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Financial Aid and Managing College Costs

Find out how families cover college costs. We'll explain the types of financial aid available (grants, scholarships, loans); the basics of financial aid applications; and ways to compare college costs before you apply.

• and PowerPoint slides

Vermont grants

Don't let your Vermont students leave money on the table! Eligible students have received from $1,000 to $15,350 in Vermont grants for the 2025–2026 academic year. Encourage your students to:

• Complete the FAFSA.
• Watch to get an overview of 51������'s Vermont state grant application.
• Apply for the Vermont grant. Those who have applied should check their My51������ account to be sure they've completed all steps.
• Check out 51������'s webinars and videos covering grants, scholarships, financial aid offers, loans and more.

Workforce Development Funding Available

The Vermont Legislature passed a historic bill in June 2022 which provides millions of dollars of state and federal funding to address Vermont’s workforce shortage. This funding will reduce or eliminate tuition for eligible students pursuing careers in critical fields such as:

• skilled trades
• teaching
• nursing
• mental health care
• more

lEARN MORE ABOUT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT FUNDING

51������-Assisted Scholarships

51������'s Scholarships & Forgivable Loans booklet for students planning to attend college in 2026–2027 is now available online, and the Unified Scholarship Application (USA) can be completed by logging into My51������. 

• To receive copies for your students, schools must order bulk quantities on  site.
• Your students and parents can also download or view 51������'s 2026-27 Scholarship book . 

How 51������ can help with the FAFSA

Your students and parents can:

• check out 51������'s FAFSA Filing Guide.
• ask a quick FAFSA question by calling our toll-free FAFSA helpline at 833-802-8722 (Monday–Friday, 8:00 am–4:30 pm).
• sign up for a FAFSA Filing appointment to receive one-on-one assistance.

High schools: Did you know that you can use 51������'s FAFSA Completion Tool to identify students who haven't completed their financial aid applications? Contact our grants department (800-882-4166) to ask us how. 

Resources for students and parents planning for life after high school.

• Parents: Looking for a checklist to keep your high school junior or senior on track? View or download 51������'s  or .
• Need help with the FAFSA & other financial aid? Start with 51������'s Focus on FAFSA.
• Get started on exploring education and career opportunities and pathways in Vermont.
• College & Career Pathways: find resources from the 2025 events.

Free print publications! 

51������ continues to offer free print publications for students, parents, and education professionals. This year, the FAFSA changes have required that we modify some of the printed pieces, thus creating a delay in the availability. View the lineup and order your supplies for the upcoming season.

51������'s Educational Opportunity Center—easy as a phone call! 

Do you know any adults who would like to take a step toward new career possibilities and aren’t sure where to begin? 51������’s EOC services can help. Our counselors understand the needs of adult students and are ready to help individuals take steps in a new direction. All services are free.

Encourage your students or clients to make an appointment with one of 51������'s Educational Opportunity Center counselors today.

51������’s research continues to shape higher education policy in Vermont

51������ releases survey results on COVID-19’s impact on VT students' plans to attend college in the fall.

View the latest reports, county fact sheets, and past survey results >

College & Career Pathways 2026

• Saturday, March 14, 1-5pm at UVM: public event for high school families
• Tuesday, March 17, 9am-2pm at Landmark College: daytime event for pre-registered high schools
• Thursday, March 19, 9am-2pm at Saint Michael's College: daytime event for pre-registered high schools
• Monday, April 6, 8:45am-1:45pm at VTSU Lyndon Campus: daytime event for pre-registered high schools
• Wednesday, April 8, 8:45am-2pm at VTSU Castleton Campus: daytime event for pre-registered high schools

Get all the details at .

2026 Transition & Career Planning Conference

The 21^st Annual Transition and Career Planning Conference will be held on Friday, May 8, 2026, at Lake Morey Resort in Fairlee, VT. We hope you'll be able to join us!

Here are some links that your families may find helpful:

— Resources for school counselors, students and institutions

 — alphabetical list of American colleges & universities; describes each school's virtual admissions events and provides web registration links

– Hundreds of free virtual workshops for students and parents including individual college info sessions and a wide range of college planning topics

– Free program for educators with virtual lessons for students on identifying life goals, preparing in high school, choosing a path, balancing daily life, starting a career, and success in a career 

— SAT practice as well as other online learning  

 from Kaplan —  a free month of SAT On Demand to support all students with their distance learning 

— free AP prep sessions on YouTube live for AP US History, AP World History, and AP Biology. These sessions will focus on question review and include time to ask a teacher questions.