Scholarship Opportunities at Virginia Tech

I've heard there are some solid scholarship opportunities at Virginia Tech. Can anyone provide more information on these scholarships, and how competitive are they?

Sure, Virginia Tech does indeed offer a number of scholarship opportunities for both in-state and out-of-state students.

One of the major ones is the Presidential Initiative for Inclusive Excellence Scholarship. This scholarship provides full tuition, fees, and residential campus housing for four years. It is specifically for students who are from underrepresented and/or underserved populations. It's pretty competitive as you're required to have a minimum high school GPA of 3.0 and a strong record of service to their community.

Another notable one is the Calhoun Scholarship, which is given to students in the Honors College. This award is based on academic merit and covers in-state tuition and fees for four years. Again, it's pretty competitive, as it's meant for the top students at the university.

There are also departmental scholarships tailored to specific fields of study like engineering, business, or the arts. These vary in amount and eligibility and are managed by the respective departments.

If you're in a leadership position, the Emerging Leader Scholarship might be a good fit. This program provides an annual $1,000 scholarship for up to three years.

And yes, these scholarships can be highly competitive, due to the amount of aid they provide and the large pool of applicants. However, the exact competitiveness can vary based on the specific scholarship and the applicant pool each year.

Remember that in order to be considered for these scholarships, you generally need to apply for admission by the priority deadline and complete the scholarship application (if required), generally by December 1st. Your best bet is to look for scholarships that fit your specific criteria and apply for them earlier rather than later.

Lastly, don't forget to submit your FAFSA as soon as possible after October 1st to be considered for need-based aid as well! It's a comprehensive process, but definitely one that could pay off.