Financial Aid

911�� receives $6 million grant to increase supports for low-income students

Susan Martonik — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 13:00:48 +0000

911�� receives $6 million grant to increase supports for low-income students Susan Martonik Wed, 10/14/2026 - 09:00

As one of Virginia's leading institutions for enrolling and graduating Pell Grant recipients, 911�� has a strong track record of increasing educational opportunities for low-income students. A recent grant from the Pell Initiative for Virginia will provide $6 million to enhance programs and services supporting these students during the 2027 fiscal year. With this latest investment, the university has received a total of $16.7 million from the initiative since 2023.

Administered by the State Council of Higher Education in Virginia (SCHEV), the Pell Initiative for Virginia aims to expand access to higher education for Pell-eligible students across the commonwealth, as well as improve their retention and completion rates. The program is part of Virginia’s Pathways to Opportunity strategic plan, which seeks to make Virginia the “best state for education” by 2030 by focusing on equitable access, affordability, and transformative experiences.

“The grants from the Pell Initiative for Virginia have been instrumental in supporting pathways to enrollment and degree completion for Pell‑eligible Virginians over the past several years,” said Sally Lorentson, interim vice president for University Life, who serves as chair of the Pell Initiative for Virginia Implementation Committee and primary investigator for the grant at 911��. “Our programming has reached 13% of current Pell‑eligible students at 911�� and thousands of prospective students, plus we’ve awarded more than $6 million in direct student aid through fiscal year 2026.”

Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

Initiatives to date have included expanding the Early Identification Program, establishing financial well-being mentors, and offering campus tours and transition workshops for Pell-eligible applicants. The funding has also supported a first-year laptop program, need-based housing and completion grants, digital purchasing cards to address basic needs, and summer math boot camps. In addition, the university used Pell Initiative for Virginia funds to purchase access to Single Stop, a platform available to all students, faculty, and staff that connects users with community and federal resources.

An Institution-Wide Barrier Review Report submitted to SCHEV in fall 2025 found that these programs are producing positive results. 911�� experienced a 15% increase in Pell-eligible student enrollment from fall 2023 to fall 2024, along with greater parity with non-Pell-eligible students in GPA, credits, and time to degree.

Looking ahead, this year's efforts will focus on continued expansion of programs with the greatest impact, such as housing and completion grants, along with the Patriot Fellows program supporting students through financial well-being mentoring and success coaching. Additional institutional work will focus on building and sustaining the infrastructure to support students with the greatest need across campus.

“As we continue to support the recruitment, enrollment, retention, and completion of Pell-eligible students, we are helping create pathways to opportunity for individuals whose talents will strengthen communities across the commonwealth,” said Lorentson. “These programs, and the dedicated faculty and staff who run them, are opening doors to higher education while preparing graduates for long-term academic and career success.”

According to new research published in AERA Open, a journal of the American Educational Research Association, 911�� ranks among the nation’s highest-performing Pell institutions. The university placed in the top 10% of more than 1,400 colleges and universities evaluated on access for Pell Grant recipients, degree completion, and postgraduation earnings.

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Financial Aid

The Enrollment Freeze for Fall 2026 is September 15

jnicho9 — Tue, 18 Aug 2026 17:59:48 +0000

The Enrollment Freeze for Fall 2026 is September 15 jnicho9 Tue, 08/18/2026 - 13:59

The enrollment freeze date for the Fall 2026 semester is September 15, 2026.

At the "enrollment freeze date", the Office of Student Financial Aid (OSFA) will verify your enrollment. If you increase or decrease your enrollment between the disbursement date and the enrollment freeze date, your financial aid will be adjusted accordingly to ensure that it is the appropriate amount for your enrollment on the freeze date.

After this date, no adjustments or increases will be made to your financial aid (unless it is to correct an over award situation) and all financial aid payments will be final (with the exception of any Part of Term classes that begin later in the semester. Dropping a Part of Term course that begins later may result in a reduction of your aid.) If you completely drop or withdraw from all your classes at ANY point, the Financial Aid Office will determine how much aid you can keep and how much has to be returned to the US Department of Education. This is called a Return to Title IV calculation.

