Start Here: Managing Financial Life at UVA

At Student Financial Services, we understand how complex the world of financial aid and student accounts may appear, especially if this year marks the first year you have attended college or have a student in college. (Parents, much may have changed since you went to school!)

Just about everything you need to know about managing your financial life at UVA can be found in the sections of this website and especially from this webpage. We suggest you bookmark the homepage, accessible at sfs.virginia.edu or by clicking the "Student Financial Services" banner at the top of any page. On the home page are reminders about important dates, access buttons for both the parent payment and student portals, and the latest SFS news from social media. There's also a drop-down box labelled "How Do I...?" where you can find answers to FAQs.

For tips with filling out the FAFSA (for eligible applicants), preparing your student for their first loan, or general costs associated with going to college, consider reviewing Inceptia's Great Advice for Parents, which can be downloaded at the link below.

'Great Advice for Parents' Guide

Parents and students both should note key dates below for SFS in addition to those in the academic calendar provided by the University Registrar. Note that at UVA, term charges must be satisfied prior to the start of the term.

Activity Date
Fall 2024 Term Charges available Mid-July, 2024
Contact your 529 plan provider for payment July 20, 2024
International Students make payment through UVAPay July 20, 2024
Fall 2024 term charges due August 21, 2024
First day of classes August 27, 2024

Especially for First-Year Undergraduates

See a checklist of things you should take care of before you arrive on Grounds

We also recommend that first-year and new transfer students check out resources on common topics at our personal finance webpages.

And finally, don't forget our Information for New Undergraduate Students page, full of useful information to make your life at UVA simpler.

All Undergraduate Students

We suggest you begin with the first link in the blue navigation bar at the top of this and every page on the SFS website: Tuition & Billing. You can hover over the text to see a drop-down menu, or click right on it to go to the main page of that section. There, you will find information on tuition and fees, how and when the University will bill you, how to use UVAPay to view and pay a bill, how to give a parent access to a payment account, and more. Returning students should also note the checklist we update each year to help you and your parents start the year off right.

If you will not use any type of financial aid, but will instead pay your charges with some form of personal payment--cash, check, wire transfer, credit card, 529 or pre-paid college savings plan, etc.--you will probably deal exclusively in the Tuition & Billing section of our website.

If you will apply for need-based financial aid, please read on!

Students Seeking Financial Aid

After you've checked out the Tuition & Billing section, you may be looking for help paying for it! Almost all aid at UVA, including all aid awarded by Student Financial Services, is based upon need. If you are applying for admission or have recently been accepted to a UVA program for the first time, click the Financial Aid for New Applicants tab in the blue menu bar at the top of this page, where you will learn about the types of aid available, eligibility requirements, how to apply for aid, and how to accept and receive the aid you are awarded. If you are a returning student, please see Financial Aid for Current Undergrads or Financial Aid for Graduate Students.

Parents

Parents provide invaluable support for their students and have a vested interest in their success at the University. However, managing financial life at UVA is ultimately the responsibility of the student. All notifications--including bills, financial aid information, and deadline reminders--are sent to the student, but we encourage you to have your student get into the practice of regularly sharing financial information with you as they gradually learn to take on this responsibility for themselves.

If you will be helping your student manage financial life while they are enrolled, we strongly suggest that you talk with your student about you becoming a UVAPay Authorized UserParents can go to UVAPay and request that their student approve them as an authorized user.

You may also wish to talk with your student about the terms and repayment of any student loans they may consider accepting. The Federal Student Aid Repayment Estimator is an excellent resource.

For more information about the University of Virginia's Financial Aid approach, consider watching the short video below.