FAFSA, students are required to report income information from an earlier tax year. For example, on the 2017–18 FAFSA, students (and parents, as appropriate) must report their 2015 income information, rather than their 2016 income information.

Yes and no. Yes, if you applied for scholarships that are not need-based. No, if you applied for a need-based scholarship.  You MUST have a “complete” FAFSA by the Pamplin deadline to be eligible for need-based scholarships.  If you submit your FAFSA and application by the deadline, but have outstanding paperwork or signatures to finalize your submission, your application cannot adequately be reviewed.  Therefore, your application will not be considered.  If you are aware of any problems that cannot be resolved by January 15th, you must contact Fin Aid or prior to the deadline and an exception may be possible.

Yes. A FAFSA is required for non-need-based scholarships. However, for a need-based scholarship, International students are required to click here to complete a College Board Expected Family Contribution (EFC) Calculator.  After completion, submit a copy of the estimate printout to Matt Hammond in the VT Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid.  The document can be submitted in person at 200 Student Services Building; by fax to 540.231.9139; or, by e-mail/scanned document to mhammon@vt.edu.   Important: Identify on the document that it is to be used for Pamplin Scholarship application purposes.

Go to the Scholarships page on the Pamplin Undergraduate Programs website to apply online. (No paper applications will be accepted).

Please do not wait for an offer of admissions before applying for scholarships. Apply Now! The application process and deadline will vary depending on who is awarding the scholarship. Click on the various types of scholarships for more information.  

Compare your qualifications with the eligibility requirements listed for each scholarship.  If eligible, you may apply for one or more.  Please note that while students may apply for multiple scholarships, it is uncommon to receive more than one award.

ALL need-based scholarships will be awarded ONLY to those students with financial-need, as determined by results from the FAFSA.  You may use the FAFSA 4Caster to get a general estimate of your eligibility, but a FAFSA must be completed by the Pamplin deadline.

To properly award scholarships, a student’s class level is not determined by credits, but by an estimated expected date of completion. When considering your eligibility related to class level, use the following guide:

If you plan to graduate in:
December 2019, May 2020, or Summer 2020 = “rising sophomore”
December 2018, May 2019, or Summer 2019 = “rising junior”
December 2017, May 2018, or Summer 2018 =“rising senior”
*The chart above still applies to scholarships that do not state the word “rising”, followed by sophomore, junior, or senior.

Compare your qualifications with the criteria listed after each scholarship.  After selecting the scholarship for which you will apply, write an essay highlighting those qualities to support why you are the most qualified candidate.  Please note that if you apply for multiple scholarships, do not submit a general essay.  Each essay will be reviewed and must be unique!

Check the file size to be sure each document does not exceed 250k, and then try to upload again.

No, it is not too late to apply for more scholarships as long as the application is complete prior to the Pamplin deadline.  Log back in and “Un-Submit the Application”, and then follow each step as you did before. Be sure to complete and re-submit the application before logging out. Incomplete applications will not be eligible for consideration.

If you successfully submitted your application with the proper attachments, the last page will state “Application Complete”. You do not need to do anything else. Undergraduate Programs will contact applicants if there is a problem with submission. Otherwise, all applicants will be notified of their application status no later than mid-May.

Depending on the scholarship, recipients will be notified between March and May.

The Annual Honors Banquet will be held in the early fall.  In addition to your notification letter, a formal invitation will be sent to you over the summer with the banquet details.  Awards are deposited into student accounts, and distributed over the academic year (unless otherwise noted in the award letter).

Yes, recipients are required to attend.  Scholarship donors are invited, so you may have the opportunity to thank your donor in person! It is a very nice event that celebrates the achievements of Pamplin students and the generosity of the donors.