Supporting Adult Learners

The Educational Opportunity Center (EOC) program at VSAC serves adults who do not yet have a 4-year degree. Most adults served through EOC are the first in their families to go to college and have financial barriers to pursuing their goals beyond high school. VSAC EOC counselors throughout the state help with career exploration, education and training options, and financial aid applications.

50 ways an EOC counselor can assist you

Career Planning and Decision Making

EOC counselors can help you:

1. Identify your skills and interests
2. Learn where to find information about various careers
3. Use VSAC’s online tools
4. Explore various careers that might fit with who you are
5. Chose a career path that works for you
6. Make a career plan to reach your goals

Education Planning and Decision Making

EOC counselors can help you:

7. Understand the U.S. education system
8. Find a high school completion program
9. Identify education programs available beyond high school 
10. Research short-term training programs
11. Research colleges in Vermont and elsewhere
12. Find English Language Learner programs
13. Choose an education program that moves you ahead on your career path
14. Make an education plan to reach your goals

Ways to Pay for Education and Training

EOC counselors can help you:

15. Open a MyVSAC account and learn how to use it
16. See the big picture about how to pay for education beyond high school
17. Translate financial aid jargon and understand how financial aid works
18. Understand the hidden rules of financial aid
19. Find & apply scholarships that are available
20. Apply for grants that are available
21. Understand the loans that are available
22. Find alternative ways to pay for training and education

Hands-on Assistance with Completing Financial Aid Applications

EOC counselors can help you with:

23. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
24. VSAC-assisted scholarships
25. Other types of scholarships
26. VSAC part-time or full-time grants
27. VSAC Advancement grants for non-degree programs
28. Education loans

Resolve Past and Present Education Financial Issues

EOC counselors can help you with issues such as:

29. Loan default and rehabilitation
30. Advocating for yourself and appealing your financial aid with your college and VSAC, based on current year income

Apply for Education or Training Programs 

EOC counselors can help you:

31. Understand the various admission processes
32. Complete the admissions application process
33. Receive an admissions fee waiver if you need one
34. Advocate for yourself in the admissions process

Work Effectively with Other Helpful Agencies or Organizations 

EOC counselors can:

35. Refer you to agencies that might help you with planning and financing your education 
36. Consult with staff at other agencies on your behalf
37. Advocate for you and teach you to advocate for yourself when working with other agencies
38. Provide information about free tax preparation services
39. Help you access the earned income tax credit, if possible
40. Support you in completing your Reach Up PSE education plan, if applicable
41. Make connections to help you access your veterans’ benefits, if applicable

Stay in School and Be Successful

EOC counselors can:

42. Nominating you for special VSAC scholarships for EOC participants
43. Connecting you with study skills resources
44. Helping you understand your learning style and how it affects your school performance
45. Facilitating a connection with support services available at your school
46. Advocating for you with schools and training programs
47. Providing ongoing encouragement and support all the way to program completion 

Access Education and Financial Aid Information for your High School Child 

EOC counselors can help you:

48. Connect your child to information about our high school outreach programs
49. Share information about our College Pathways events for high school juniors and seniors
50. Direct you to statewide financial aid forms events

The first step in getting help is to meet with a counselor. Just call one of the numbers below, Monday through Friday between 8:00 am–4:30 pm, to set up an appointment with a counselor near you:

• 802-654-3793 in the Burlington area
• 802-786-8840 in the Rutland or Bennington areas
• 877-961-4369 statewide

There's no charge for this appointment. 

Meet the EOC team

We want to meet you in your local communities. We have strong partnerships with agencies, postsecondary institutions, and community entities who share meeting space in more than 50 locations in 28 communities throughout Vermont. Appointments can be in-person, over the phone, and virtual.

This is our team, and here’s where you can find us. We can’t wait to help you!

Want help with financial aid for learning opportunities?

If you're meeting to receive assistance with financial aid applications, it will help if you can bring the items listed below to complete the applications. However, if you don’t have these items, please don’t stress. The VSAC EOC counselor can help you explore ways to retrieve this information (if you even need it). 

