Community College of Vermont and the McClure Foundation announces free early degrees
For the next five years, some Vermont students will be able to receive an associate's degree without paying tuition.
For the next five years, some Vermont students will be able to receive an associate's degree without paying tuition.
For the next five years, some Vermont students will be able to receive an associate's degree without paying tuition.
For the next five years, Vermont students in grades eight through 11 who participate in Vermont's Early College Program will be eligible to get an associate's degree for free from the Community College of Vermont.
The McClure Foundation said they will be covering all costs of tuition for these students.
Community College of Vermont President Joyce Judy called the program "a huge jump start for Vermonters."
Judy also said the free tuition will help Vermont's economy by getting more students in trades or off to four-year colleges and beyond.
"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," Judy said.
This year, tuition for in-state students at the Community College of Vermont is $280 per credit, not including administrative fees. Courses at the Community College of Vermont typically range between one and three credits.
With the McClure Foundation's tuition coverage, eligible students can now put that money towards living expenses, textbooks and other day-to-day fees.
"People are just working so hard at a time of stress and uncertainty, they deserve a degree they can count on. So by guaranteeing this free associate's degree through the Early College Program at CCV, we're saying we believe in you. We're hopeful about your futures and we hope you are too," said Carolyn Weir, executive director of the McClure Foundation.
Deanna Oakes is a student who is about to graduate from the Community College of Vermont, one month before she will graduate from high school.
Thanks to the Early College Program, she was a full-time dual-enrollment student for the past three years.
Up next for Oakes is pursuing a bachelor's degree in English at Northern Vermont University.
"It's been a really great experience for me because I've been able to get a head start in college and kind of learn about what that's all about," Oakes said.
Oakes said she is happy to hear about the program's expansion, even if she's already graduating from the Community College of Vermont.
She said "it's really exciting" and a great opportunity for students, especially those coming from low-income households.
However, the Community College of Vermont said the program is open to all Vermont students who participate in the Early College Program, regardless of their financial status.