Info about VSAC Advancement Grants

Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC) was created by the Vermont Legislature in 1965 as a public nonprofit agency. VSAC advocates for students and their families to ensure that they have the information, the counseling and the financial aid to achieve their education goals.  Check out their website.

Our Eligible Courses for VSAC's Short Term Training: Advancement Grants

• Growing Resilience: Being Trauma Informed Course
• Professional Development Training with Amanda Franz

Eligible participants must:

• Enroll in a course that will improve their employability
• Meet income requirements (in our experience, students with an income less than $25,000 per year have received grants, although income guidelines are entirely decided by VSAC)
• Have resided in Vermont for at least one year
• Have been financially independent from their parents/guardians for three years prior to date (this means, not living with parents for more than 6 weeks per year, not being claimed as a dependent and not receiving more than $1600 of support per year.

These grants will be available for classes beginning after July 1st, with applications available mid June.

• The grant award amount is based on financial need and the cost of the course. The maximum award amount per term is determined each year by VSAC based on funding availability.  This means, it can be supportive to apply as early as possible in the grant term.

How to Apply

• You can complete the Short Term Learning: Advancement Grant once they are available in mid-June.  Applications are also available at Vermont Department of Labor offices, vocational centers, other schools, and VSAC.  Applications are considered on a first-come, first-served basis as long as funding is available.​
• This grant often takes a month to process, so make sure to apply early.  If you filed taxes the year prior, you will need to send copies of your tax returns and if you did not file, you will need to write a letter explaining why.​
• For more information visit VSAC's grant page.​​​  Or check out this brochure specifically about the Advancement Grant.  

For those applying to the Growing Resilience: Being Trauma Informed Course:

• Contact Amanda for more information needed to apply.  [email protected]