For students who are applying to college this year or who are looking for financial help for ongoing college study or for continuing education, it pays to research scholarship and grant opportunities.
For instance, the Vermont Grant program, administered by Vermont Student Assistance Corp. (VSAC) last year administered $21 million in grants for eligible Vermonters and disbursed more than $7.7 million in scholarships.
In the next “VSAC Shows You How” webinar, simulcast to Facebook on Thursday, Nov. 18, from 6 to 7 p.m., VSAC experts will walk participants through how to complete the Vermont State Grant application, question by question, and show how to apply for any of the more than 120 VSAC-assisted scholarships.
Register at bit.ly/639-college to participate in VSAC's step-by-step tutorial. A recording of the webinar will also be made available.
All manner of scholarships are available to students of certain backgrounds or who are interested in specific career fields, and the search can be overwhelming.
Every year, VSAC compiles a scholarship booklet of opportunities available only to Vermont residents, many of which receive only 100 or so applicants - which means applicants might have a higher chance of receiving a Vermont-specific scholarship than one that draws from a nationwide pool of competitors.
This year's booklet includes information on 126 scholarships administered by VSAC (including 12 new ones), plus 35 scholarships run by outside organizations.
Some of the more common fields represented in scholarship opportunities include business, technical industries, environmental studies, public safety, health care, and education. Some very specific opportunities also exist for interests that you might not expect, such as musical performance, ski area management, and electrical line work.
No matter what part of the state you live in, there's likely to be a scholarship opportunity for residents of your town or county, or graduates of your high school.
Finally, many scholarships are offered just to first-generation students or students who are the first in their families to go to college.
Some scholarships offer one-time awards, while others are renewable, meaning the student can receive additional financial awards for each subsequent year of study. The annual award amounts generally range from $500 to $6,000.
The application deadline is Feb. 11, 2022, for all VSAC-assisted scholarships, and all those programs require a completed FAFSA and Unified Scholarship Application (USA), plus a general essay.
The VSAC booklet covers any additional application requirements, such as recommendation letters or transcripts, for each individual scholarship. Deadlines and requirements for the non-VSAC scholarships vary.