Financial Information

Financial Policy

The generosity of individual donors and churches helps students receive quality professional training at a cost less than charged by many institutions. Virginia Christian University strives to help every student receive the education he (she) desires in love of Our Lord Christ for the Kingdom of God and His glory.

Tuition

Fees

*Students may take additional credits with extra cost ($400.00/course of 3 credits)
Further information about the maximum course load on page 45.

**Students may take additional credits with extra cost ($550.00/course of 3 credits)
Further information about the maximum course load on page 45.

***$20.00 in case of a card processing via telephone.

Further information about the maximum course load on page 70 of Catalog.

Payment Plans

All registration and tuition fees are due and payable at the time of registration. We encourage all students to pay all fees in full at registration. All balances are due at registration for classes. Registration is not complete until payment is received. Payments received after the start of late registration are considered late and subject to late registration fee. Courses added during the late registration period are subject to late fees.

The second payment of those who elect to use the partial payment method is due 30 days after registration. All tuition fees are due and payable at the time the student registers. Payments may be made by cash, check, or by Master Card, Visa, or Discover card. Students should not send cash through mail.

If an account remains unpaid, VACU reserves the right to inform credit bureaus of past due accounts and to authorize collection agencies to collect on those accounts. The student will be responsible for any additional cost incurred during the collection process.

Students desiring to make partial tuition payments may authorize two monthly charges only to a Master, Visa, or Discover card account. The first payment will be half the tuition and all fees. The second payment will be posted 30 days after the first official day of the semester. All balances are due on the second payment. Pre-approved financial assistance is the only exception. VACU reserves the right to accept cash only payment on accounts where VACU deems necessary. All fees must be paid in full of the first partial payment.

A charge of $20 will be assessed for all returned checks or refused Master Card, VISA, or Discover card payments. Any student who has not paid his entire bill by 30 days after the start of the semester will be withdrawn from the class and allowed to register the following semester. Unused tuition will be refunded to the students of VACU student account minus a $10.00 drop fee.

Deferred Payment Plan:

The university prefers all tuition and fees to be paid at the time of registration. If this is not possible, a deferred payment plan is available. This program provides a way to defer the payment up to the 50 % of the University bill. It is necessary to pay at least 50% at time of registration, with the remaining balance paid in two months after each semester begins.

Financial Aid & Scholarship

Assists students with financing their higher education through scholarships, grants. Students must be degree seeking and making satisfactory academic progress to be considered for financial assistance. A detailed description of financial aid programs and general related requirements are on VACU Website.

Scholarships

The Virginia Christian University offers two types of scholarship opportunities: Semester Tuition Scholarship Awards and Other Scholarship Awards. The Semester Tuition Scholarship Award is limited to up to three students per semester. Each award is no more than one half of the semester tuition.

A student cannot receive the award for more than two consecutive semesters. The President’s Scholarship Award on the other hand is not limited by the number of recipients. However, the amount of the award cannot exceed the semester tuition.

Tuition Scholarship Award

Qualification

In order to receive the Semester Tuition Scholarship, the student must meet the following qualifications:

• A student must be currently enrolled.
• A student must have completed three or more courses per semester at VACU for at least three semesters.
• A student must have no outstanding balance in the tuition.
• A student must have at least an overall GPA of 3.0 for the Bachelor program or a 3.5 for the Master program.
• A student must be active in the VACU Student Body Association.

Selection Procedures

1. Student must apply for this award at least four (4) weeks prior to the beginning of the quarter. Applications are available at the Registrar’s office.
2. The Registrar checks the GPA of those who apply for this award and submits the list of-applicants, with their GPAs, to the Academic Dean.
3. Nominees will he presented to the President.
4. The President makes the final decision.
5. The Registrar informs the applicants of the President’s decision.
6. Awards will be made at the end of the second week of the semester with adjustments made to the student’s account.

Criteria for scholarship Awards

The decision will be made based on the student’s

1. GPA.
2. Contributions to VACU.
3. Participation in student activities.
4. Faculty recommendations. Economic need is considered when all other criteria are equal.

