Planning for college or training this year? Apply for the Vermont Grant. And explore VSAC scholarships—Deadline: Feb. 12!
How We Create Opportunities for Vermonters
VSAC’s financial aid, loan services, and outreach programs are helping Vermonters to build something better
Our vision is to create opportunities for all Vermont students, but particularly for those—of any age—who believe that the doors to higher education are closed to them.
VSAC’s 529 COLLEGE SAVINGS PLAN
More than $673.2 million is invested in 29,311 Vermont Higher Education Investment plan accounts as of June 2024.
VSAC NEED-BASED EDUCATION GRANTS
In 2023–2024, VSAC awarded 12,246 need-based education grants (totaling $22.42 million) to Vermont students.
VSAC SCHOLARSHIPS
VSAC administered more than 150 scholarships and forgivable loans funded by public or private sources—funding 4,879 awards worth more than $18.2 million during the 2023–2024 academic year.
VSAC LOAN SERVICES
VSAC’s FY24 financing:
- VSAC issued $38 million in its student and parent loans and serviced $419.9 million in federal and private loans
- Borrower benefit programs have saved borrowers more than $183 million since 1995
- Offered education loans for Vermont students and parents
- Provided loan coaching: free, in-depth personalized education debt counseling as borrowers begin repayment
VSAC COMMUNITY OUTREACH
In 2023–2024, VSAC:
- Counseled 5,901 modest-income and/or first-generation, college-bound Vermont students of all ages through the VSAC Aspirations Project, special projects with the McClure Foundation and three federal grants: Talent Search, GEAR UP and Educational Opportunity Center.
- 80% of Talent Search and 48% of GEAR UP participants who graduated from high school in 2023 continued their education in the fall.
- More than 1,765 Vermont adults enrolled in the EOC program and 80% enrolled in postsecondary education; the program assisted an additional 2,089 people throughout Vermont.
- Middle school and high school students from all over Vermont were served by GEAR UP partnerships, including Vermont Careers CLiC, Governor’s Institutes of Vermont, Vermont Virtual Learning Cooperative, University of Vermont, Vermont State University, and Community College of Vermont’s Introduction to College & Careers.
- 585 GEAR UP high school grads received access to individualized services to help with their transition to in- and out-of-state education programs through VSAC’s innovative GEAR UP After High School (formerly GUIDE) program.
- Additionally, 499 GEAR UP postsecondary students were awarded GEAR UP’s renewable scholarship.
- 40,000 Vermonters and other borrowers were assisted by VSAC financial counselors in FY24.
- Some 727 parents and students attended free “Paying for College” and "Financial Aid Forms" events, and 1,369 students and parents attended our "College & Career Pathways" event at four locations sitewide, while an additional 256 students and families viewed these events online via livestream or recording. Recordings and webinars have received over 17,600 video views on YouTube.
- Distributed financial aid materials, adult student handbooks, and scholarship booklets to hundreds of Vermont schools, libraries, and agencies.
- VSAC staff provided training to 623 education professionals on the topics of career exploration, college planning, and applying for financial aid.
Learn more about how VSAC influences higher education policy in Vermont >