Financial Aid and Student Loans in Vermont

Vermont boasts a lot of charm for a small state, from its leading maple syrup production to its quirky ice cream purveyors. However, it can be a tough place, financially, to be a college student. Vermont is the fifth most expensive state for college students, with an average on-campus yearly cost of $43,883 (2017–18). It’s no wonder that 63% of Vermont students graduate with debt.

Scholarships and grants can go a long way toward lowering your final bill for college. But where to start? 

That’s why we’ve provided this overview of some of the potential opportunities for Vermont residents. There are far too many scholarships to list here in full, but you can search in more detail at resources like scholarships.com, fastweb.com, and scholarshipportal.com.

What scholarship programs does Vermont have?

There are hundreds of scholarships available out there. All these resources have varying eligibility criteria, so make sure you do plenty of research before you start applying. Be sure that you qualify and that you’ve completed the application correctly.

The Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC) Scholarships

The Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC) is the state’s agency for all things education related. Start your research with the VSAC online booklet, which lists 140 scholarships available to students who are residents of Vermont. There are too many scholarships to outline exhaustively, so you’ll need to trawl through it yourself. It will be worth it, though.

To apply, you’ll need to submit the Unified Scholarship Application (USA) and any other required documentation by the 12th of February.

Choose Vermont Scholarship

Applications for this scholarship open in January to students committed to enrolling at the following colleges and universities in Vermont:

• Bennington College
• Castleton University
• Champlain College
• Community College of Vermont
• Landmark College
• Middlebury College
• Northern Vermont University
• Norwich University
• Saint Michael’s College
• Sterling College
• University of Vermont
• Vermont College of Fine Arts
• Vermont Technical College

Winners are selected randomly by a computer. No minimum academic achievement is necessary—the scholarship is based purely on luck.

Eleven $5,000 scholarships are available. The deadline for entry is the 1st of June.

Vermont Space Grant Undergraduate Scholarship

Aimed at University of Vermont students who aspire to work for NASA, this scholarship fund is available to graduating high school seniors headed to degree programs (and to returning college students) studying:

• Astronomy
• Biology and earth sciences
• Engineering
• Math
• Physics
• Medicine
• Aeronautical engineering
• Cross-disciplinary and other areas of study may also apply

The prospective student must want to pursue a career related to the aerospace industry or want to work at NASA. There is a minimum requirement of a 3.0 GPA. The award recipients will have the opportunity to work with scientists and engineers at NASA.

The scholarship pays out $5,000 for undergraduate students. These funds must be used for tuition. The scholarship is only for one year, but students can reapply for following years. 

The application is due on the 1st of March.

VSAC Freeman Scholarship

The VSAC Freeman Scholarship is available to students who can show that they have faced considerable barriers to accessing an education or students who are the first in their families to attend college. The awards are based on both financial need and academic merit.

There are a total of 10 scholarships available to students with a minimum GPA of 3.0. The scholarships are non-renewable and have to be used towards tuition.

Awards of $1,000 are available. The application deadline is in February as part of the VSAC application process.

What grant programs does Vermont have?

The state of Vermont has three grant programs for students:

Vermont Incentive Grant

Open to students enrolled in full-time courses approved by the U.S. Department of Education. Students must be studying for at least 12 credits a term and not have a bachelor’s degree yet.

In 2019-20, the grant awards ranged from $1,000 to $12,300, depending on financial need, the overall cost of your program, and the availability of funds. The grant is applied to tuition and books. Under normal circumstances, you’ll be responsible for room and board, transportation and other costs.

There’s no set deadline here, but the competition is fierce. Get your application in as early as possible – these grants are on first-come, first-serve.

Vermont Part-Time Grant

The state’s Part-Time Grant program is the same as the Incentive Grant, but it’s for part-time students. 

Recipients in 2019-20 received between $500 to $9,230. The amount is again based on financial need, the cost of your course, and how many credit hours you’ll be completing per term.

Again, there’s no set deadline as such. Funds are limited, so get your application in as early as possible. It requires a FAFSA, which opens each year on October 1, so think of this as an application for the fall if possible.

Advancement Grant

The third of Vermont’s state grants is the Advancement Grant, which is open to Vermont residents who are enrolled in non-degree programs that will improve their work prospects. It is not available to students in high school.

The award amounts were not readily available, but the state website does say that the amount awarded depends on financial need, the cost of the program, and the availability of funds. Again, get your application in early before the funds run out.

What student loan programs does Vermont have?

Vermont doesn’t have any dedicated student loan programs. Instead, it offers scholarships and grants. If you’re looking for a student loan in Vermont, you’ll have to consider federal student loans, private student loans, or no co-signer student loans.

Federal student loans in Vermont

Prospective Vermont students can receive federal financial aid assistance by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). 

Private co-signed student loans in Vermont

There are many private student loan opportunities for those who need additional assistance on top of federal student loans. Many banks, credit unions, and dedicated lending companies offer private student loans, but almost all require a co-signer.

No co-signer student loans in Vermont

Funding U began because we identified thousands of students who were unable to qualify for a private student loan because they didn’t have an eligible co-signer. While we’re no longer the only provider of such loans, we offer no co-signer student loans to career-focused students currently enrolled full time in college. The requirements for receiving a loan are dependent upon the GPA of the student and the graduation rate of the institution they attend. To learn more about our no co-signer student loans click here.

What schools does Funding U lend to in Vermont?

Generally speaking, Funding U’s no co-signer loans are offered to students at eligible four-year, non-profit, undergraduate degree-granting universities (which means we do not lend to for-profit schools, 2-year schools, graduate schools, or trade schools). Our eligibility requirements are based on models that aim to predict how likely a student is to graduate, and because of that, we have minimum GPA requirements that students must meet and minimum 6-year graduation rates that schools must reach in order to be eligible. To find out more about how we determine our eligibility, click here.

Below is a table listing all of the schools in Vermont that Funding U is currently lending to, with additional details on which grades we are currently lending to, based on the school’s 6-year graduation rate.