How much merit aid does VCU give?

VCU runs two parallel tracks. Virginia residents: Presidential Scholarship up to $16,000/year tuition+fees plus room and board (estimated $114,356 over 4 years) or Provost Scholarship up to $16,000/year tuition+fees only (~$64,000 over 4 years). Out-of-state: $12,000/year at 3.3+ HS GPA or $10,000/year at 3.0-3.29 HS GPA, both renewable for four years. National Merit Finalists who designate VCU as first choice receive the Presidential.

Are VCU merit scholarships renewable for four years?

Yes, with a contract: maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or better and complete at least 28 credit hours full-time over fall and spring semesters each year. The Presidential and Provost scholarships are explicitly four-year awards renewable for three consecutive additional years past the first.

Can out-of-state students get VCU merit scholarships?

Yes. VCU has a dedicated out-of-state scholarship track separate from the in-state Presidential/Provost. Non-resident applicants with at least 3.0 high school GPA receive at least $10,000/year; 3.3+ GPA receives at least $12,000/year. These are four-year renewable awards keyed to the same 3.3 college GPA renewal contract.

VCU award rules

Will the scholarship last four years at VCU?

We pulled the school’s grade, credit, and time limits into one place so you can see what it takes to keep the award.

Verified Jul 20262 months ago· CB-1

The short answer

4 of 4 published awards are listed as renewable.

The exact rule can change by award. Check the award your student may receive before you count on the same amount every year.

What to do

Find the award name in the full research below. Save its grade, credit, and deadline rules with your college plan.

See every award rule, common mistake, and source

At a glance

Renewable tiers: 4 of 4
One-time tiers: 0
Tiers with published renewal terms: 4
Renewal risk profile: moderate

Renewal risk profile

VCU's renewal bar is achievable for steady students but isn't generous. Most awards require a cumulative GPA in the 3.0–3.4 band plus full-time enrollment. Audit the strictest tier on this school's list before assuming the four-year value is locked in.

Presidential Scholarship (Virginia resident): Full-time enrollment
Provost Scholarship (Virginia resident): Full-time enrollment
Out-of-State Scholarship — 3.3+ GPA Tier: 3.3 GPA
Out-of-State Scholarship — 3.0-3.29 GPA Tier: 3.3 GPA

Renewal terms by tier

Presidential Scholarship (Virginia resident)
Up to $16,000/year tuition and fees ($8,000 per semester) + room and board (Honors College residence room + 250 Block + $225 Dining Dollars meal plan)
To keep it: Renewable for up to three consecutive additional years (4 total) with at least 28 credit hours full-time over fall and spring semesters per year and a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or better.
Source: https://admissions.vcu.edu/cost-aid/scholarships-funding/first-year-scholarships/
Provost Scholarship (Virginia resident)
Up to $16,000/year tuition and fees ($8,000 per semester); estimated 4-year total value $64,000
To keep it: Renewable for up to three consecutive additional years (4 total) with at least 28 credit hours full-time over fall and spring per year and a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or better.
Source: https://admissions.vcu.edu/cost-aid/scholarships-funding/first-year-scholarships/
Out-of-State Scholarship — 3.3+ GPA Tier
At least $12,000 per year
Entry requirements: Minimum 3.3 high school GPA GPA
To keep it: Four-year award renewable with cumulative 3.3 GPA and 28 credit hours full-time per year (fall+spring).
Source: https://admissions.vcu.edu/cost-aid/scholarships-funding/out-of-state-scholarships
Out-of-State Scholarship — 3.0-3.29 GPA Tier
At least $10,000 per year
Entry requirements: Minimum 3.0 high school GPA GPA
To keep it: Four-year award renewable with cumulative 3.3 GPA and 28 credit hours full-time per year. Note: 3.0+ GPA is the entry threshold but 3.3+ is the renewal floor — students entering at 3.0-3.29 must lift their college GPA to 3.3 to renew.
Source: https://admissions.vcu.edu/cost-aid/scholarships-funding/out-of-state-scholarships

How families lose this aid

Missing the November 1 deadline.
November 1 is the cliff for VCU's top university-level scholarships (Presidential, Provost, National Merit pathway). Applications received after November 1 are not eligible for these awards even if the student would have qualified on stats. The general admission deadline is January 15, but waiting until then forfeits Presidential/Provost consideration entirely.
Out-of-state students entering at 3.0-3.29 GPA without budgeting for the 3.3 renewal cliff.
The $10,000 OOS tier opens at 3.0 high school GPA, but renewal across all four years requires a cumulative 3.3 college GPA plus 28 credit hours full-time per year. A student admitted at 3.1 high school GPA can lose the $40,000 four-year value mid-college by failing to push their college GPA above the 3.3 floor.
National Merit Finalists missing the May 31 NMSC first-choice deadline.
The NMF-to-Presidential pathway requires two coordinated actions: apply to VCU by November 1, AND separately notify the National Merit Scholarship Corporation by May 31 that VCU is the finalist's first-choice institution. Missing the NMSC deadline forfeits the pathway even if VCU admission and the November 1 deadline are met.

Renewal questions families ask

How much merit aid does VCU give?: VCU runs two parallel tracks. Virginia residents: Presidential Scholarship up to $16,000/year tuition+fees plus room and board (estimated $114,356 over 4 years) or Provost Scholarship up to $16,000/year tuition+fees only (~$64,000 over 4 years). Out-of-state: $12,000/year at 3.3+ HS GPA or $10,000/year at 3.0-3.29 HS GPA, both renewable for four years. National Merit Finalists who designate VCU as first choice receive the Presidential.
Are VCU merit scholarships renewable for four years?: Yes, with a contract: maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or better and complete at least 28 credit hours full-time over fall and spring semesters each year. The Presidential and Provost scholarships are explicitly four-year awards renewable for three consecutive additional years past the first.
Can out-of-state students get VCU merit scholarships?: Yes. VCU has a dedicated out-of-state scholarship track separate from the in-state Presidential/Provost. Non-resident applicants with at least 3.0 high school GPA receive at least $10,000/year; 3.3+ GPA receives at least $12,000/year. These are four-year renewable awards keyed to the same 3.3 college GPA renewal contract.

Rules that bite at VCU

The renewal trip wires we'd flag in a custom playbook, derived from VCU's own tier rules and not generic advice.

renewalPresidential Scholarship (Virginia resident): renewal floor that quietly knocks awards out
Renewable for up to three consecutive additional years (4 total) with at least 28 credit hours full-time over fall and spring semesters per year and a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or better. A single rough term can end a four-year award here without warning if the GPA floor isn't met cumulatively.

How VCU compares across our verified dataset

667 of 749 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.
VCU is one of them. The cohort minority (82 schools) only awards one-year scholarships, which means the four-year value families assume on a brochure quote isn't guaranteed at every school.

Sources used on this page

Every renewal claim is checked against VCU’s own published materials.