Upcoming Events

Apr

Managing Education & Training Costs

6:30pm - 7:30pm Zoom

Attention high school juniors and families: Attend a free Managing Education & Training Costs online presentation. At this presentation, we will provide an overview of how families cover the cost...

May

2026 Transition & Career Planning Conference

8:45am - 3:15pm Lake Morey Resort

Advancing Possibilities: Engage. Adapt. Excel The 21st Annual Transition and Career Planning Conference is hosted by VSAC's Vermont State GEAR UP program in partnership with the Vermont Agency of Education...

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Blog Archive: Preparing for College Costs

5 VSAC Staff who are first-generation college grads

03 Nov

Celebrating first-generation day with VSAC: Meet 5 first-gen staff on our team

Written by
VSAC Staff

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…

18 Oct

A helpful face behind the FAFSA: Meet VSAC's Chris Barry

Written by
VSAC Staff

“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…

VSAC Scholarships booklet and student in grad cap

17 Oct

VSAC scholarships booklet connects Vermont students to education funding

Written by
VSAC Staff

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…

Halley Riley-Elliott: from diesel shop to pageant stage

27 Sep

VSAC celebrates graduation readiness with GEAR UP week

Written by
VSAC Staff

GEAR UP helped Halley Riley-Elliott of Mt. Holly pursue her passions—from diesel shop to pageant stage Every September, VSAC celebrates National GEAR UP Week to make more Vermont families aware of the resources offered through the Vermont GEAR UP program. This federally funded program, which VSAC…

20 Sep

Shaftsbury’s John Dell’Anno heads back to school for a mid-career change

Written by
VSAC Staff

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…

12 Sep

You don’t have to be an accounting student to manage your money

Written by
VSAC Staff

Learning how to manage your money while in college will set you up for a healthier relationship with money in the future.

07 Sep

“I’m here, you can keep me!” Following up with Mimi Duong, one of Vermont’s most enthusiastic new employees

Written by
VSAC Staff

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…

29 Aug

8 back-to-school “to-dos” for students looking toward college or career training

Written by
VSAC Staff

If you have a middle school or high school student, you may want to add college and career planning to your annual back-to-school to-do list. It’s never too early for students to start thinking about their lives beyond high school: preparation can start as early as 7th and 8th grade. And if you have…

3 grads in the Green Mountain Job & Retention Program

25 Aug

New loan repayment program encourages grads to work in VT

Written by
VSAC Staff

Jessica Neilson of Rutland, Emma Nadeau of Derby, and Ben Hulett of Shaftsbury are benefitting from a $5,000 loan repayment incentive to launch their careers and stay in Vermont. A brand-new student loan repayment program, designed to incentivize recent college graduates to stay in Vermont, is…

23 Aug

Financial hardship? You may be eligible for more aid.

Written by
VSAC Staff

Facing unexpected expenses or a change in family income? Consider appealing for more financial aid. UVM junior David Richardson knows a lot about financial hardship and the unexpected ways it can strike a family. When David was seven, his family’s financial stability literally slipped out from…