What to bring if you're 24 years old or older

Depending on your specific situation, this may include:

• Your 2022 federal 1040 tax returns and W2s (if filed)
• Your monthly Reach Up Family Assistance and Food Stamps/Vermont 3 Squares (if applicable)
• Any child support paid and/or received in 2022 (if applicable)
• The current balance of your checking and savings accounts
• Your home’s value and the amount you still owe on your mortgage (if you own a home)
• Your farm’s value and debt (if you own a farm)
• Your business value and debt (if you own a business)
• The value of any investments and any investment-related debt (if you own any investments such as a rental property)
• Your email address and password
• Your cell phone, if you have one
• FAFSA and MyVSAC user names and passwords (if you've already obtained them)

What to bring if you're under 24 years old

If you're under 24 years old, you may be considered a dependent student when it comes to financial aid (see the questionnaire in the next drop-down section on this page). This means that you'll need to provide your parent(s)’ financial information as well as your own when applying for financial aid. And the amount of financial aid you receive will be based on your whole family’s finances.

Please bring the following documents:

• Your parents’ required items in the list above 
• Your 2022 federal 1040 tax returns and W2s (if applicable)
• Your parents’ 2022 federal tax returns and W2s 
• Your parents’ dates of birth and their Social Security Numbers
• The date of your parents’ marriage, divorce, and/or separation (if applicable)

Please consider bringing a parent to the appointment.

If you're under 24, find out if you're a dependent student

Determining whether or not you’re an independent or dependent student is an important step. To find out, answer the questions below. If you answer “yes” to any 1 of these questions for the 2024–2025 academic year, you're considered an independent student.

1.	Were you born before January 1, 2001?	Yes	No
2.	As of today, are you married? Answer “yes" if you are separated, but not divorced.	Yes	No
3.	At the beginning of the school year, will you be working on a master’s or doctorate program (such as an MA, MBA, MD, JD, PhD, EdD, or graduate certificate)?	Yes	No
4.	Are you currently serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces for purposes other than training?	Yes	No
5.	Are you a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces?	Yes	No
6.	Do you have children who will receive more than half of their support from you?	Yes	No
7.	Do you have dependents (other than your children or spouse) who live with you and who receive more than half of their support from you?	Yes	No
8.	At any time since you turned age 13, were both your parents deceased, were you in foster care, or were you a dependent or ward of the court? For question 8, answer “yes" if at any time since you turned age 13: You had no living parent (biological or adoptive) even if you are now adopted; or You were in foster care, even if you are no longer in foster care today; or You were a dependent or ward of the court, even if you are no longer a dependent or ward of the court today. For federal student aid purposes, someone who is incarcerated is not considered a ward of the court. The financial aid administrator at your school may require you to provide proof that you were in foster care or that you were a dependent or ward of the court.	Yes	No
9.	As determined by a court in your state of legal residence, are you or were you an emancipated minor?	Yes	No
10.	As determined by a court in your state of legal residence, are you or were you in legal guardianship?	Yes	No
11.	Are you an unaccompanied youth who is homeless or self-supporting and at risk of being homeless?	Yes	No

Looking for more resources?

Check our regional resource sheets for more helpful agencies, links, and info.

• Northeast Kingdom resources (PDF)
• Northwest Vermont resources (PDF)
• Central-Upper Valley resources (PDF)
• Rutland-Bennington-Middlebury resources (PDF)
• Southeast Vermont resources (PDF)

The Educational Opportunity Center (EOC) program started in 1991 in Vermont. We're celebrating over 30 years and have helped more than 60,000 adult Vermonters! 

Data

Every year we receive funding from the US Department of Education to enroll 1,580 participants across Vermont, and every year we have exceeded those objectives. In 2022–23, we enrolled 1,681 participants and helped an additional 2,010 adults in statewide services.

• 96% of the participants we helped last year submitted financial aid applications.
• 94% of the participants we helped last year applied to postsecondary institutions. 
• 79% of the participants we helped last year enrolled in postsecondary institutions as a result of our services.

Stories 

Every adult we help has a unique story and journey. Here are a few EOC students who agreed to share their stories:

• Lucie Hobbs-Johnson: “I’m a bit of a unicorn, and I’m okay with that.”
• Ghana Rimal: "A drop of water — that makes an ocean"
• Gail Trede uses life’s lessons to become a librarian
• Meghan Lewia helps keep people healthy
• Eden Towers is there to help in medical emergencies