FAQs About Admissions

Yes! Financial assistance includes grants and loans as well as work study and fellowship opportunities. Approximately 94% of Radford University undergraduate students who apply for financial aid receive some form of financial assistance. Our priority FAFSA deadline is February 1; however, we will continue to award aid after this date as we are able. Visit the Financial Aid website for more information.

Radford University is excited to welcome visitors back to campus in our in-person tours. In addition to our in person tours, we offer a virtual tour that you can participate in from the comfort of your own home or a self-guided tour for you to complete on your own time.  To schedule your in person tour or walk through our virtual tour, check out our visit page.

If you apply for early action, you will be notified by January 15. If you applied for regular decision, you will be notified by April 1.

Admission notifications are sent out through the applicant portal and postal mail. If your address has changed since you applied or you need us to resend instructions on how to activate your applicant portal, please contact us at admissions@radford.edu to update your information. 

The University Registrar's Office provides information for all Veteran benefits, including Post 9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) benefits. We encourage prospective students to contact the Registrar's Office for information about the application of benefits. Please note: All Active Duty Service Members (including Guard and Reserve) must contact their Education Service Officer (ESO) or Education Counselor within their branch of service prior to enrolling in any college or university.

We recommend students complete our free application during the fall semester of their senior year, prior to December 1st. This will ensure the student is the most competitive for admission, scholarships and financial aid. 

The deadline for incoming freshmen is December 1 for early action or February 1 for regular decision.

For transfer students, the priority deadline is March 1 for fall semester or November 1 for spring semester.

Yes! Radford University offers an Honors College that students are invited to apply for based upon meeting certain criteria. You are automatically reviewed upon applying to Radford University. If you meet the admissions criteria, you will receive a follow-up email with application instructions. You can find out more information about Honors College here.

In addition to the Honors College, we offer several other optional academic programs that students can apply for such as Research Rookies and Living and Learning Communities.

Several of our performing arts majors- such as music, theatre and dance-require an audition in order to be accepted into the major. These audition dates can be found on their webpage by choosing the specific program in which you intend to major. 

Other academic programs do not require an additional application before enrolling but do require certain pre-requiste classes and an application later on in your education at Radford. You can find information for each program here. 

After submitting your application to Radford University, you will receive an email within three business days that includes instructions on how to activate your Highlander Portal in order to check your application status, update your information, or submit documents. You can find more information on how to access your portal and check your application status here.

If it has been more than three business days and you have not received this email, please contact us at admissions@radford.edu or 540-831-5371

When you apply to Radford University, you will need:

• An official transcript of high school work completed.
• Test scores (optional)

Radford University is proud to offer test optional consideration to all freshman applicants. You do not need an SAT or ACT to be considered for admission and will not be at a disadvantage if you choose not to submit test scores.

If you choose to submit test scores, request to have your results electronically submitted to Radford University or you may send an official copy of your test score report to:

Radford University Office of Admissions
Box 6903
Radford, VA 24142.

Freshman applicants are automatically reviewed for our merit-based scholarships through our Highlander Distinction Program. Students do not need to submit any additional information beyond what is required for their admissions application. Review for the Highlander Distinction Program is done year-round. Notification of a Highlander Distinction scholarship will be included in your Admissions acceptance letter. 

Transfer students are automatically reviewed for the Virginia Transfer Grant and our Transfer Excellence Scholarship. More information can be found on our Transfer Application Guidelines page.

In addition, Radford University offers Foundation Scholarships that incoming students are eligible to apply for after being accepted to Radford University.

Learn more about what is waiting for you at Radford University!  Our admitted students page is the perfect place to get started. Here, you can find more info about how to confirm your enrollment as well as opportunities to connect with campus and other incoming students.