VCU Office of International Education

Where is Virginia Commonwealth University?

VCU is located in Richmond, Va., on the East Coast of the United States. The university is less than a two-hour drive from Washington, D.C., and a one-hour flight from New York City. Richmond is approximately one hour from the beach and the mountains.

Is VCU a public or private institution?

VCU is a public research university that offers more than 180 certificate, undergraduate, graduate, first-professional and doctoral programs. Sixty of our programs are unique to Virginia and 20 of our graduate and professional programs are ranked by U.S. News & World Report as among the best of their kind.

How much does it cost to attend VCU?

Tuition and fees for the 2007-08 academic year cost approximately $18,740 USD for undergraduate students and $17,752 for graduate students. In addition, books and supplies cost $2,000 USD and room and board cost $7,800 USD.

How many international students are studying at VCU?

Currently we have more than 1,300 international students studying here on F-1 visas. These students represent more than 110 countries from around the world. In some cases, students are here with their families.

VCU is proud to sponsor student organizations for students from different countries, cultures and religions and makes every effort to provide students the opportunity to maintain their cultural practices while living in the United States.

Do you have scholarships for international students?

Yes. You can apply for assistance before you enter VCU and again once you are accepted into your program. 

Undergraduate students are eligible for Presidential, Provost and Deans scholarships, which vary between $7,000 and $13,000 USD per year. You would apply for admission and include an essay along with your application. To learn more about the essay requirements, visit the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

In addition, check the available scholarships in the program you are interested in studying. You can apply for program scholarships once you arrive at VCU.

Graduate students also are eligible for financial assistance in the form of fellowships, scholarships and teaching assistantships. This funding ranges between $500 and $27,000 USD per year. To learn more about scholarship requirements for graduate students, visit the Graduate School Web site.

When should I apply for scholarships?

That depends on when you are planning to enroll at VCU. If you are making your decision to attend VCU based on how much money you are going to receive before you come here, and you are planning to enroll in the fall semester, you want to apply during December and January. If you are enrolling in the spring, try to apply in March.

You want to give yourself the best opportunity to receive money, so you need to apply when there is still money available. For scholarships housed within the department, you may apply once after you are enrolled as a student.

Can I work while I study?

Yes. You can work up to 20 hours a week on campus. Students can work off campus after the first nine months of study, but need to check with their department and the VCU Office of International Education to make sure they stay within the parameters of their visa.

It is important to note that students will not earn enough money to pay for their tuition by working on campus.

What about TOEFL, GRE, GMAT and SAT scores?

The various entrance examinations are an important part of your application but they are not the only criteria we use. In fact, you can be conditionally accepted without a TOEFL score. Undergraduates do not need to provide an SAT Reasoning Test score unless they are applying for a scholarship or to the School of Nursing.

Graduate programs will want a GRE score and the School of Business will require a GMAT for its programs. Test requirements for individual programs can be found in the online Graduate Bulletin.

Many of our programs do not have minimum test score requirements. However, if you are conditionally accepted to VCU but with a low TOEFL score, you may have to take English as a Second Language courses before you enroll as a degree student.

Please send an official copy of your scores to VCU via ETS. They can send these scores to us electronically.

Do you accept 15 years of study for entrance into a graduate program?

VCU reviews these cases individually. It has yet to formalize a standard policy but has begun to accept students with three-year degrees into post graduate programs.

If you have 15 years of education you may need to finish an additional year of study before you enroll in a graduate program. The exception is a student who wishes to study in the School of Business, where students can take one year of courses (selected by the school) and enter the graduate program of their choice upon completion. Please contact Dr. Jana McQuaid at jpmcquaid@vcu.edu for more information about this program.

Do you have an English language program/center?

Yes, in fact some people come to VCU just to learn English. After students arrive and take the ELP placement test, they are registered for ELP classes at the appropriate levels. Each session lasts approximately eight weeks, which includes one week of testing, advising and orientation, and seven weeks of class instruction and activities.

The ELP offers 10 levels of instruction for core classes from beginning (everyday English) to advanced. Pronunciation classes are offered at four levels of instruction. Students can finish a level in one session if they pass their classes.

Core classes are offered in Writing and Grammar, Reading and Vocabulary, Listening, Speaking, and Pronunciation. Electives such as Reading Academic Texts, Exploring U.S. Culture, Reading and Conversation, Conversation and Current Events, Communication and American Film, Advanced Business Writing, Reader’s Theater, TOEFL Preparation, Accent Reduction, Basic Grammar and Grammar Review also are available. The content and availability of electives varies from session to session.

What are the deadlines for applying to VCU?

Many VCU programs have a rolling admission and in some cases can accept students for entry in the fall, spring and summer semesters. This means that we will consider your application whenever you send it to us.

There are two important things to remember:

• Graduate programs sometimes have limited space and eventually they fill up.
• You need to leave yourself enough time to be accepted, receive your I-20, get a visa interview, get your visa and make it to VCU.

How long do I have to wait to receive an acceptance decision?

If you have submitted a completed undergraduate application, you will likely hear from us within one week.

If you have submitted a completed graduate application, you will likely have a decision within four to six weeks.