Financial Aid Information
For Pharmacy Students At VCU
Congratulations on your decision to enter the pharmacy profession. VCU’s School
of Pharmacy has an excellent reputation, and is located on the Medical College of
Virginia campus in historic downtown Richmond. This guide should answer some of
your questions related to the financial aid process at Virginia Commonwealth University.
More detailed information on applying for financial aid, and financial aid programs,
policies, and procedures are available on the VCU web site at
www.vcu.edu/enroll/finaid.
Applying for Financial Aid
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the only application required
by VCU and must be filed annually, designating VCU (school code 003735) to receive
the results. The VCU Office of Financial Aid recommends electronically filing the
FAFSA by March 1* (FAFSA on the Web can be found online at
www.fafsa.ed.gov ). Students should complete the FAFSA using data from their
completed tax returns. If necessary, they may use estimated tax return data in order
to meet the VCU priority filing date but should be prepared to submit a copy of
their completed tax returns and W2 forms to VCU as soon as possible.
Pharmacy students should provide both student and parental information. Although
parental information is not required for consideration of Department of Education
Title IV loan funds, students who submit parental data will be considered for additional
financial aid sources including Title VII Department of Health and Human Services
aid programs. Including parental information will not adversely impact eligibility
for other financial aid programs.
Entering pharmacy students, even those who do not hold a baccalaureate degree should
enter “graduate or professional degree” in response to the grade level
question.
Additional hints for on completing the FAFSA on the Web, as well as the overall
application process, is available on the VCU Office of Financial Aid web site (go
to www.vcu.edu/enroll/finaid and
click on “How to Apply”).
Students who have not applied for financial aid in a timely manner should expect
financial aid funding delays and may want to participate in the VCU Installment
Payment Plan, which budgets each semester’s bill over four payments. Information
about this plan can be found on the
Student Accounting Department’s web site.
eServices – online records access
Students are encouraged to use the new eServices,
a password-protected service for viewing VCU student records online, to check the
status of their financial aid application and award package. Students also may register
for classes, print bills, and more.
Email – official method of communication
Students are required to obtain an official VCU student email account within one
week of the beginning of their first semester of enrollment. Students are responsible
for reading in a timely fashion University-related communications sent to their
official VCU student email account. The VCU Office of Financial Aid uses email to
provide financial aid information, to request documentation to support financial
aid application data, and to provide financial aid application status and award
information. Information on how to find your eID to access your email is available
online at What is my eID?).
Scholarships
Scholarships are an excellent way to help finance educational costs. The VCU
Office of Financial Aid web site has links to a variety of scholarship search
engines. The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) also has information
on scholarships, grants, loans, and fellowships. The AACP may be contacted by mail
or telephone.
American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
1426 Prince Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 739-2330
Helpful Numbers and Addresses
For questions relating to financial aid, records and registration, and student accounting,
contact the:
Student Services Center -- MCV Campus
PO Box 980244
1101 East Marshall Street, Room 1-055
Richmond, VA 23298-0244
(804) 828-9800
The center is located on the first floor of Sanger Hall, Room 1-055, one block south
of the School of Pharmacy. Parking is available in the visitors’ deck at 12th
and Clay Streets.
A financial aid counselor is available Monday through Friday, 9 am to 1 pm for walk-ins,
and Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 2 pm to 4 pm for appointments.