FACT:
Many of Virginia’s private colleges have created special programs to make the cost of college more transparent and easier to understand. We encourage you to read more about our member college’s Affordability Initiatives and contact the colleges directly with your questions.
Others of our members have stayed with the more traditional approach of having a higher sticker price (than public institutions) but offering significantly more financial assistance, whether need-based, merit-based or some other form of aid that doesn’t need to be repaid. If you look, we strongly believe that you can find very affordable options among the private colleges.
Virginia private colleges enroll students from all parts of the income spectrum, including a significantly higher percentage of federal Pell Grant recipients (typically students from families with incomes of $40,000 or less) than Virginia’s public colleges. Public institutions typically offer significantly less financial assistance than do private colleges, making private colleges surprisingly affordable for many students. Especially if you live near a private college and your student can commute, private colleges can help you avoid room/board charges, making for an even greater value. Many Virginia families do not live within commuting distance of our public 4-year colleges, so oftentimes a private college is a far more affordable choice.
The published cost of attendance is not necessarily the price that any particular student will pay. What matters more is the “net price”, which is your true out-of-pocket cost. After considering financial aid and scholarships, most students pay significantly less than the published cost of attendance at private colleges. Both public and private institutions are required by law to provide a Net Price Calculator (NPC) on their websites. As you are making your list of possible colleges, we suggest you run (and keep a copy of) the Net Price Calculator at each college you’re considering. This will give you an educated estimate of what your out-of-pocket cost is more likely to be.
FACT:
There are many forms of financial assistance available that are neither merit nor need-based, including institutional grants and state grants, as well as work-study programs. Institutional grants (the college’s own money that they can award as they please) is the largest source of financial assistance for students attending Virginia private colleges. Last year, our colleges awarded more than $1 Billion dollars in institutional aid. Virginia residents who attend in-state private colleges are also eligible for the Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant of $5,125 annually. It does require an application, but Virginia residence (the same rules as for in-state tuition at public institutions) is the only qualifier.
Virginia 529 plans can be used at Virginia private colleges. All four savings programs offered by the Commonwealth Savers Plan (formerly called the Virginia College Savings Plan or Virginia 529) can be used at Virginia private colleges.
Virginia private colleges are quite diverse. As a sector, our colleges enroll the same percentage of African-American undergraduates as Virginia’s public institutions, and each sector has two Historically Black Colleges/Universities (HBCUs). Marymount University (a private institution), is a recognized Hispanic-Serving Institution, the only one (whether public or private) in Virginia. Twelve of our member institutions are classified as “Pell Serving” Institutions, as they enroll more than 37% Pell Grant recipient students. Sector-wide, Pell enrollment is 15% higher at private colleges than at our state public institutions. Virginia’s private colleges also enroll more students who begin their undergraduate studies after the age of 25 and more from communities that have the lowest degree attainment rates. Private colleges also enroll a higher proportion of First Generation College students than our public institutions do.
Private liberal arts colleges are ideal for career preparation as they focus on skills that are in high demand by employers. The core of a liberal arts education is helping students develop solid problem-solving and critical thinking skills. Virginia’s private colleges also offer many career-based majors than many expect. Fifteen of our colleges offer nursing degrees, producing almost half of Virginia’s new nurses annually, which passage rates on the NCLEX that are every bit as strong as those in the public college sector. Likewise, our member colleges out-produce our public peers in licensed teaching degrees. You’ll find that our member institutions offer degrees in fields such as business administration, data analytics, engineering, computer science, e-sports management, and many others that are more “career-oriented” but build upon that base of problem solving, ethical decision making, and sound communication skills. Our institutions offer excellent internship opportunities and career advising centers as well.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Our colleges offer outstanding undergraduate science programs across the board, with tremendous preparation for graduate or professional school in a wide variety of disciplines. Private colleges feature smaller classes, which are more likely to be taught by full-time faculty (as opposed to graduate students), allowing for more hands-on learning and student/faculty interaction. In addition, most Virginia private colleges offer opportunities for undergraduate students to participate in research projects which strengthen their preparation for admission to graduate school.
There are abundant health professions programs at our member colleges. Whether you are interested in nursing, pharmacy, pre-med, osteopathic medical school, physician assistant programs, physical therapy, health administration/informatics, or other health professions fields, you can find it at a Virginia private college.
The best way to master any field is a combination of classroom and hands-on learning. Virginia’s private colleges promote active student participation beyond coursework, including specialized projects and undergraduate research. All of our colleges have strong track records of graduate and professional schools admissions.
Actually, the best time to visit any college is when you are able to make it work in your busy schedule. Before you apply to colleges, you should visit a variety of schools so you can understand different campus features and how different their “personalities” can be. You may not visit every college to which you end up applying, but we’d suggest trying to visit most if you can. In a perfect world, visiting when school is in session will be more informative than doing so when a school is on break. Consider your school holidays (i.e. Veterans Day, Presidents’ Day, or teacher work days) as good opportunities for college visits.
If you can’t make an in-person visit, check out the virtual visit options offered by nearly every college.
You may be fortunate enough to attend a high school or community college where college representatives come to visit during the school day. Pay attention to the announcements and try to attend these sessions if your schedule allows. These are terrific opportunities for you to meet an admissions professional face-to-face, ask your questions, and learn things about the nuances of their admission process.
Once you’ve been offered admission to a particular school, you’ll likely be invited to attend programs for admitted students. Even if you visited before you applied, it is worth going back for another look. This may give you a chance to meet a staff member from the financial aid office to go over the details of the financial assistance they can offer you, as well as faculty members in your area of academic interest. Most of these visits take place in late March – April, and hopefully you’ll be well-informed enough to make a decision by May 1.