The VASA Application - or Virginia Alternative State Aid Application - is an alternative option to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The VASA Application is for Virginians who are nonimmigrants, undocumented, have Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status or are otherwise ineligible to file the FAFSA and want to be considered for state financial aid.
Note: Students must meet domicile or Tuition Equity Provision requirements.
By filing a VASA Application:
- You will be considered for state need-based financial aid, including the Commonwealth Award and Virginia Guaranteed Assistance Program (VGAP).
Frequently Asked Questions
This application is for Virginia students who do not qualify to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) based on their citizenship status. In order to file the FAFSA you need to be a US citizen or an eligible non-citizen.
This application will allow students who are classified as in-state residents and not eligible to complete the FAFSA to have an opportunity to be considered for Virginia state grant funds.
You can access the application by going to http://www.vasaapp.org/.
The 2025-26 VASA application will be available sometime in December 2024 or January 2025. The priority filing deadline is March 1st, 2025. Applications received by March 1st will be considered for state aid.
Yes, the VASA application will be available each year when the FAFSA is available and needs to be filled out by March 1st preceding the academic year you will be enrolling. If you are enrolling in the fall of 2025, the application deadline is March 1st, 2025.
JMU will review the information on the application and ask for additional documents if needed. We will use the data to determine if the student qualifies for Virginia state grants at JMU.
The State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) has a website dedicated to in-state tuition here https://www.schev.edu/index/tuition-aid/in-state-residency. To find out more about your in-state residency while attending JMU, you can go here https://www.jmu.edu/ubo/residency.shtml.
We should start sending Preliminary Aid Offers by April to students admitted through Early and Regular Decision for Fall 2025. The process to begin sending Official Aid Offers to current JMU students will begin in June. These offers will be an estimate of your financial aid for the following fall semester. JMU will respond to you if we need additional documents based on the information you submitted in your application. If we determine you are eligible for state grants, you will receive an Official Aid Offer email. If you do not qualify for state grants, you will receive an email letting you know.
SCHEV has a website dedicated to the VASA application here http://www.vasaapp.org/.
Mon - Fri 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Summer Hours of Operation:
Mon - Thur 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Fri 8 a.m. - 12 p.m.
