VSAC will be closed Thursday, July 4, 2024 in observance of Independence Day.
Blog Archive: Applying to College
The U.S. Department of Education has promised that the 2024/2025 Free Application for Federal Student Aid Forms (FAFSA) – the new, revised Free Application for Federal Student Aid – will be available in late December. The FAFSA is a requirement for almost all college financial aid programs, from…
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![Tia Stillman and Olivia Scher](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_featured_image_850x300_/public/2023-11/11.29_VTD%20Spotlight%201024x768.png?itok=CB1hTzZw)
VSAC Counselor Tia Stillman and Orwell student Olivia Scher bonded over their goals and drive to help people – as well as being people of color in a small Vermont town. As a kid, Olivia Scher was one of very few people of color in tiny Orwell, Vermont. One other person was her elementary school…
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The Thanksgiving season is for giving thanks and giving back. In that spirit, we wanted to highlight three Vermont students we’ve profiled in 2023, who, thanks to the support of their families, their employers, and the VSAC counselors who guided them on their college and career paths, are on their…
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![Kristen Moore with family](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_featured_image_850x300_/public/2023-11/Kristen%20Moore%20Comp%2011-9-23.png?itok=Tpe8PxD2)
Vermonter Kristen Merchant Moore is inspired to help youth after the death of her father, a Veteran. Kristen Merchant Moore’s father always emphasized the importance of education. When he became one of the first Vermont National Guard members to die in the Iraq War in 2006, his service to his…
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![5 VSAC Staff who are first-generation college grads](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_featured_image_850x300_/public/2023-11/FIRSTGEN_VTD%20Spotlight%201024x768.jpg?itok=R8nrEclm)
For First Generation Day, meet first-gen students who now work for VSAC: Jessi Krause Herron (bottom left), Monda Kelley (bottom right), Dylan Bertolini (upper right), Beth Clay (upper middle), Sarah Friend (upper left). If your parents didn't graduate from college, you're less likely to pursue…
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![Middle school students engaged with hands-on exhibits at STEM fairs in Vermont](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_featured_image_850x300_/public/2023-10/STEMstudents_resized.jpg?itok=Sqxxp-Mf)
Middle school students engaged with hands-on exhibits at STEM fairs in Castleton and the Northeast Kingdom. At two bustling events earlier this month at both ends of Vermont, hundreds of 7th and 8th graders came together for hands-on career exploration. Kingdom Career Connect and the Northeast…
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“I think FAFSAs are fun,” says Chris Barry, VSAC’s Resource Center Supervisor, flashing a bright smile and sitting up a little straighter in his seat. “But,” he concedes, “not everybody does.” For parents of college-bound high school seniors, who are just now starting the bewildering process of…
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![VSAC Scholarships booklet and student in grad cap](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_featured_image_850x300_/public/2023-10/Scholarship%20Spotlight%20VTD-1024x768-px.jpg?itok=oR21w7H3)
VSAC's Scholarship Booklet features about 150 VSAC-administered scholarships and more than 40 additional scholarships for students in college or training. If you had a 1 in 100 chance of winning $5,000, you’d probably buy that lottery ticket, right? Many of the college scholarship programs…
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![John Dell'anno First Day](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_featured_image_850x300_/public/2023-09/John%20Dellano%20FirstDayofSchool_0.png?itok=bTmlXpmB)
Over the last two decades, John Dell’Anno of Shaftsbury had built a career as a carpenter. Employed by a company out of Manchester, John worked on high-end residential job sites, and found plenty of work in towns like Stratton, Windham, and Dorset. But in 2014, after suffering a few accidents (one…
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![Mimi Duong](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_featured_image_850x300_/public/2023-09/Mimi%20Duong%20photo%20resized%204-3%20aspect%20ratio.jpg?itok=Oka1Jyi1)
When Mimi Duong was applying to college during her senior year at St. Johnsbury Academy, she found herself at a bit of a disadvantage, since her parents, who had emigrated to Vermont from Vietnam, weren’t totally familiar with the American college admissions system. When we last spoke with her in…
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