BLACKSBURG, Va. – Virginia Tech is anticipating its largest freshman class in the fall.
“We had a model that was projecting about 7,000 acceptances, and we received just shy of 8,000 acceptances,” said Mark Owczarski, university spokesperson.
On Tuesday, some students were notified by email of three options they could take to delay attending school there in the fall.Â
“What we’re trying to do is give our incoming students choices and options that may be of interest to them academically or may have incentives for them financially. They can’t bring down the cost of their education,” said Owczarski.
With more than enough students, the university says it's a good problem to have.
“This is a challenge that is new to Virginia Tech. We’ve never had this level of interest in Virginia Tech. And so what we’re doing is we’re trying to think not what others have done but what will be best for our students,” Owczarski said.
Virginia Tech provided 10 News with this breakdown of the three options students have:
Option 1: Guaranteed Admissions Program GAP2020 - Take a gap year, with guaranteed admission to Virginia Tech in fall 2020.
- This option allows you to take a gap year and receive an additional $1,000 scholarship renewable for up to four years.
- Current Virginia Tech scholarships will still be honored and the student will have priority for on-campus housing
Option 2: Guaranteed Admission Transfer Program GRANT2020 - Wait a year to enroll at Virginia Tech while taking classes at your community college.
- Choose this option and save your first day on campus for fall 2020.
- You'll still be guaranteed admission, and we will honor your current Virginia Tech scholarships and give you priority for on-campus housing when you enroll next year.
- This option also provides you with a grant equal to the costs you will pay for tuition and fees for attendance at a Virginia Community College System (VCCS) institution during the 2019-2020 academic year.
- Additionally, the student is eligible to apply for a grant of up to $5,000 to support an internship, cooperative learning experience (co-ops), study abroad or other experiential learning opportunities during your enrollment at Virginia Tech.
- We will provide academic advising support to ensure that your VCCS credits will transfer and count toward your Virginia Tech degree.
Option 3: Experience 2020 - Summer start and summer finisher tuition-free, with fall or spring enrollment on campus.
- Start taking courses at Virginia Tech during our summer session (which begins July 9) with 6 credits (2 courses) tuition-free. Then enroll full-time (15 credits) beginning in either the fall or spring semester. During your term away from Blacksburg, you can choose to enroll at a community college or take a semester off to travel, work, engage in a service project, or any other endeavor that is important to you.
- Return to campus to finish the academic year in the summer of 2020 with up to 9 credits (3 courses) tuition-free.
- An additional grant of up to $2,000 will be available to you to support internships, co-ops or other approved experiential learning opportunities during your enrollment at Virginia Tech. Regular tuition and fees apply for fall or spring semesters.
Because students have a few weeks to make a decision, the university says it's too early to tell how many students will accept these opportunities.
If students decide not to take any of the options, it doesn't affect their admission status. The university will look forward to seeing them in the fall.