Vermont Scholarships & Grants (2027–2028): Vermont Grant, UVM Promise & Freedom & Unity Deadlines

How Vermont State Aid Actually Works

Vermont has two front doors, and the second one is the one families miss. The state runs almost all of its aid through one agency, the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC), and through one portal, MyVSAC. Vermont has no statewide merit scholarship program with a GPA or test cutoff. What it has instead is a need-based grant that travels with the student, and a set of free-tuition programs keyed to family income.

A third, optional form lives in the same account: the Unified Scholarship Application (USA), one application for more than 150 VSAC-administered scholarships, due February 10, 2027.

Four words to know before reading further

• Aid year. The 2027-28 FAFSA and Vermont Grant application pay for college that starts in fall 2027. The year named is the year the money is spent, not the year you file.
• Last-dollar. A free-tuition program that pays only what is left after Pell, the Vermont Grant, and the college’s own grants. If those already cover tuition, the program pays $0, and that is a win, not a rejection.
• Priority deadline. The date a college uses to decide who gets the first and fullest look at its money. Miss it and you may still get aid, but not all of it.
• Cost of attendance (COA). The college’s full official budget: tuition, fees, housing, food, books, and transportation. Total aid cannot exceed it.

What changed recently, and why old advice is wrong now

Vermont’s free-tuition map was redrawn in 2025 and 2026. If a handout is more than a year old, assume these things are wrong on it:

• UVM Promise jumps to $125,000 for students entering fall 2027, up from $100,000. It was $60,000 when it started in 2023.
• Freedom & Unity is new. Created in 2025 for Vermont State University, it was raised from $65,000 to $85,000 for 2026-27.
• 802Opportunity is now $100,000 at CCV, double its original $50,000 line.
• The Catamount Commitment is closed to new students. UVM’s Pell-based program covered students admitted through spring 2024. New Vermont students are routed to the UVM Promise.
• “Forgivable loans” are now “tuition benefit programs,” and the lineup changed. VSAC’s current page lists Rural Health Transformation, Trades, Nurse Faculty, and National Guard. Older handouts list separate nursing, teacher, and dentist loans that are not on the current page.

One Form, Five Free-Tuition Doors

Sources: UVM Student Financial Services, VSAC program pages, Vermont State University, CCV, and Saint Michael’s College, verified October 29, 2026.

What the Vermont Grant itself pays

There is no award ladder to publish, because the Vermont Grant does not use one. VSAC sets each award from the family’s finances, the cost of the chosen college, and how early the application arrived. Here is what VSAC does publish:

VSAC has not published the 2026-27 or 2027-28 range. We are using the 2025-26 figure, labeled, rather than guessing at a newer one.

Free Tuition Means General Tuition (Vermont’s Most Expensive Fine Print)

“Tuition-free” in Vermont means the base tuition line on the bill, and nothing else. Families hear “free” and budget for zero. The bill that actually arrives still carries fees, housing, food, and in some majors a second tuition charge.

Then there are the every-year conditions, which are where families get blindsided in year two:

• Income is re-checked every year. UVM says four years of coverage is not guaranteed. A raise, a bonus, or a one-time retirement withdrawal that pushes AGI over the line can end coverage for that year.
• Both forms are due every year, on time. UVM Promise requires the FAFSA and the Vermont Grant application by its priority deadline annually, not just in senior year.
• UVM requires continuous full-time enrollment: at least 12 credits every fall and spring. Dropping to 11 credits can cost the Promise for that term.
• Freedom & Unity counts only courses registered by the end of the add/drop period, the first days of the semester when classes can be changed without penalty. A class added later is not covered.
• “Typical assets” is not defined. UVM’s $125,000 line carries that phrase and does not publish what it means. Families with a farm, a business, or significant savings should ask before counting on the Promise.

Major Vermont Programs

Vermont’s money is mostly need-based, but the income lines sit high enough that most families should assume they qualify for something until a form tells them otherwise.

