Vermont Business Magazine Efforts to boost the rate at which Vermonters attain post-secondary education will receive $50,000 in support from the Lumina Foundation. Improving the attainment rate from 45.5 percent to 60 percent is critical to the future of Vermont's economy and to the economic security of those who get a college degree or certificate. The nationally competitive grant proposal was developed by the Vermont State Colleges (VSC) in collaboration with the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC), the University of Vermont (UVM), and the State of Vermont.
Lumina will bring national experts on higher education continuation, access and completion to Vermont to consult with grant partners. With the grant, a working group appointed by the partners will convene stakeholders to develop policy recommendations to help the state reach its goal of 60% higher education attainment by 2020.
The proposal to Lumina identifies the need for urgent action in Vermont to close the college continuation gap for first-generation and low-income students, expand opportunities for postsecondary completion for working-age adults, and develop community-specific strategies to reduce attainment inequalities across the state.
Jeb Spaulding, the Chancellor of the Vermont State Colleges, said, "News of this grant confirms that the VSC is on the right track in tackling the challenge of college access and completion. We look forward to working with our partners in the field and with the state legislature to help more Vermonters attain a higher education credential.”
Governor Shumlin supported the grant application and said, “Congratulations to the VSC, VSAC and UVM for their important work together to help more Vermonters go to college. I look forward to practical recommendations to get us to 60% by 2020.”
"For 50 years, VSAC's mission has been to make sure all Vermont students have access to the education and training they need after high school," said Scott Giles, president and CEO. "This initiative and partnership with the Vermont State Colleges and UVM promises to strengthen our combined efforts to create education and training opportunities for Vermont students of all ages."
The Lumina Foundation is a private foundation focused on increasing the number of Americans with higher education credentials. Their approach is outcomes-based and focused on building an “accessible, responsive and accountable higher education system while fostering a national sense of urgency for action.”
The Vermont State Colleges include Castleton State College, Community College of Vermont, Johnson State College, Lyndon State College and Vermont Technical College. The Office of the Chancellor is in Montpelier.