Students are at the center of everything Virginia Tech’s Graduate School does as it fulfills its mission to advance graduate education as a critical component in the transmission of new knowledge, new research, new ideas, and new scholarship in the University. We provide programs, services, and support for a community of more than 7,000 graduate students whose reasons for pursuing graduate degrees are as varied as the students themselves.
The Graduate School is responsible for graduate education across the university, with more than 150 degree and certificate programs offered at campuses throughout the Commonwealth and online. We are committed to fostering a rich learning environment that attracts and retains outstanding graduate students. We also strive to create an inclusive and welcoming community for students across programs and campuses.
More than 3,000 graduate students receive financial assistance, and your Giving Day donation helps us provide needed support for them. You will find graduate students
- Working on ground-breaking research in university laboratories and institutions.
- Teaching and mentoring undergraduate students in their fields of study.
- Providing support for key initiatives in departments and on campuses across the university.
Additionally, your gift supports
- Research fellowships for students.
- Scholarships for international students; fellowship assistance for members of underrepresented and underserved populations and support through the Dean’s Diversity Assistantship program
- Travel and lodging support for scholars in the interdisciplinary Global Perspectives Program research in Europe.
- Professional Development: helping students hone the skills needed to succeed in careers within the academy and in industry.
- Child-care assistance: Providing safe and affordable care for graduate students with families.
- Gap funding: Assisting students who need help to cover the cost of the last credits they need to complete a degree or to cover unexpected degree-required expenses.
- Emergency support for students in need of such assistance.
How you can help
Gifts to these funds assure that we can continue providing students with the support and services they need as they pursue their degrees, and further our work in fostering an inclusive graduate community at Virginia Tech.
Graduate School Annual Fund
Your gift to this fund supports fellowships and scholarships for students so they can pursue their degrees, and helps cover the cost of workshops, speaker events, and other such activities supporting students. This fund also provides emergency assistance to students when such is needed.
Global Perspectives Program Fund
This fund supports students in the interdisciplinary Global Perspective Program, who study current topics and issues influencing higher education in the United States and globally. Students spend a semester developing research proposals and plans, then spend two weeks visiting universities in three European countries, meeting with faculty members, students, and administrators. They use the Steger Center in Basal, Switzerland as their home base. This fund covers travel, lodging, and meals for GPP scholars to ensure that no student is denied the opportunity for lack of funds.
Little Hokie Hangout Fund
Gifts to this initiative help graduate students with children pursue their educational and professional goals by enrolling their children in the Graduate School’s own early education program. Ten donations of $50 make it possible for a child to attend the program three mornings a week for an entire semester. Students who have received this assistance say it has made continuing and completing their education possible.
| Rank | State | Gifts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | VA | 69 |
| 2 | TN | 5 |
| 3 | CA | 4 |
