Vermont Business Magazine The Curtis Fund, a supporting organization of the Vermont Community Foundation, has awarded more than $2.1 million in scholarships for the 2023-2024 school year to students from every county in Vermont. Curtis Fund scholarships support students pursuing two- and four-year degrees and certificate programs at postsecondary institutions. The Curtis Fund’s mission is to make it possible for Vermonters, regardless of personal income, to obtain the education or training they need to build purposeful lives.
“What started as one woman’s goal to help Vermonters gain a postsecondary education more than 110 years ago has grown to a fund that supports more than 750 students annually,” said Amy Mellencamp, president of The Curtis Fund board of directors. “Emma Eliza Curtis left a gift in her will in 1910 to help Vermonters secure an education, regardless of personal income. Her gift and vision have inspired hundreds of people to also help fund scholarships for Vermonters in need.”
Obtaining a degree or career training through a certificate program after high school remains the best pathway for upward mobility but affording a postsecondary education is out of reach for too many Vermonters due to the high cost. According to the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation, between 37 and 52 percent of a low-income family’s income is needed to support a full-time student attending a four-year institution after financial aid.
The Curtis Fund has made two significant investments to help students pursue certificate programs through the Jessica Pomerleau-Halnon Scholarship Program and The Curtis Fund Commitment: A Comprehensive Scholarship for Early Childhood Educators.
The Jessica Pomerleau-Halnon Scholarship Program supports students earning a certificate in a career-focused program including but not limited to licensed practical nursing (LPNs), computer coding, childcare, graphic design, bookkeeping, utility line workers, electricians, and more. Certificates are short-term, career-focused educational or training programs that prepare students to meet workforce needs.
The 2023-2024 academic year is also the inaugural year for a pilot program for Vermonters seeking to become early childhood educators. The Curtis Fund Commitment: A Comprehensive Scholarship for Early Childhood Educators provides scholarships for the full cost of attendance (tuition, fees, and a stipend of up to $12,000 that can be used for housing, food, and transportation) to students who wish to earn a childcare certificate at the Community College of Vermont (CCV). Sixteen students are enrolled either part-time or full-time in this scholarship program. The students include recent high school graduates as well as individuals already working in the field but without a certificate or degree.
“The high cost of educating early childhood educators along with the low wages they earn upon graduation is a significant deterrent for students interested in entering the profession,” said Shana Trombley, executive director of The Curtis Fund. “This is why The Curtis Fund is providing comprehensive scholarships to help students earn the education they need to launch their careers as early childhood educators—debt free.”
The Curtis Fund scholarships are available thanks to the original foresight and generosity of Emma Eliza Curtis. Since then many others have been inspired to help students achieve their educational goals by donating to The Curtis Fund. To learn more about how you can support scholarships either with a gift today or by making a legacy gift, please visit thecurtisfund.org/donate.
The Curtis Fund joined the Vermont Community Foundation family in 2018, after existing for more than 108 years as a private foundation. The Curtis Fund grants scholarships to students from every county in Vermont and to date has helped more than 11,600 students. Each year, the Curtis Fund provides scholarships for low-income students and/or students who will be the first in their families to pursue a post-high school degree or certificate. The scholarships are for the duration of the student’s postsecondary education.
Emma Eliza Curtis believed that education could change the course of a person’s life. When she died in Burlington in 1910, she left $120,000 in trust to provide financial assistance to young Vermont men and women to pursue a postsecondary education. Since then, the Curtis Fund has grown that bequest to more than $35 million, with annual grants of approximately $2 million. Visit thecurtisfund.org for more information.
The Vermont Community Foundation inspires giving and brings people and resources together to make a difference in Vermont. A family of hundreds of funds and foundations, we provide the advice, investment vehicles, and back-office expertise that make it easy for the people who care about Vermont to find and fund the causes they love.
The heart of the Community Foundation’s work is closing the opportunity gap—the divide that leaves too many Vermonters struggling to get ahead, no matter how hard they work. We are aligning our time, energy, and discretionary resources on efforts that provide access to early care and learning, pathways to college and career training, support for youth and families, and community and economic vitality. We envision Vermont at its best—where everyone has the opportunity to build a bright, secure future. Visit vermontcf.org or call 802-388-3355 for more information.
Source: 9.14.2023. Vermont Community Foundation
