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Virginia State University

1 Hayden Street, Petersburg, VA 23806

Website: Virginia State University

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Virginia State University School Description

Virginia State University, America's first fully state supported four-year institution of higher learning for Blacks, is a comprehensive university and one of two land-grant institutions in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its mission is to promote and sustain academic programs that integrate instruction, research, and extension/public service in a design most responsive to the needs and endeavors of individuals and groups within its scope of influence. Ultimately, the University is dedicated to the promotion of knowledgeable, perceptive, and humane citizens--secure in their self-awareness, equipped for personal fulfillment, sensitive to the needs and aspirations of others, and committed to assuming productive roles in a challenging and ever-changing global society.

The campus sits atop a rolling landscape overlooking the Appomattox River in the Chesterfield County village of Ettrick. It is accessible by Interstates 95 and 85, which intersect in adjacent Petersburg, as well as U.S. Routes 1, 301 and 460. The University is centrally located about two hours away from Washington, DC to the north, the North Carolina Triangle area to the south, the Blue Ridge Mountains to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east.

VSU students live and learn on a 236-acre main campus, with more than 50 buildings, including 15 dormitories and 16 classroom buildings, and a 416-acre agricultural research facility.

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Virginia State University

From Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Virginia State University is a historically black university and land-grant university located in Petersburg, Virginia in the Richmond area, and was founded on . It was the United States's first fully state-supported four-year institution of higher learning for black Americans. Its first president was John Mercer Langston, who later became the first African-American elected to Congress from Virginia. The board of trustees was almost entirely African-American, except for one member. The faculty of the collegiate program and the normal school was African-American until the mid-1960s. The name used by the school's athletic teams is the "Mighty Trojans." The third season of the reality television series College Hill was filmed at Virginia State University in 2006. The university is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund.

History

Following the American Civil War, William Mahone (1826-1895) of Petersburg, Virginia was the driving force in the linkage of Norfolk and Petersburg Railroad, South Side Railroad and the Virginia & Tennessee Railroad in 1870 to form the Atlantic, Mississippi & Ohio Railroad (AM&O), a new line extending from Norfolk to Bristol. After several years of operating under receiverships, Mahone's role as a railroad builder ended in 1881 when the AM&O was sold at auction to form the Norfolk and Western Railway.

Mahone, a former Confederate general best known as the hero of the Battle of the Crater, later led Virginia's Readjuster Party and was a major proponent of public schools for the education of the former slaves and free blacks. He became a United States Senator from Virginia, and arranged for the proceeds of the AM&O sale to help found a school for teachers near Petersburg. In 1882, the Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute at Petersburg was established. State delegate Alfred W. Harris, a black attorney, introduced the bill that established the institute.

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Read the full entry on Wikipedia

Quick Facts

Chance of Admission:
Location:
Mid-Atlantic
Setting:
Large Town Setting
Type:
Public
Size:
Medium (2,000 to 5,000 Undergrad)
Mascot:
Trojans
Nickname:
VSU

Students & Campus Life

Undergraduate Enrollment:
4,332
On Campus Housing:
Available
Full Time Students:
89%
Athletic Programs:
Available
More Students & Campus Life

Expenses

Average Tuition:
$ 13,307
Students Receiving Aid:
90%
More Expenses & Financial Aid

Admissions

Application Fee:
$ 25
Selectivity:
Selective
More Admissions

Virginia State University Degree Programs

Associate Degree Programs

Learn more about Associate Degree Programs

Bachelor’s Degree Programs

Learn more about Bachelor’s Degree Programs

Master’s Degree Programs

Learn more about Master’s Degree Programs

Virginia State University Students & Campus Life

General

Full-Time vs. Part-Time
Full-Time 89%
Part-Time 11%
Race/Ethnicity
African-American 94%
Caucasian 4%
Other 2%
Hispanic 0%
Asian 0%

Geography

In State vs. Out-of-State
In-State 58%
Out-of-State 42%
Top States for Incoming Freshman
Virginia 58%
New York 10%
Maryland 6%
New Jersey 5%
North Carolina 2%
Percent of Students International: 0%

Housing

On-Campus Housing Available: Yes
Percent of Students Living On-Campus: 58%
Freshman Students Required to Live on Campus: Yes

Athletics

Member of: NAA, NCAA
Sports Include: Football (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Assoc)
Basketball (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Assoc)
Baseball (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Assoc)
Track (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Assoc)

Virginia State University Expenses (Tuition & Fees)

Tuition & Fees (undergraduate) In-State Out-of-State  
Published Tuition and Fees:
 $ 5,655 $ 13,307  
Average Tuition for Full-Time Undergrads:
 $ 3,186 $ 10,716  
Required Fees for Full-Time Undergrads:
 $ 2,469 $ 2,591  
Financial Aid Avg. Amount Received % of Students Receiving Aid  
Federal Grants:
 $ 3,425 66%  
State and Local Grants:
 $ 2,894 62%  
Institutional Grants:
 $ 2,350 34%  
Student Loans:
 $ 3,454 77%  
Any Aid:
   90%  

Virginia State University Admissions

Acceptance Rate: 78% (Selective)
Test Scores  
SAT Scores:  
% of Students Submitting SAT Scores: 74%
Bottom 25th Percentile: Verbal: 410, Math: 400
Top 75th Percentile: Verbal: 480, Math: 480

Application Requirements (Undergraduate Only)

Application Fee: $ 25.00
Formal Demonstration of Competencies: Not Required
High School Diploma or Equivalent: Recommended
High School GPA: Required
High School Rank: Recommended
High School Record: Required
Recommendations: Required
TOEFL: Required
Test Scores: Required

College Advice on Virginia State University

Yahoo
inNeedofHelp
inNeedo...

Question: How hard is it to attain in-state Virginia residency from University of Virginia?

I applied and got accepted into UVa, but I live out of state. The in-state tuition is about 20,000 less, so I'm considering going and changing to Virginia residency in my sophomore year to save some money. Has anyone attempted this process or have some knowledge of how difficult it would be? Is there a specific number of hours one has to work to demonstrate commitment?
11 months ago
thewindtwister
thewi...

Best Answer

To gain residency has nothing to do with the school. In order to gain residency in VA you have to get a driver's license and register to vote. Paying taxes, registering a vehicle, obtaining a bill (like a cell phone bill) using your dorm address would all help towards establishing the fact that you intend to be a resident. You have to have this for a year, however, so the day that you touch down in Virginia run to the Charlottesville DMV and transfer over your driver's license and register to vote. This way, by the time next year rolls around you can fill out the form for in state tuition consideration and see a significant decrease in the amount of money you'll be paying out. Good luck and have fun at UVA :)
Balla
Balla

Question: What school is better to play basketball at Benedict College or West Virginia State University?

For like to play basketball which school is better...Both are divison 2 schools. So which one would you pick?
40 months ago
Allie M
Allie M

Best Answer

I would pick West Virginia State because it has a better athletic history and you would have a better chance of getting noticed by D1 schools in case you wanted to transfer.
Collin
Collin

Question: Does anyone know how far the beach is from Virginia State University?

43 months ago
Goingslo
Goingslo

Best Answer

From Virginia State University go East on US 460 for 2 hours and you'll reach Virginia Beach. About 120 miles.

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Virginia State University
Petersburg, VA 23806
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