Vermont college grants are run by the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC), which administers need-based Vermont Grants on behalf of the state. VSAC says eligible students received from $1,000 to $15,350 in Vermont grants for 2025-26. Unusually, Vermont grants are portable: you can use them at an approved college inside or outside Vermont. To apply, you file both the FAFSA and VSAC’s own Vermont Grant application.
VSAC also runs an Advancement Grant for short, non-degree courses that help you get a job. Both programs are first-come, first-served while funding lasts, so applying early matters (VSAC, Grants).
Vermont Grant: who should apply
VSAC says Vermont residents should apply if they:
- Are accepted or enrolled in a full-time or part-time undergraduate degree or certificate program approved to participate in federal Title IV aid.
- Do not already have a bachelor’s degree, unless enrolled in the M.D. program at the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine or in an accredited doctor of veterinary medicine program.
Part-time students can apply, which matters for working adults. VSAC states that Vermont grants “are intended to exclusively support Vermonters”; non-residents should look at their own state’s programs.
How much the Vermont Grant pays
VSAC does not publish a fixed award table. It says: “Eligible students have received from $1,000 to $15,350 in Vermont grants for the 2025–2026 academic year. However, funding varies from year-to-year.” Your amount depends on:
- Your financial situation.
- The total cost of attendance at your college.
- Timing: applications are considered first-come, first-served while funding lasts.
The range is wide because cost of attendance differs so much between, say, a Vermont state college and a private college out of state. Treat the 2025-26 range as context, not a forecast for 2026-27 or 2027-28.
How many years you can receive it
VSAC allows up to 10 semesters of full-time grants until you receive your first bachelor’s degree, with the medical and veterinary exceptions above.
How to apply for a Vermont Grant
VSAC lists three steps:
- Log into your MyVSAC account, or register for one.
- Fill out the Vermont Grant Application: in MyVSAC, choose “Work with Grants,” then “Apply for a Vermont Grant.”
- Submit a FAFSA, and submit it again every school year.
Students who cannot complete the FAFSA may be eligible for VSAC’s Vermont Grant Pathway Application. For fall 2027, the FAFSA to file is the 2027-28 form, open now. Our guide on how to fill out the FAFSA walks through it.
What you need for the VSAC application
| Item | Notes from VSAC |
|---|---|
| Your Social Security number | Required |
| Early college status | Whether you are enrolling in an early college program |
| Financial information | Yours (and your spouse’s), or your parents’, depending on your answers |
| Home value and debt | Value and any debt on your or your parents’ current home |
| Parent’s Social Security number | If prompted for parent information |
| Parent signature | One parent signs online before you submit |
Note the home-value question. VSAC’s application asks for your current home’s value and any debt on it, so look up a recent estimate and your mortgage balance before you start.
Advancement Grant for short-term training
VSAC’s Advancement Grant (formerly the Vermont Non-Degree Grant) is for Vermont residents who are not enrolled in high school and are taking a non-degree course or program “that will improve your ability to get a job or that encourages further study.” As with the Vermont Grant, amounts vary by financial situation, course cost, program type and timing.
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- Up to 2 courses per enrollment term.
- Up to 2 enrollment terms per financial year (July 1 to June 30).
- Up to 6 enrollment terms in total.
You apply in MyVSAC. Have your course name, cost, start date, school and enrollment term ready, plus the source and amount of other aid. VSAC says the Advancement Grant does not cover GED exam costs.
Using a Vermont Grant out of state
VSAC confirms that Vermont grants “are ‘portable,’ meaning they can be used at any approved school within or outside Vermont.” That is less common than you might think; many states limit their grants to in-state colleges. If you transfer, contact your new college about its aid forms and notify VSAC.
Vermont checklist
- Create a MyVSAC account.
- Submit the Vermont Grant Application early, since awards are first-come, first-served.
- File the 2027-28 FAFSA, and refile each year.
- Have your home value and parent signature ready.
- Check each college’s FAFSA priority date; our FAFSA deadlines guide explains why.
- Taking a short job-training course? Apply for the Advancement Grant instead.
A federal rule to know: for award years beginning on or after July 1, 2026, a student whose non-federal aid equals or exceeds the cost of attendance is not eligible for Pell, according to a June 4, 2026 Federal Student Aid electronic announcement. A large Vermont Grant plus college aid can approach cost of attendance at a lower-cost school, so ask your aid office how they stack.
Questions Vermont families ask
Is the Vermont Grant only for recent high school graduates?
No. VSAC’s criteria are residency, enrollment in an approved full-time or part-time undergraduate program, and no prior bachelor’s degree. Adults returning to school can apply.
Do I need an account number to apply?
No. VSAC says you do not need an account number; create a MyVSAC account or log in, then choose “Work with Grants.”
Does a bigger school cost mean a bigger grant?
Cost of attendance is one of the factors VSAC lists, along with your financial situation and timing, so a higher-cost college can lead to a larger grant. But because funding is first-come, first-served and varies by year, apply early either way.
What if I cannot file the FAFSA?
VSAC says students who are ineligible to complete the FAFSA may be eligible for the Vermont Grant Pathway Application or the Advancement Grant Pathway application instead. Contact VSAC to find out which applies to you.
I’m transferring. Do I reapply?
VSAC says to contact the college you are transferring to about the financial aid forms it requires, and also to notify VSAC so your Vermont grant follows you.
What can I apply for online?
VSAC says you can apply online through MyVSAC for the Vermont Incentive Grants and the Advancement Grant, which was previously called the Vermont Non-Degree Grant. Both sit under “Work with Grants” once you log in.
Where to go next
Compare Vermont with other states in our guide to state grants for college, and use our free scholarship finder for private awards that stack on top. VSAC’s online application is in MyVSAC under “Work with Grants.”