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.

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.

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. 

Get FAFSA help from VSAC.

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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:

Start your Vermont grant application.

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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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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.

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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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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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. 

Learn more about loans.

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