Restrictions

A student cannot receive the award for more than two consecutive semesters.

President Scholarship Award

The decision is made solely by the President. He determines the amount of the award. Once the decision is made, he informs the person who is recommended for the award as to the conditions of receiving the award and amount of the award. The maximum award cannot exceed the student’s semester tuition.

Outside Aid

Outside aid can be scholarships (VACU or private), tuition waivers, veteran benefits, etc. A recipient of financial aid at VCU should notify the Office for Financial Aid and Scholarships in writing of any other form of outside financial assistance received during the period for which aid is granted.
All outside scholarship checks forwarded to VACU should contain instructions on which semester(s) they should be applied. Scholarships received with no instructions will all be applied to the semester in which they were received. In some situations, federal and state regulations will require the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships to modify an existing financial aid package based on a student’s receipt of outside aid. The potential exists for students to be required to repay financial aid funds already received.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Minimum standards have been established governing satisfactory academic progress that a student must meet to be considered for financial aid. If aid is denied and the student has extraordinary circumstances, a letter of appeal may be submitted. Appeal forms and a copy of the satisfactory academic progress policy can be found in the office.

Award of Student

Awards to Graduating Classes

Outstanding graduating seniors can he recognized at commencement exercises through the presentation of appropriate awards. The VACU administration has procedures to identify the types of awards given, the criteria to be utilized for selection of award recipients, and the procedure to be followed for such selections.

Types of Awards to Graduating Seniors

Recognition of outstanding graduating seniors may be made at the commencement exercises through the award of appropriately designed wall-plaques. The following categories of awards arc authorized for presentation at commencement exercises.
(1) President’s Award: Selection of one by the Executive Council and considered by the President to have made the most significant all-round contribution to the welfare of the VACU.
(2) Dean’s Award: Selection of two seniors from each degree program(BA.MA), through the majority vote of the Academic Council, to be the two most outstanding students in academic achievement and scholarly activity.
(3) Alumni Association Award: Selection of two or more seniors from each language program considered by Alumni members to be the most outstanding students within the program who are in service to the profession and carry the ability to represent the profession at various community or social events.

To be considered for any Award noted above, a potential recipient must have a Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.50 or better.
The Registrar shall create an Award Form and shall coordinate the process for identification of potential candidates for the Awards. Each candidate shall submit, to the Registrar’s Office, a copy of his/her professional resume (curriculum vitae) along with a typed letter of self-evaluation to support his/her choice of Award(s) sought.
Criteria for the selection of Award recipients shall be developed and reviewed annually by the individual group responsible for the selection.

Financial Appeals and Refund Policy

Financial Appeal

Any student desiring to appeal a financial decision on their account may do the following:

1. Contact the Manager of Student Accounts to discuss the issue.
2. After discussing the issue with the Manager of Student Accounts, the student must submit a written request to the Vice President for Financial Affairs for re-evaluation of the financial decision in question.

Refund Policy

Students enrolled in VACU who notify the Dean of their intention to withdraw from a course or courses, or who intend to withdraw from their program of study, may receive a refund on tuition paid for that term. The following schedule is applicable to the first and second semesters.

Adjustment will be made for courses of three weeks’ duration or less only if the student withdraws from the course before the first class meeting, in which case he would receive a full refund for any tuition paid.

1. Students who withdraw or are withdrawn from class may be entitled to partial or full tuition refund. After the University has received a student’s official drop notice the tuition refund will be returned to student’s VACU account minus any appropriate fees.
2. Before the first day of the term, a student will receive 100% tuition and technology fee if the class is dropped.
3. For a student terminating their enrollment in writing within the first 7 calendar days of the semester, a 100% tuition refund per course will be returned to the student. All other fees are non-refundable.
4. For a student terminating their enrollment in writing between the 8th calendar day and the 31st day after the start of the semester, a 50% tuition refund per course will be returned the student. All other fees are non-refundable.
5. Refunds will be made within 30 days of the student’s termination.