Students who withdraw from a full semester course after the enrollment freeze date will have a "W" appear on their transcript and will not get a partial refund of tuition paid for the course. The "W" grade will be included when determining Satisfactory Academic Progress.

What this means for you:

On September 15 at midnight, your enrollment will be locked and your financial aid will be adjusted accordingly. If your financial aid award was originally disbursed on full-time status and you are not enrolled full-time at the freeze date, your financial aid may be decreased to match your enrollment and this adjustment could result in a balance owed to the university.

Students planning to enroll less than full time should review the terms of their award(s) on Patriot Web by clicking the award name to see how their enrollment choice may affect each award offered.

Financial Aid refunds:

Financial aid refunds will be issued only to those students who have excess funds on their account. Be advised that no refunds will be issued based on pending financial aid. The easiest way to receive a refund is to submit a direct deposit authorization to the Student Accounts Office .

Enrollment requirements:

Undergraduate students must be enrolled in a minimum of six (6) credits to qualify for the majority of financial aid programs. Funds may be reduced if enrolled less than full-time.

Graduate students must be enrolled in a minimum of 4.5 credits to qualify for federal loan funds. Funds may be reduced if enrolled less than full-time.

If you change your enrollment after the enrollment freeze date (with the exception of completely withdrawing from all classes or dropping a later starting Part of Term course) your financial aid will not be revised and you will be responsible for any additional charges. Students who are completely withdrawn from ALL of their classes may be responsible for returning financial aid they received prior to withdrawing from school. This determination will be made by the OSFA through a process called Return to Title IV. For more information, please review how withdrawing from courses affects financial aid eligibility.

Never Attended:

If the OSFA is notified by your instructor that you NEVER ATTENDED a class, your aid will be adjusted when we are made aware of this situation, even if that is at the end of the semester. If you are currently enrolled, or plan to enroll, less than full time for the fall 2026 semester, please contact your Financial Aid Counselor.

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Financial Aid

Reminder: Use Your Current Legal Name on the FAFSA

asterli5 — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 14:57:39 +0000

Reminder: Use Your Current Legal Name on the FAFSA asterli5 Mon, 08/03/2026 - 10:57

To help prevent delays in financial aid processing, students must ensure that the name reported on the FAFSA exactly matches their current legal name as it appears on official documentation (such as a Social Security card, passport, or other government-issued records). Using a name that does not match your legal documentation may result in processing delays and could require you to submit FAFSA corrections before your financial aid eligibility can be finalized. If a correction is needed, the student must update their FAFSA directly.

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Financial Aid

How the OBBBA Affects Financial Aid | 911��

asterli5 — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 14:11:36 +0000

How the OBBBA Affects Financial Aid | 911�� asterli5 Tue, 07/28/2026 - 10:11

On July 4, 2025, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, also referred to as the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, was signed into law, introducing major changes to federal financial aid that affects:

Prospective Students
Undergraduate Students
Graduate & Professional Students

To find out more about these changes, click on the "How the OBBBA Affects Financial Aid | 911�� webpage".

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Financial Aid

Last Day to Accept a Loan for the Summer Semester: August 13, 2026

asterli5 — Thu, 23 Jul 2026 18:32:10 +0000

Last Day to Accept a Loan for the Summer Semester: August 13, 2026 asterli5 Thu, 07/23/2026 - 14:32

The last day the Office of Student Financial Aid processes summer semester direct loans is August 14, 2026. Students who want them must accept them by 11:59 p.m. on August 13, 2026.

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Financial Aid

Federal financial aid rules are changing. Here's what you need to know.

jnicho9 — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 19:47:47 +0000

Federal financial aid rules are changing. Here's what you need to know. jnicho9 Wed, 06/24/2026 - 15:47

On July 1, 2026, several significant changes to federal financial aid included in last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act, also referred to as the OBBBA or Working Families Tax Cuts Act, go into effect. These changes affect current and prospective students at the undergraduate, graduate, and professional levels.

911��’s Office of Student Financial Aid (OSFA) has developed a centralized webpage for students, faculty, and staff to review these changes, and office staff are available for students who require assistance or additional information related to their specific situations.

What’s changing?

