Cost & financial aid brief
Virginia State University Tuition, Costs & Financial Aid
How much does Virginia State University cost after financial aid?
Aid covers about 43% of the published cost for the average aid recipient, creating a sticker-to-net gap of $11,821. The pattern across income bands shows lower average net prices at lower incomes, with costs rising from $13,220 in the lowest band to $25,508 in the highest.
The $12,288 spread shows lower net prices at lower incomes, a pattern consistent with need-based aid, though the for the lowest-income families remains a material figure.
The published cost of attendance at Virginia State University is $27,661. Azimuth ranks the university #590 for affordability among nonprofit four-year institutions.
After grants and scholarships, the average net price for aid recipients from families earning under $30,000 is $13,220, for those earning $48,001 to $75,000 it is $19,463, and for those earning over $110,000 it is $25,508. The spread between the lowest and highest bands is $12,288.
The average aid recipient sees $11,821 in savings against the published sticker price. The average net price across all aid recipients is $15,840, which is $1,772 above the $14,068 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
In-state tuition and fees are $10,043, and out-of-state tuition and fees are $22,650. Borrowers who finish carry a median of $26,500 in federal student loans, $5,271 above the $21,229 peer median.
93.4% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $22,181 in Parent PLUS loans.
If repaid over ten years, the median federal student debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $301 a month.
Student loans: what does repayment look like?
Nearly every undergraduate at Virginia State University borrows: 93.4% of federal aid recipients take federal loans. Among those who complete, the median federal student debt is $26,500.
That median is $5,271 above the $21,229 median for comparable institutions (same type and size). Parents who borrow hold a separate median of $22,181 in Parent PLUS loans.
The return picture at Virginia State University is mixed. Graduates earn about $94 more than expects for similar students, effectively at the expected level, a result at the 55th percentile.
The raw earnings median four years after completion is $51,739. That figure is $5,562 below the $57,301 median for comparable institutions (same type and size).
It places at the 22nd percentile among nonprofit four-year institutions. Earnings scenarios, estimated from the program mix, show a range from a downside of $39,511 to an upside of $73,380, with a typical scenario of $51,739.
On the cost side, borrowers who finish carry a median of $26,500 in federal loans, which is $5,271 above the median for comparable institutions (same type and size). That debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $301 a month if repaid over ten years.
For the separate population of parent borrowers, median Parent PLUS borrowing is $22,181. For student borrowers, the median federal debt corresponds to an estimated payment of $301 a month if repaid over ten years.
Repayment figures are in the Financial GPS card below. Borrowing populations and model assumptions.
Parent loans: what can the family afford?
How Parent PLUS borrowing affects families
- Median Parent PLUS debt
- $22,181
- Estimated parent payment
- $282/mo
| Income | Risk level |
|---|---|
| $35,000 | High pressure |
| $50,000 | High pressure |
| $75,000 | High pressure |
| $100,000 | Caution |
| $150,000 | Safe |
| $200,000 | Safe |
The model holds the parent balance fixed and varies parent income. Read the assumptions and limits.
Student and parent loans: the monthly payments
Financial GPS
What does repayment look like?
- Institution median student debt
- $26,500
- Institution Parent PLUS debt
- $22,181
Federal loans only; private or institutional loans aren’t included.
- Estimated student payment · monthly
- $301/mo
- Estimated Parent PLUS payment · monthly
- $282/mo
- Modeled student + parent payments
- $583/mo
Payments use school-wide median balances, not a specific major’s.
Student payment as a share of available income
At median graduate earnings of $51,739, with a $22,590 annual allowance for basic expenses:
12.4% of income above the allowance · Concerning
- Excellent Under 8%
- Good 8–under 12%
- Concerning 12–20% · selected scenario
- High risk Over 20%
How this estimate works
These are modeled earnings scenarios, not observed earnings percentiles. Annual student payments ÷ (earnings − basic-expense allowance). The starting allowance, $22,590, uses the published framework’s 2024 baseline; it is not a current local living-cost estimate. Change it for your budget, including taxes and other obligations. This combines school-level figures for illustration, not a typical individual’s budget or an official school rating. Parent PLUS is separate.
Payment assumptions
Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates.
Data & methodology
Sources and reporting periods: methodology.
Analysis and methodology by Daniel Rogers, founder of College Azimuth.
Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source.
Figure notes link to sources and limitations. About College Azimuth.
Net price and borrowing. The 2023–24 income-band averages include living costs and cover eligible first-time, full-time aid recipients; public-school figures reflect in-state tuition. They are not individual aid offers. Peer matching supplies overall net prices, not matched income-band averages. College Scorecard data and documentation.
A personal student-risk assessment also needs your major and borrowing plan; these school-level illustrations do not assign you a personal risk zone.
Payments are 10-year standard payments on the median balance, before loan fees, used as a yardstick. Rates for newly issued loans may differ, and loans made after July 1, 2026 can repay over a longer term; existing loans keep their original fixed rates. Private-loan figures from the Common Data Set are separate from these federal repayment illustrations.