Expanding opportunity, strengthening community: Virginia Tech Advantage grows

When Jaden Phu, a first-year student studying public health, arrived at Virginia Tech, it wasn’t grades that worried him. Instead, he worried about missing out on opportunities like internships and study abroad.

He knew he wanted to work during school breaks to explore his interest in dentistry and become a competitive applicant for dental school. Today, thanks to the Presidential Scholarship Initiative (PSI), Phu not only enjoys his studies and work but hopes to study abroad one summer. He sees a clear path to his degree and his future – and enjoys the social activities he’s been exposed to through his scholarship.

“Without the enrichment activities that go with being a PSI student, I wouldn’t be doing as many social activities,” Phu said. “Just recently, I went to see an all-male a cappella group and met almost a dozen other PSI students.

“It’s more than tuition support,” he said. “I always have someone to turn to. It’s advisors who check in, even the director offers guidance, and that gives me the confidence that I belong here.”

Phu is one of more than 700 students currently supported by the Presidential Scholarship Initiative, a cornerstone of Virginia Tech Advantage. The Presidential Scholarship Initiative is expanding with enrollment reaching 718 students in 2025–26, including 10 new seats reserved for students from counties impacted by Hurricane Helene. By 2026–27, the initiative is expected to support 880 students across the university.

Meeting students where they are

The growth of the Presidential Scholarship Initiative reflects the university’s broader commitment to access and affordability through Virginia Tech Advantage, a universitywide effort to increase financial support and resources for in-state undergraduates. Virginia Tech Advantage funding has increased for 2025–26, and services have expanded well beyond financial aid to include food and basic needs support as well as experiential learning opportunities.

“Affordability is just the starting point,” said Beth Armstrong, associate vice provost and director of University Scholarships and Financial Aid. “Virginia Tech Advantage is about making sure every student has the tools to succeed, whether that means guidance from an advisor, help with basic needs like housing and food, or opportunities to apply what they’re learning outside the classroom.”

This rings true for Jaylee Lederhouse, a sophomore majoring in landscape architecture. “PSI helps a lot with rent and groceries, which was a huge concern for me because living off campus can really add up cost-wise. And the advisors are fantastic — they just want to see you succeed and will do everything they can to help you.”

Evidence shows the impact. PSI students in the 2020 cohort achieved a 92 percent four-year graduation rate, compared with 69.5 percent for all first-time, first-year students who started in that year.

“That’s why scaling PSI matters,” said Jill Sible, vice provost for undergraduate academic affairs. “We’re not just helping students enroll, we’re helping them graduate and launch meaningful careers. When students are supported holistically, they thrive.”

Expanding support beyond tuition

Recent milestones demonstrate how Virginia Tech Advantage continues to grow:

• The Scholar Support unit, launched in 2024, now serves 4,500 students with advising and resources.
• The university raised $53.4 million for scholarships and student support in FY25 against a goal of $32.3 million, signaling strong support from donors.
  
• The Hokie Summer Scholars program, funded by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, gave 19 Pell-eligible students the chance to earn summer credit and conduct paid research.
• This spring and summer, 62 students received up to $5,000 each through the Ut Prosim Internship Support Fund, making unpaid or underpaid internships financially possible.

For Phu, that support changed everything. “I was able to continue work I started at 16 years old, as a dental assistant,” he said. “I’ve worked in cosmetic dentistry and am presently working an orthodontic rotation so I can experience the various types of dentistry. This shows me that Virginia Tech is serious about investing in students’ futures.”

Jerry McCoy, a senior majoring in entrepreneurship, innovation, and technology in the Pamplin College of Business, juggles studies along with an active schedule in Air Force ROTC. He welcomes the ability to take classes over winter and summer breaks thanks to his scholarship.

“Air Force training and commitments keep me pretty busy, so being able to take those classes without added financial stress is a blessing. Many of the other cadets aren’t as fortunate. And study abroad is something I’m definitely thinking about.”

Lederhouse agreed. “I have a study abroad that's built into my program – Italy for six weeks. Without the scholarship I there's no way I would have been able to do that. Virginia Tech Advantage puts me on the same level as my peers.”

Building futures for all students

Virginia Tech leaders see these outcomes as a reflection of the university’s land-grant mission and its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve).

“Virginia Tech is committed to making sure that students from all backgrounds can achieve their goals here,” said Menah Pratt, vice president for strategic affairs and chair of Virginia Tech Advantage. “The growth of the Presidential Scholarship Initiative and the broader Virginia Tech Advantage represent a more inclusive future – not only for the university, but for the communities our students will one day serve.”

“I am grateful that I have the opportunity to come to a place like Virginia Tech,” McCoy said. “I cherish it. Virginia Tech Advantage opened the door for me, and I hope to establish my own endowed scholarship someday so that I can hold it open for others.”