Vermont is one of the six states located in the Northeastern part of the United States of America, the area also known as New England. According to surveys, it is one of the safest states to reside in America, considered to be having low crime rates and topping the chart of safety. Here we will see about Is College Free in Vermont?
Education in Vermont is a good choice for students since it is one of the safest states in the USA hence catering to the safety of the immigrant students. There are multiple educational institutions in Vermont, ranging from public and private schools, State Colleges and Universities and also Private Colleges and Universities. There are 22 colleges and universities in the State of Vermont and 4 out-of-state colleges with their campuses in Vermont. Of the 22 colleges and universities, there are currently 16 institutions which are currently operating based in the U.S. State of Vermont. The Community College of Vermont (CCV) is the second largest college in Vermont, in terms of enrollment, and it offers tuition fee free education which makes it a good choice of university for pursuing an academic degree. With 12 campuses throughout the state, CCV also provides online education.
List of colleges in vermont
Following is the list of the notable operating colleges and universities in Vermont.
University of Vermont
Year of Establishment : 1791.
One of the oldest colleges in the State of Vermont. It is a public institution, located in Burlington in Vermont.
University with the highest enrollment rate in Vermont.
Castleton University
Year of Establishment : 1787.
Another notable university in Vermont, and the oldest university compared to the rest in this list. It is one of the public colleges situated in the region of Castleton, Vermont.
Champlain College
Year of Establishment : 1878.
It is a privately held institution, located in Burlington, Vermont.
Middlebury College
Year of Establishment : 1800.
It is a private institution, located in the Middlebury region of Vermont.
Vermont Technical College
Year of Establishment : 1866.
A public college, located in Randolph in Vermont.
Norwich University
Year of Establishment : 1819.
This is a privately held educational institution, situated in the region of Northfield, Vermont.
Landmark College
Year of Establishment : 1985.
The Landmark College, a private institution, is located in the Putney region of Vermont.
Community College of Vermont (CCV) – Winooski
Year of Establishment: 1970.
The second largest college of Vermont is the Community College of Vermont, in terms of number of campuses and enrollment percentage. It is a public college, located in the Winooski region of Vermont.
Northern Vermont University – Johnson
Year of Establishment : 1828.
Originally known as the Johnson State College, it was founded in 1828 by John Chesamore. It is a public college. In 2018, it was merged with the former Lyndon State College, and together they then came to be known as Northern Vermont University. It is located in Johnson in Vermont.
Goddard College
Year of Establishment : 1938.
The Goddard College is a private institution of education, located in Plainfield in Vermont.
Sterling College
Year of Establishment : 1958.
The Sterling College was originally founded in 1958, as a preliminary school for boys. It is a privately held institution, situated in Craftsbury in Vermont.
Is college free in vermont?
The Community Colleges situated in any place of any state or country are cost efficient as they do not include the tuition cost. It goes the same way for the colleges in Vermont. The Community College of Vermont (CCV) located in Winooski, Vermont is free, in a sense that it does not involve any tuition fee. For immigrant students, the only cost that they need to undertake includes their accommodation, transportation and other miscellaneous costs. The State owned public colleges are also cost efficient as they charge very nominal figures as the tuition fees. Furthermore, it has been passed as an amendment that for the forthcoming five years, the students belonging to range of class 8 to class 11, if they apply for the Vermont’s Early College Program, would pass the eligibility to afford an associates degree for free of cost, from the Community College of Vermont. The J.Warren & Lois McClure Foundation, a Supporting Organisation of The Vermont Community Foundation, has announced $5 Million Grantmaking Commitment to College and Career Training in Vermont through 2027 and promised of Free Early Degree at the Community College of Vermont.
In the words of Joyce Jody, the President of Community College of Vermont, this program is a “a huge jump start for Vermonters.” Further said, “A student could get their first two years at CCV, at no cost to them, transfer to the University of Vermont, to the Vermont state colleges, to Norwich, to Champlain, wherever, and do their last two years and get a bachelor’s degree.” Moreover, with the initiative undertaken by the The J.Warren & Lois McClure Foundation, for granting $5million through 2027, the students of the Community College can make better use of their limited expense by spending it on the quintessential facilities like accommodation, transportation, healthcare facilities, purchasing study materials like textbooks, and other miscellaneous everyday expenditures.
Other Scholarship Programs that are undertaken and provided by the State of Vermont to amplify ‘education for all’ policy includes :
•) Vermont Community Health Scholarship : undertaken with the aim to provide a free of cost education course for students under the Community Health Certificate Program. Students can apply for this scholarship through Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC).
•) Degree Completion Scholarship : The aim of this scholarship grant is to provide tuition fee free college to students who have not been enrolled in a higher education institution since May 2019 or who do not already have a bachelor’s degree. Students can apply for this scholarship through Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC).
•) 802 Opportunity Grant : this scholarship program has been undertaken to provide tutoring fee free college degree to any student who comes from a family where the annual income is $50,000 or less and do not already have a bachelor’s degree. Students can apply for this scholarship through Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC).
The State of Vermont is yet to undertake another scholarship program for Vermonters, named Free Training for Vermonters which is supposed to be launched in the year of 2022-2023.
Vermont has not been one of the states in the USA with a fair education percentage. It is, in fact, listed under the list of ‘states in the USA with the least education rate’. Hence, the Education Department of the state, along with organisations like The J.Warren & Lois McClure Foundation, have undertaken initiatives, extended grants and scholarships to encourage the Vermonters in the field of education and to also encourage immigrant students to pursue their academic courses from Vermont universities, to ensure a spike in the literacy ratio of Vermont.
