VSAC transferred the servicing of your Federal Student loans to American Education Services and the guarantee of all VSAC Federal Student loans to the Trellis Company, an approved Federal Guaranty Agency, over the weekend of March 16th. CLICK HERE for more information.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Scholarships or Forgivable Loans
What scholarships or forgivable loans does VSAC have available?
VSAC administers more than 150 scholarships or forgivable loans for Vermonters.
What scholarships or forgivable loans can I apply for online?
With VSAC’s online Unified Scholarship Application, you can complete one electronic form for all VSAC-assisted scholarships or forgivable loans. The application can be filed online after October 1, in addition to any additional documents that may be required for the scholarships you are applying to.
If I receive a scholarship or forgivable loan, will it affect the amount of financial aid I receive from my college?
Scholarships or forgivable loans are usually looked at in one of three ways:
- To fill "unmet need," meaning to fill the difference between the cost of the college and the financial aid you’ve been offered.
- To reduce the amount in loans you need to borrow.
- To reduce your college's grant assistance to you.
Call your school's financial aid office for specific information on how your school treats scholarships or forgivable loans.
How do I apply for VSAC-assisted scholarship or forgivable loan?
Log into your MyVSAC account and click on “Work with VSAC-Assisted Scholarships.” Look for “Submit Application” and “Unified Scholarship Application (USA),” and follow the instructions.
How do I upload required documents?
Log into your MyVSAC account and click on "Work with VSAC-Assisted Scholarships." Look for “Required Documents” or “Upload Scholarship Documents.”
How do I know what documents I need to submit?
Each scholarship or forgivable loans description in VSAC’s scholarships booklet indicates the documents that must be submitted in order for your application to be considered complete.
Through your MyVSAC account, you can view the list of required documents you’ve submitted and a list of required documents that are still outstanding.
How do I label the documents?
All documents must be labeled correctly with the document name, your name, and the last four digits of your Social Security number. Recommendation letters and portfolios are the exceptions and must be labeled with the document name, your name, and your date of birth.
How do I submit documents?
Once logged into your MyVSAC account, look for “Required Documents” or “Upload Scholarship Documents.” From here, you can upload documents saved to your computer to VSAC. Do not send more than one type of recommendation letter unless it’s specifically required by the scholarship or forgivable loan (see each scholarship description).
VSAC will process each document as the document type you selected. For example, if you upload a letter under the label “Letter-Non-Relative” and it’s actually a community service letter, your application will reflect receipt of the non-relative letter, and any scholarship or forgivable loan that required the community service letter will be considered incomplete.
If you’re unable to submit your required documents online, mail them to VSAC:
VSAC Scholarships Program
PO Box 2000
Winooski, VT 05404-2601
How do I renew a scholarship I was awarded last year?
For information about renewing a scholarship, sign into your MyVSAC account.
Click on “Work with VSAC-Assisted Scholarships” and then on “Renew a Scholarship.”
Can I check the status of my scholarship or forgivable loan application online through MyVSAC?
Yes. You can view scholarships or forgivable loans listed on your USA, verify required documents received and outstanding, view awards and view disbursements online through your MyVSAC account.
You may also inquire about the status of your application by contacting VSAC Scholarships Program at scholarships@vsac.org or 888-253-4819.
What happens if I’m awarded a scholarship or forgivable loan?
If you were chosen as the recipient of one or more scholarships or forgivable loan, VSAC will notify you before May 1.
How are students and schools notified?
- Scholarship or forgivable loan recipients are notified by letter through the U.S. mail.
- Colleges/universities can view your award online through their school MyVSAC account. However, we recommend that you provide a copy of your award letter(s) to the financial aid office.
What do I need to do?
- Submit a copy of your award letter(s) to the financial aid office at your school.
- Write a thank-you note to the donor of your scholarship or or forgivable loan. Letters should be mailed to the VSAC Scholarships Program, PO Box 2000, Winooski, VT 05404. VSAC will forward your letter to the appropriate contact person.
How will my scholarship or forgivable loan be disbursed?
- Scholarship or forgivable loan funds will be mailed directly to your school each term/semester after your enrollment and satisfactory academic progress have been verified.
- Your award will be divided between the number of terms/semesters your school has in its standard academic year (typically fall/spring or fall/winter/spring).
- If you plan to enroll for summer term and have not used all of your scholarship or forgivable loan during the standard academic year, contact VSAC’s Scholarships Program.