Upcoming Events

Aug

ESPP: Educators Supporting Post-high school Planning

9:00am - 4:00pm Community College of VT Upper Valley

VSAC Aspirations is offering professional development for educators! This is a semester-long course that ends October 26. This course is designed to support participants to integrate post-high school exploration and...

Sep

VSAC's Annual Financial Aid Training for Education and Agency Professionals: Financial Aid 101

9:00am - 10:30am on Zoom

Financial Aid 101 This virtual training session is geared toward education and agency professionals who are newer to discussing the financial aid process with potential learners, would like to hear...

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Main Content

Blog Archive: Student Aid Options

06 Dec

VSAC Student Success Story Lauren Craig: From a scholarship & scrubs to ‘sassy saint’

Written by
Sabina Haskell

When she was in her mid-twenties, Lauren Craig thought she had hit a dead end on her career path. Fortunately, with some heavy encouragement from a friend and some financial help from VSAC, some new doors opened, and today, she’s working in a job she loves. “I’ve kind of jumped around a lot, with…

19 Nov

Ashley Gray brings the world back home to the NEK

Written by
Sabina Haskell

When Ashley Gray was selected in 2016 to be the new principal of Peacham Elementary School, officials from the Caledonia Central Supervisory Union knew they were fortunate to have found such a strong candidate. “Ms. Gray possesses strong leadership skills and a desire to work with the community,”…

04 Sep

Gail Trede uses life’s lessons to become a librarian

Written by
Sabina Haskell

When Gail Trede started her college path she was in her mid-50s. It started because she had earned the opportunity to take an online class at no cost through volunteer work. But she was reluctant. She didn’t think she was smart enough. Her confidence was so low, someone else had to actually sign her…

30 Jul

Fexhrije Ilazi rekindles her dream of earning a degree in her new homeland

Written by
Sabina Haskell

Fexhrije Ilazi had two years left of college when she was forced to end her pursuit of a degree. She was living in Kosovo and the war there left both her homeland and her dreams in smoldering ruins. Fexhrije eventually moved to the United States as a refugee with two little children. She didn’t…

22 May

Dennis Van Nostrand knows the road he wants to travel

Written by
Sabina Haskell

Dennis Van Nostrand has two dreams: To be a cross-country tractor-trailer truck driver and to be an actor. On the first one he’s close to his destination. Dennis currently has a class B commercial driver’s license and works for Thomas Dairy in Rutland. He loves his job, but he’s been spending his…

13 Mar

Jeremy MacKenzie’s story is the stuff movies are made of

Written by
Sabina Haskell

Jeremy MacKenzie’s higher education journey is the stuff movies are made of. It starts when Jeremy is incarcerated and ends, at least for now, with a George Lucas scholarship to get his graduate degree in film studies. And, without the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation, this tale may never have…

22 Jan

Diane Willson finds a path from farming to her reflexology practice

Written by
Sabina Haskell

The degree Diane Willson is now pursuing wasn’t available when she first looked at colleges as a senior in high school. She counts the options she had back then on one hand. “The choices in my generation were: to be a nurse, a teacher, a secretary, or go to college to find your guy, who will then…