Community colleges do not require students to take the SAT or ACT, but most students are required to take the Virginia Placement Test to determine their skill level in math and English. There are exceptions to the requirement to take placement tests depending on the student's academic accomplishments. To take a practice test, register here. Check with your College for placement test times and dates.

Social Security numbers are not required for college application. However, applicants for financial aid are required to submit Social Security numbers. If you have a different residency status, check with your College's Advising or Counseling office for more information.

All first-time students and students returning after a 3-year absence can complete the Online Application for Admission. Click here to get started. If you are a returning student, you may see the message "This information already exists" when trying to apply. Please contact your College's Admissions Office for further assistance.

In many instances, students who have not graduated from high school are still eligible to take College courses. Placement tests will be required. Please contact your College for more information based on your personal situation.

No. There is no application fee to apply to a Virginia Community College.

You may qualify for an exception, but you must provide additional proof of emancipation from your parents before age 24 in order to be considered an independent student. Your College's Financial Aid office is the best place to start.

You can get the latest information on the tuition (the cost of courses) and fees by visiting the Cost Calculator.

To apply for all forms of financial aid (including the Federal Stafford Loan and Federal Work-Study), you must complete the FAFSA, which can be done online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Check out the Financial Aid Information page in the Wizard for complete instructions.

Yes, you can. You can also lose your financial aid if you withdraw from classes often. You must meet the college's standards for Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) in order to maintain your financial aid eligibility. Information regarding these standards is included with all initial financial aid award letters. These standards are also described on the college's website.
When you apply for financial aid and after each semester ends, you will be reviewed to determine if you have met SAP. If you do not meet the standards, you will be sent a notification letter. When financial aid eligibility is lost due to SAP, a student can pay for courses from out-of-pocket funds until the deficiency is corrected. Aid can be reinstated for the following semester, assuming all other criteria have been met.

At most Community Colleges you can charge your books and supplies at the College Bookstore if you have excess financial aid after tuition and fees are deducted. You will need a copy of your class schedule, your student ID number (i.e. EMPLID), and a valid form of identification.

The summer semester is handled very differently than the fall and spring semesters. Check with your College's Financial Aid office or website to apply for financial aid for the summer semester.

Most Virginia Community Colleges offer a Foundation Scholarship Program, which is administered by the college directly. More information regarding local scholarships, including a tool that will help you find scholarships that are just right for you, is available in the Scholarships section of the Wizard. Once you've found the right scholarships for you, you can add it to your profile or apply for it.

If your family experienced reduced income in the previous year, contact the College's financial aid office to request a form to explain your special circumstances. Complete and submit the form, along with appropriate documentation, to the Financial Aid Office for consideration. Often projected year income can be considered. These considerations are made at the student's request and on a case by case basis.

If the college you plan to attend participates in the Federal Stafford Loan Program, you will be awarded a Federal Stafford Loan or provided with the option to apply for one.

K-12 Students: See your school counselor to reset your password.
VCCS Students and Admins: Login with your myVCCS ID. Passwords cannot be changed through the Wizard. If you need to change your password, login to your myVCCS student portal and change it there, then come back to the Wizard and login.
K-12 Counselors and Admins: Click "Password Reset" and a link will be emailed to you, contact your District Admin, or email us at wizard@vccs.edu to reset your password.

There are 3 user roles in the Wizard: Student, Veterans, and Job Seekers (Careers). A great place to start is by visiting our About Us page.

We did some research before rebuilding the Wizard, and realized that the resume builder was one of our least-used site tools. As resumes are always changing based on employer needs, other sites devoted to resume creation are better equipped to help students and job-seekers craft their resume. There are many career tools in Wizard 5.0 that will help students move from school to career. To learn more, please visit our Workforce section.