The Early College Lever (For Juniors)

A Vermont junior can turn senior year into a free year of college, then finish an associate degree for free the year after. It is the fastest debt-free degree in the state, and most families hear about it after the window closes.

1. Use the two Dual Enrollment courses in junior year to test whether college coursework fits.
2. In the spring of junior year, file the FAFSA and the Vermont Grant application and apply to Early College. The Agency of Education’s planning checklist puts both forms in the spring of grade 11. At CCV, select the Free Degree Promise and a degree on the Early College application.
3. Spend senior year enrolled full time at the college. Tuition is free, and the credits count toward the high school diploma.
4. Earn at least 20 credits by the end of the Early College year and graduate from high school.
5. Continue at CCV under the Free Degree Promise. Tuition and fees are covered after federal and state aid, with stipends of $1,000 a semester for family income under $150,000 ($500 above it), for up to five more semesters including summer.

Vermont State Aid Deadlines

Vermont’s state forms have almost no hard deadlines. The colleges’ do, and the state money runs out first-come.

The Class of 2027 milestone chain

For a senior starting college in fall 2027. Screenshot this.

Then every October, the FAFSA and the Vermont Grant application start over. Verify current dates with VSAC and each college before relying on them.

How Vermont Aid Stacks

The free-tuition programs pay last, so the forms that pay first decide how much is left for housing.

The CRP move: do not stop at the free-tuition headline. Ask each college for the full-year bill after aid, then compare schools side by side in the CRP Scholarship Search Tool. Our guide to comparing aid offers walks through reading the letters side by side.

Common Ways Vermont Aid Gets Lost

These are the patterns counselors see every year. None of them are “my kid isn’t smart enough.” They are process problems, and process problems are fixable.

Who Benefits Most (Reality Check)

Low-income families

The strongest position in the state. Pell plus the Vermont Grant often covers tuition by themselves, which leaves room for a free-tuition program, or the college’s own aid, to help with the rest. At CCV, that combination can leave money for books and gas. The thing to guard is the calendar, not the eligibility.

Middle-income families

Vermont is unusually generous here, and the lines matter more than the averages. A family at $90,000 is over the Freedom & Unity line at Vermont State but under the UVM Promise line. A family at $120,000 still pays no tuition at UVM starting fall 2027. Where you apply may be the single biggest financial decision in the process.

High-achieving students

Students who test poorly

Vermont’s state money ignores test scores entirely. The Vermont Grant does not look at grades, and none of the free-tuition programs has a GPA or test cutoff to get in. What they ask for is full-time enrollment and satisfactory academic progress once the student is there.

Adult and returning students

This one is for the parents reading. 802Opportunity and Freedom & Unity are open to Vermonters of any age without a bachelor’s degree, part time included. The Advancement Grant helps with non-degree courses that improve job prospects. Plenty of first-generation parents finish a credential alongside their student.

First-gen families

Same eligibility as everyone else, higher risk of losing it to a missed step. Vermont aid is process aid: the second form, the To-Do List, the annual refile, the 12 credits. If you feel behind, you are not. You need a checklist, not a miracle. Start with our First-Gen Parent Guide and the grade-level checklists. VSAC also runs free FAFSA filing help, in person in Winooski and on Zoom.

Colleges and Pathways for Vermont Families

The Vermont Grant follows the student to any approved school, so the state money is close to flat. What changes from college to college is which free-tuition line applies, and where your family’s income sits against it.

In our database

• University of Vermont (Burlington): the flagship. The UVM Promise, Green & Gold, automatic merit for Vermont residents from the admission application, the UVM Visit Award, and transfer scholarships are all on our UVM page, with deadlines.

