Virginia Tuition Grant for Foster Care and Special-Needs Adoption Students
Virginia public colleges and universities (required by Code of Virginia § 23.1-601); listed by State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) as the Foster Care Grant
Virginia's public colleges must cover tuition and mandatory fees (and room and board at public four-year schools) for students who were in foster care, in DSS custody, or a special-needs adoption after age 14.
- How much
- Tuition and mandatory fees (and room and board at public four-year institutions), after other grant aid
- Who qualifies
- Foster care, DSS custody, or special-needs adoption at any time after age 14 (or in foster care at 18)
- Virginia student; high school diploma or approved equivalency; at least 6 credits per semester in a degree/certificate program of 1+ year or a community college noncredit workforce credential program; no bachelor's degree and not more than five years as a full-time postsecondary student; institution's GPA requirement; financial need.
- For students starting college, undergrads, trade school students
- Need-based: your FAFSA decides how much you get.
- When to apply
- Apply any time No statewide deadline; FAFSA by the college's priority date.
- How to apply
- File the FAFSA and send proof of your foster care, DSS custody or special-needs adoption status to the financial aid office of your Virginia public college
- Ask for the college's foster youth point of contact
- What you'll need
- FAFSA only
- Last checked
- October 5, 2026, against the official page (law.lis.virginia.gov), page 2 and page 3
The details
By state law every Virginia public college and university provides a grant for tuition and mandatory education and general fees (not course-material fees such as lab fees), plus room and board at public four-year institutions, after other grant aid. Eligible students received a high school diploma or passed a state-approved high school equivalency exam and were in foster care, in the custody of the Department of Social Services, or considered a special-needs adoption at any time after turning 14 (or were in foster care at 18 and later finished high school or an equivalency). Students must take at least 6 credits a semester in a degree or certificate program of at least one year, or a noncredit workforce credential program at a community college; must not have been a full-time postsecondary student for more than five years or hold a bachelor's degree; must keep the college's required GPA, apply for federal aid, and show financial need. Each public college also names a point of contact to support these students. At community colleges this is called the VCCS Tuition Grant.
More money from Virginia
- Virginia Space Grant Undergraduate STEM Research ScholarshipUp to $8,500 per year
- Virginia Space Grant Graduate STEM Research Fellowship$6,000 per year
- Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant (VTAG)Up to $5,250 per year for undergraduates (2026-27 maximum); $5,000 for eligible graduate health-professions students; higher at Hampton and Virginia Union
- Two-Year College Transfer Grant (CTG)Up to $1,000 per year base; plus up to $1,000 STEM-N bonus; plus $1,000 incentive at NSU, ODU, Radford, UVA Wise, VCU and VSU
- Granville P. Meade Scholarship$2,000 per year for four years (most recent cycle)
Keep looking
- Answer a few questions to see every program you qualify for
- Nearby states: District of Columbia, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia
- Federal aid and national scholarships (open to students in any state)
- The FAFSA in plain English (2027-28)
- Should I file the FAFSA if I don't think I'll qualify?
- FAFSA deadlines by state (2027-28)
- The FAFSA for parents: what you need to do
- How to save on textbooks: free, rented and cheaper options
We list programs; we don't decide who gets them. Always check the official page before you apply. Spot something wrong? Tell us.