Student Freedom Agreement
The Student Freedom Agreement is a private education loan that should be viewed as just a part of a student’s overall financial aid package. This loan is not intended to displace any other funding opportunities including federal grants, institutional aid, work-study, Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized loans. Rather, this loan is intended to provide assistance to help cover remaining balances for educational-related expenses after all other forms of financial assistance have been considered. Under the Student Freedom Agreement, Student Freedom Initiative will provide necessary funds to students to cover a part of their eligible tuition expenses at Virginia State University. Students who receive these funds enter into a “pay it forward” program in which they agree to make monthly payments in the future back to Student Freedom Initiative. These payments are determined by the amount of money the student makes post-graduation. Therefore, this creates an honorable cycle that’s self-sustaining for future generations of Students of Color.
Eligibility for the Student Freedom Agreement
Who can apply for the Student Freedom Agreement? A student’s school must be a participant in the income-contingent funding alternative component of Student Freedom Initiative's program, and the student must meet all the following criteria immediately prior to the disbursement of funds (as determined and confirmed by Virginia State University):
- Completed a FAFSA or acceptable alternative state aid application that is accepted and approved by the student’s school;
- A valid Social Security number;
- Not an international student or foreign exchange student authorized to enter the United States on a non-immigrant visa;
- Majority age or older;
- Junior or Senior for the school year being funded;
- Enrolled full-time for the coming academic term (unless granted an exception because the student requires less than full-time enrollment to complete his/her bachelor’s degree in her/his final year of study);
- Working towards a degree in an approved STEM major (Biology, Mathematics, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Manufacturing Engineering, Electrical and Electronics Engineering Technology, Information Logistics Technology and Chemistry.
- Meeting satisfactory academic progress as defined by Virginia State University.