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Upcoming Events

May
12
2023 Transition & Career Planning Conference
8:00am - 3:00pm Stoweflake Mountain Resort & Spa
Living and Learning in the 802: Vermont Opportunities and Pathways The 18th Annual Transition and Career Planning Conference, hosted by Vermont State GEAR UP in partnership with VSAC, HireAbility Vermont...
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Jul
31
Introduction to EMC2: A Week-Long Professional Development Training
8:45am - 3:45pm daily through August 4 at VSAC, Winooski
Are you a 7-12th grade math teacher in Vermont? You are invited to a week of professional development, July 31 – August 4, to introduce you to a new course...
Details
event for education professionals
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Paying for College

How to Apply for Financial Aid

Financial aid options for Vermont college students and Vermont residents.

 

For most students planning to attend college or career school, financial aid is essential. We’ll walk you through how financial aid works, and VSAC resources to pay for college.

 

Contents

 

FAFSA details

Scholarships for students

Workstudy for students

Grants equal free money

Funding for career training

Learn about loans

FAFSA
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is the first step to getting financial aid.

 

All types of financial aid—including Vermont grants and VSAC-assisted scholarships—require a FAFSA. You don’t have to know what you want to do after high school, but completing a FAFSA helps keep your options open.

The  government FAFSA is free. Making sure you're on sites that end in dot-gov, will ensure that you're not paying for any service or application.

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  1. Create a Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID (username and password).

  2. Gather your information.

  3. Start a FAFSA application. 

  4. Review and submit your FAFSA.

  5. Look for a confirmation message. 

  6. Check your email for a Student Aid Report (SAR).

  7. Make any needed corrections to your FAFSA application. 

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Get FAFSA help from VSAC.

 

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grants
Grants are free financial aid that you do not need to pay back. 

 

 

VSAC is your resource for Vermont grants. Grant amounts vary by student and by year, depending on available funding and financial need.

There are 3 kinds of grants you can use for your education or training:

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STATE GRANTS
Check your state for grant programs here:

If you're a Vermont resident, you may be eligible to receive grant money from the state through VSAC. 

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FEDERAL GRANTS

Pell grants, FSEOG grants, TEACH grants, Iraq & Afghanistan service grants from the U.S. Department of Education.
File a FAFSA to determine your eligibility. 

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COLLEGE GRANTS from your school.
Contact your school's financial aid office to ask what applications need to be filed. 

Be sure to look for financial aid deadlines and additional forms that may be required. 

 

Start your Vermont grant application.

 

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scholarships
Scholarships—like grants—are financial aid that you do not need to pay back. 

 

 

Scholarships are offered by many different groups, organizations, and even individuals. They're offered for all kinds of attributes—and to all kinds of students. In fact, if you live in Vermont, you can take advantage of scholarships that are just for Vermonters. VSAC can help guide you through the scholarship search process. 


VSAC administers more than 120 scholarships available to Vermont residents. And we encourage you to apply!

Keep in mind:

Scholarships are competitive.

Communication is key. 

Eligibility is important.

 

Explore scholarship options. 

 

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career-focused funding
Funding for improving the long-term future of your career.

 

The Vermont Legislature passed a historic bill in June 2022 which invests millions of dollars of state and federal funding into initiatives designed to address Vermont’s workforce shortage. This new funding will reduce or eliminate tuition for eligible students pursuing careers in critical fields such as skilled trades, early childhood education, nursing, mental health care and more.

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VSAC, in partnership with other Vermont agencies, will offer grants and interest-free forgivable loans that will help eligible students afford the degree or training they need to pursue the career they want.

 

View the current offerings on our Workforce Development page.

 

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work study
Federal Work-Study (FWS) Program

 

Federal Work-Study provides part-time jobs for undergraduate and graduate students with financial need, allowing them to earn money to help pay education expenses. The program encourages community service work and work related to the student's course of study. Students must file a FAFSA as part of the application process for FWS assistance. 

Contact your school's financial aid office or learn more at studentaid.gov.

 

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loans

If you’re new to the world of education loans, the details can be confusing. 

 

Many students need loans to pay for education expenses after grants, scholarships, work-study and savings.

There are two main options for student loans: federal (government) loans or private loans from banks, credit unions, and other lenders. You should research all your options for federal loans, also known as Direct loans, before shopping around for private loans.

As Vermont’s nonprofit state agency, we’ll help you understand the basics of federal and “private" loans (they're not created equal). We'll also show you ways to compare options so that you can minimize your monthly payments and the amount you’ll pay in the long term. 

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Learn more about loans.

 

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(800) 642-3177

info@vsac.org

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