As required by the new law, 911��’s OSFA is actively implementing changes in the following areas:

Pell eligibility

Students with a Student Aid Index (SAI) greater than twice the maximum Pell Grant are no longer eligible for a Federal Pell Grant. The current maximum Pell Grant is $7,395, so any student with a SAI of $14,790 or higher is now ineligible.

Students whose scholarships and aid fully cover their Cost of Attendance (COA) are also no longer eligible for a Pell Grant. COA includes total estimated yearly costs for the following categories: tuition and fees, food and housing, books and supplies, transportation, personal expenses, and loan fees (if applicable).

Enrollment and loan eligibility

Federal loan eligibility is now tied directly to how many credits students take, which means that taking less than a full-time courseload reduces loan eligibility.

Students must be enrolled at least half-time to receive federal loan funding, and they must be enrolled full-time for the entire academic year to receive the full annual maximum amount of their federal loans based on their academic level.

The table below shows the full-time, half-time, and academic year totals for credits at each student level, per federal guidelines:

Student Type	Full-time Credits (per semester)	Academic Year Total	Half-time credits (per semester)
Undergraduate	12 credits	24 credits	6 credits
Graduate	9 credits	18 credits	4.5 credits
Law	10 credits	20 credits	4.5 credits

Because of these new requirements, students need to be aware of their current enrollment status and how changes to their courseload may affect their eligibility. Dropping or withdrawing from classes may reduce their aid, trigger recalculations of their aid, or create unexpected account balances.

Federal loan limits and legacy provisions

The law introduces limits on the amount of federal loans borrowers can receive. However, there are legacy provisions for some existing student loan borrowers.

New Limits

Student Type	Annual Limit	Aggregate Limit
Graduate	$20,500	$100,000
Professional (JD Law*)	$50,000	$200,000

*JD Law is the only degree program at 911�� that meets the new definition for Professional Degree established by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

Lifetime Borrowing Limit	$257,500 (undergraduate + graduate loans) not including Parent PLUS loans

Loan Type	Annual Limit	Aggregate Limit
Parent PLUS Loans**	$20,000 per dependent student	$65,000 per dependent student

**The $65,000 aggregate PLUS loan limit is the maximum amount to borrow without regard to previously forgiven, repaid, canceled, or discharged loans. These restricted limits may affect how much students need to borrow or how families manage other aid.

Additionally, Graduate PLUS Loans will no longer be available for students beginning a new graduate or professional program on or after July 1, 2026.

Legacy provisions for existing loans

Legacy (grandfathering ) is a provision that exempts existing borrowers from the new, stricter lending rules, limits, or requirements. Graduate PLUS loans and Parent PLUS loans are still available for currently enrolled borrowers who have borrowed prior to July 1, 2026.

In order to hold legacy status, students:

Must be actively enrolled at 911�� in an eligible credential program prior to July 1, 2026, and
Must have received at least one federal loan disbursement for that same program of study before July 1, 2026.

If a student changes their major but stays within the same type of degree (or certificate), they are still considered to be in the same program of study.

Additional legacy conditions:

Legacy eligibility is time-limited to a maximum of three academic years, or the remaining time required for the student to complete their current program of study, whichever is shorter.
Students must continue enrollment in the same type of degree and remain enrolled at 911�� to retain eligibility.
Changing degree types or transferring to another institution will result in loss of legacy eligibility.
Any break in enrollment, program change that constitutes a new program of study, or institutional transfer, will terminate legacy eligibility.
Transfer students will lose legacy provisions if they change schools. A student must remain at the same institution, in the same degree type, to remain eligible for the legacy provisions.

What should students do to prepare?

911�� is encouraging students who receive federal financial aid to take the following actions as these changes go into effect:

Review their enrollment plans and financial aid packages carefully in Patriot Web.
- This will help them determine if they meet the credit limits for loan eligibility, as well as whether their SAI makes them ineligible for a Federal Pell Grant.
Contact OSFA before making any schedule changes that may affect their aid eligibility.
Keep an eye on their inboxes and bookmark our OBBBA information page, as OSFA will continue sharing guidance and resources through these channels.

