Virginia's financial aid deadline depends on the college. There's no statewide FAFSA date: each Virginia college sets its own priority deadline, and since Virginia's main need-based grants -- VGAP and the Commonwealth Award -- are awarded by colleges from your FAFSA, that college date is effectively your state-grant deadline. The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) publishes every participating school's date. Below is its 2026-27 list, the most recent posted.
Applying for fall 2027? These are the 2026-27 dates; colleges set new ones for 2027-28, usually in the same pattern. Treat them as a guide and confirm with each college -- and remember the 2027-28 FAFSA needs to be filed for next year's aid.
Virginia public universities
| College | 2026-27 priority deadline |
|---|---|
| Virginia Commonwealth University | February 1 (FAFSA) |
| Virginia Tech | January 22 for FAFSA plus scholarship consideration; March 1 for FAFSA only (no scholarship consideration) |
| Christopher Newport | March 1 (FAFSA) |
| William & Mary | New students: March 1 (FAFSA, plus CSS Profile for institutional need-based aid); returning: April 15 |
| George Mason | March 1 (FAFSA); transfers March 1 for fall, November 1 for spring |
| James Madison | March 1 (FAFSA) |
| Longwood | March 1 (FAFSA) |
| Old Dominion | March 1 (FAFSA; priority as funds are available) |
| Radford | March 1 (FAFSA) |
| Mary Washington | March 1 for new freshmen and continuing students; April 1 for new transfers |
| Norfolk State | March 15 (FAFSA) |
| UVA Wise | March 15 (FAFSA) |
| Virginia State | March 31 (FAFSA) |
| Virginia Military Institute | April 1 (FAFSA) |
| University of Virginia | May 1 (FAFSA, plus CSS Profile for institutional need-based aid) |
Richard Bland College, the state's public two-year junior college, listed April 15.
Virginia private colleges
| College | 2026-27 priority deadline |
|---|---|
| Hampton University | February 1 (FAFSA) |
| Liberty University | January 15 for fall entrants; October 1 for spring |
| Randolph College | December 31 for first-year students; March 1 for others |
| Randolph-Macon College | Early decision November 15; early action and regular February 1; returning March 1 |
| Roanoke College | November 1 for early decision; March 1 for others |
| University of Richmond | CSS Profile and tax returns November 15 (ED I, EA) or February 1 (ED II, RD), with the FAFSA due April 1; returning May 15 |
| Washington and Lee | FAFSA, CSS Profile, and tax returns: ED I December 1, ED II January 15, RD February 15; returning May 1 |
| George Washington University | FAFSA, CSS Profile, and tax returns: ED I November 1, ED II and RD January 5; fall transfer April 15 |
| Emory & Henry, Ferrum, Marymount | March 1 (FAFSA) |
| Eastern Mennonite | March 1 new students; April 15 returning |
| Sweet Briar College | March 1 freshmen; May 15 returning; July 1 transfers |
| Hollins, Virginia Union | March 15 (FAFSA) |
| Hampden-Sydney, Batten University | March 15 new students; April 1 returning |
| University of Lynchburg | March 15 early decision; April 15 others |
| Averett | April 1 |
| Mary Baldwin | April 1 new students; May 1 returning |
| Bridgewater | April 15 |
| Regent, Shenandoah | April 15 for fall entrants; October 1 for spring |
| Christendom College | Institutional application only: April 15 new; May 15 returning |
| Southern Virginia University | May 1 |
| Bluefield University, Appalachian College of Pharmacy | June 1 |
Private colleges' FAFSA dates govern federal and institutional aid there. The state's private-college grant, the Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant, has its own application and a September 15 deadline.
Virginia community colleges
Community college dates run later, from March to July:
| Deadline | Colleges |
|---|---|
| March 1 | Mountain Gateway |
| April 1 | Central Virginia, Germanna, Tidewater |
| April 15 | Rappahannock |
| May 1 | Northern Virginia, Piedmont Virginia, Southwest Virginia, Virginia Peninsula, Wytheville |
| May 15 | Blue Ridge, Brightpoint |
| June 1 | Danville, J. Sargeant Reynolds, Laurel Ridge, New River, Patrick & Henry, Paul D. Camp |
| July 1 | Mountain Empire, Southside Virginia, Virginia Highlands, Virginia Western |
| July 15 | Eastern Shore |
Several also have separate, often earlier, optional scholarship applications.
Patterns worth knowing
- The earliest dates are tied to early admission plans and merit scholarships. Virginia Tech's January 22 date is for scholarship consideration; Richmond, Washington and Lee, and GW tie financial aid documents to their ED and RD rounds.
- Selective schools want the CSS Profile too. UVA, William & Mary, Richmond, Washington and Lee, and GW list it for institutional need-based aid.
- UVA's May 1 is the latest public university date, but filing early never hurts -- several schools say funds go out as available.
What this means for you
- Use the earliest deadline on your list as your FAFSA target, not the latest.
- Missing a public college's date can cost you VGAP and the Commonwealth Award, which have no other application.
- Private college plus Virginia residency? File VTAG separately by September 15.
- For how state deadlines work in general, see why your state's aid deadline isn't the FAFSA's.