On December 27th, it was announced on social media platforms that Vermont State University will be offering free tuition to qualified Vermonters in the fall semester of 2024. The goal Vermont State University has with implementing this plan is to create greater access towards programs and affordable education.
There are multiple qualifications to be eligible for this free tuition at VTSU campuses.
Vermont residents may be any age but must be enrolling as new students in degree programs starting in the fall semester of 2024 or the spring semester of 2025. This means current students are not eligible at this time and it is unclear if this will change in any way to make current students eligible.
Students must also have an adjusted family/student gross income of $50,000 or less reflected on their FAFSA.
Finally, students must be pursuing their initial undergraduate degree. Incoming students who already have a bachelor’s degree do not qualify for the free tuition program.
If you meet these requirements to be eligible, you then will need to apply to VTSU and be admitted as a student for either semester mentioned above. Then, you will need to submit a FAFSA and a Vermont Grant Application through VSAC.
On top of this, students will also have requirements to keep the free tuition. They must register for a minimum of 12 credits for fall and spring semesters during their degree path, meaning they must be full time students. They must also maintain good academic standing of at least a 2.0 GPA and satisfactory academic progress towards their degree. Eligibility will also be reviewed each academic year according to FAFSA.
This will cover only standard tuition, which means other fees will still need to be paid for by students. Program tuition for Engineering and Technology, Nursing and Respiratory Therapy, and Dental and Radiologic will not be covered by this program.
Vermont State University will close this standard tuition gap with institutional aid after all federal, state, and employer support aid is applied to a student account.