Learn more at Financial Aid Services

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Campus News

SAP Appeal Deadline for Summer 2026: July 30, 2026

asterli5 — Thu, 28 May 2026 13:23:57 +0000

SAP Appeal Deadline for Summer 2026: July 30, 2026 asterli5 Thu, 05/28/2026 - 09:23

Students submitting a Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) appeal for summer 2026 must do so by July 30, 2026. Appeals are reviewed first come, first served; late appeals will be considered for fall 2026.

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Financial Aid

Last Day to Accept a Loan for the Spring Semester: May 12, 2026

asterli5 — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 16:06:01 +0000

Last Day to Accept a Loan for the Spring Semester: May 12, 2026 asterli5 Thu, 02/26/2026 - 11:06

The last day the Office of Student Financial Aid processes spring semester direct loans is May 13, 2026. Students who want them must accept them by 11:59 p.m. on May 12, 2026.

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Financial Aid

The Enrollment Freeze for Spring 2026 is February 10

asterli5 — Wed, 14 Jan 2026 16:24:08 +0000

The Enrollment Freeze for Spring 2026 is February 10 asterli5 Wed, 01/14/2026 - 11:24

The enrollment freeze date for the Spring 2026 semester is February 10, 2026. After this date, no adjustments or increases will be made to your financial aid unless it is to correct an over award situation and all financial aid payments will be final, with the exception of any Part of Term classes that begin later in the semester. Dropping a Part of Term course that begins later may result in a reduction of your aid. If you completely drop or withdraw from all your classes at ANY point, the Financial Aid Office will determine how much aid you can keep and how much has to be returned to the US Department of Education. This is called a Return to Title IV calculation.

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Financial Aid

SAP Appeal Deadline for Spring 2026: April 13, 2026

asterli5 — Wed, 14 Jan 2026 16:22:10 +0000

SAP Appeal Deadline for Spring 2026: April 13, 2026 asterli5 Wed, 01/14/2026 - 11:22

Students who wish to submit a Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) appeal for the spring 2026 term must do so by April 13, 2026. Appeals will be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis. Appeals received after that deadline will be considered for the summer 2026 semester instead.

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Financial Aid

Financial Aid

911�� receives $6 million grant to increase supports for low-income students

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The Enrollment Freeze for Fall 2026 is September 15

The enrollment freeze date for the Fall 2026 semester is September 15, 2026.

What this means for you:

Financial Aid refunds:

Enrollment requirements:

Never Attended:

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Reminder: Use Your Current Legal Name on the FAFSA

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How the OBBBA Affects Financial Aid | 911��

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Last Day to Accept a Loan for the Summer Semester: August 13, 2026

Topics

Federal financial aid rules are changing. Here's what you need to know.

What’s changing?

Pell eligibility

Enrollment and loan eligibility

Federal loan limits and legacy provisions

New Limits

Legacy provisions for existing loans

What should students do to prepare?

Related News

Topics

SAP Appeal Deadline for Summer 2026: July 30, 2026

Topics

Last Day to Accept a Loan for the Spring Semester: May 12, 2026

Topics

The Enrollment Freeze for Spring 2026 is February 10

Topics

SAP Appeal Deadline for Spring 2026: April 13, 2026

Topics

Financial Aid

911���� receives $6 million grant to increase supports for low-income students

Related News

Topics

The Enrollment Freeze for Fall 2026 is September 15

The enrollment freeze date for the Fall 2026 semester is September 15, 2026.

What this means for you:

Financial Aid refunds:

Enrollment requirements:

Never Attended:

Topics

Reminder: Use Your Current Legal Name on the FAFSA

Topics

How the OBBBA Affects Financial Aid | 911����

Topics

Last Day to Accept a Loan for the Summer Semester: August 13, 2026

Topics

Federal financial aid rules are changing. Here's what you need to know.

What’s changing?

Pell eligibility

Enrollment and loan eligibility

Federal loan limits and legacy provisions

New Limits

Legacy provisions for existing loans

What should students do to prepare?

Related News

Topics

SAP Appeal Deadline for Summer 2026: July 30, 2026

Topics

Last Day to Accept a Loan for the Spring Semester: May 12, 2026

Topics

The Enrollment Freeze for Spring 2026 is February 10

Topics

SAP Appeal Deadline for Spring 2026: April 13, 2026

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911�� receives $6 million grant to increase supports for low-income students

How the OBBBA Affects Financial Aid | 911��