Board of Visitors Scholarship
The Virginia Commonwealth University Board of Visitors has established the Board of Visitors Scholarship to recognize the achievements of an outstanding undergraduate student who represents the distinctive attributes of a VCU student: Outstanding academic achievement, leadership and service to the university and the community at large. The recipient of the award will receive a one-year scholarship in an amount equal to undergraduate in-state tuition and fees. At the discretion of the board, two additional nominal scholarships may also be awarded to two finalists (at this time each runner-up receives a $5,000 scholarship).
The board intends that this scholarship be a fully endowed scholarship and expects full board participation via donations each year earmarked for the Board of Visitors Scholarship.
About the Scholarship Process
To receive this award, a student must:
- Be currently enrolled as a full-time rising sophomore, junior or senior
- Have achieved at least a 3.5 cumulative grade point average
- Plan to be enrolled continuously as a full-time undergraduate student the 2024-2025 academic year.
- Have demonstrated service to the university and/or the community
- Have a demonstrated financial need for the scholarship
Students who meet the minimum requirements for the award will be contacted via email and invited to apply for the award using the RAMS Scholarship Hub. Each application will include:
- One letter of recommendation from a VCU faculty member (to be submitted electronically by the faculty member);
- A typed resume, no more than two pages long;
- Candidates are encouraged to document their contribution to the VCU and Richmond communities by including, if applicable, any academic awards/honors, non-academic awards, VCU involvement, community service, and employment
- A 500-word essay explaining how the applicant’s service to the university or the community illustrates VCU’s “UnCommon” brand.
Applications for the 2024-25 Board of Visitors Scholarship are managed through the RAMS Scholarship Hub.
- Go to https://vcu.academicworks.com/
- Sign in using your VCU eID and password
- Complete the General Application
- In the Opportunities tab, search "Board of Visitors Scholarship"
- Select Board of Visitors Scholarship and follow the instructions.
Questions regarding the application can be sent to scholarships@vcu.edu.
All applications are reviewed by a screening committee, comprised of individuals from the following VCU areas:
- Division of Student Affairs
- Division of Strategic Enrollment Management and Student Success
- National Scholarship Office
- At least one faculty member
The screening committee reviews the applications that are received each year and narrows the pool to three finalists. The three finalists are invited to meet with the Board of Visitors selection committee.
Selection of the recipient of the Board of Visitors Scholarship is made by the Board of Visitors at the March meeting of the board. The selection committee for the board is comprised of:
- The rector
- The vice rector
- The secretary
- The chair of the Academic and Health Affairs Committee of the board
- The provost and senior vice president for academic affairs
The selection committee interviews each of the three finalists. The selection committee will recommend the winner and the two runner ups to the Academic and Health Affairs Committee of the board.
The winner of the Scholarship is invited to the May Board of Visitors meeting as well as the May commencement dinner and commencement ceremony, where the winner will be presented with the award by the rector, or a designee.