Athletically Related Financial Aid

Eligibility for Athletically Related Financial Aid

In order for student-athletes to become eligible to receive athletically-related financial aid, the student-athlete must meet all applicable NCAA, Atlantic 10 Conference, and VCU rules and regulations. In particular, student-athletes must have athletics eligibility remaining as well as enrolled full-time during any given semester (with potential exceptions for final semester before graduation and the summer).

VCU Athletics Financial Aid Agreement

Prospective student-athletes may be asked to sign an athletics financial aid agreement to signify their commitment to attend and participate in athletics at VCU. Athletics financial aid agreements are offered at each sport program's discretion. 

The athletically related financial aid agreement is a binding agreement to attend VCU. Once a prospect signs an NLI to attend a university, other institutions are prohibited from recruiting that prospect from that point forward. Otherwise, the non-compliant institution faces various penalties. Release from the agreement may only be attained through completing a Contact Prohibition Release Request form. 

NCAA Signing Dates (Prospective Student-Athletes Signing 2025-2026 and Enrolling 2026-2027)

Sport(s)	Initial Signing Date	Final Signing Date
Basketball (Early Period)	November 12, 2025	November 19, 2025
Basketball (Regular Period)	April 15, 2026	August 22, 2026
All Other Sports	November 12, 2025	August 22, 2026

NCAA signing dates do not apply to four-year transfers. Four-year transfers must be permissibly entered in the NCAA Transfer Portal to sign the written offer of athletics aid. For Division I, the permissible entry includes the opening of the sport specific window or any applicable exceptions to the window. Non-NCAA four-year transfers may sign whenever coaches can permissibly communicate with them, if applicable under the respective divisional legislation.