Not yet in our database. We have verified UVM’s awards and not yet the rest of Vermont’s colleges, so we are not going to publish their scholarship numbers. The Vermont Grant can be used at all of them. Public: Vermont State University (campuses in Castleton, Johnson, Lyndon, Randolph, and Williston) and the Community College of Vermont. Private: Middlebury College, Saint Michael’s College (Colchester), Champlain College (Burlington), Norwich University (Northfield), Bennington College, Sterling College (Craftsbury Common), and Landmark College (Putney). The free-tuition programs at Vermont State, CCV, and Saint Michael’s appear above because we verified them from their official pages. We would rather leave the rest without numbers than publish a guess.

The two-year and transfer pathway

Start at CCV under 802Opportunity, or under the Free Degree Promise after Early College, and the associate degree costs nothing in tuition. VSAC points to CCV’s transfer agreements within the Vermont State Colleges System and with schools such as UVM, so the credits can carry into a bachelor’s degree. The UVM Promise applies to new transfer students who meet its rules, and UVM publishes automatic transfer scholarships on top.

Three cautions. The Vermont Grant caps at 10 semesters of full-time grants until the first bachelor’s degree, and semesters at CCV count. The UVM Promise requires dependent status, so an older transfer student who files as independent may not qualify. And the Free Degree Promise clock is five semesters after Early College, summers included.

Tip: confirm the Vermont programs here, then open each college’s own scholarship page to see what the school adds. You can also compare schools side by side using the CRP Scholarship Search Tool, or look up your student’s numbers in the scholarships-by-GPA guide.

Smaller Vermont Programs Worth Checking

These do not apply to everyone, but when one applies to your family it is usually significant. All run through MyVSAC unless noted.

Older handouts list separate VSAC nursing, teacher, mental health, and dentist forgivable loans. VSAC’s current tuition benefit page does not list them, so we are not publishing their old terms. Ask VSAC Workforce Development at 888-253-4819 what is open for 2027-28. Full program list: VSAC tuition benefit programs.

Vermont State Aid FAQs

Can you use the Vermont Grant at a private college in Vermont?

Yes. VSAC describes Vermont grants as portable, meaning they can be used at any approved school within or outside Vermont, public or private. That includes private Vermont colleges such as Middlebury, Saint Michael’s, Champlain, and Norwich. The school must be approved to take part in federal student aid programs.

Is there a deadline for the Vermont Grant?

There is no fixed deadline, but applications are considered on a first-come, first-served basis while funding lasts, and timing is one of the factors VSAC uses to set the award. Families should file the FAFSA and the Vermont Grant application in the fall. Colleges can set their own dates for these forms; the University of Vermont requires both by November 15 for Early Action and Early Decision I applicants, or February 1 for Early Decision II and Regular Decision, to qualify for the UVM Promise.

How much is the Vermont Grant?

VSAC reports that eligible students received from $1,000 to $15,350 in Vermont grants for the 2025-26 academic year, the latest range it has published. The amount depends on income, assets, family size, the age of the older parent, the cost of the college, and how early the application was filed. Grades are not a factor. A student can receive up to 10 semesters of full-time grants until the first bachelor’s degree.

What is the income limit for the UVM Promise in 2027?

For students entering the University of Vermont in fall 2027 and later, the UVM Promise covers tuition and the comprehensive fee for dependent Vermont residents whose parents’ adjusted gross income is $125,000 or less with typical assets. The limit was $100,000 for 2025-26 and 2026-27. There is no separate application: students apply to UVM and file the FAFSA and the Vermont Grant application by UVM’s priority deadline every year. Eligibility is re-checked annually, so four years of coverage is not guaranteed.

Does the UVM Promise cover housing?

No. The UVM Promise covers tuition and the comprehensive fee for the fall and spring semesters, plus a waiver of the acceptance fee. Food and housing charges and summer sessions are not covered. UVM budgets average food and housing at $14,654 for 2026-27.

Is Vermont State University free for families under $85,000?

Freedom & Unity covers general tuition at Vermont State University for Vermonters without a bachelor’s degree whose adjusted gross income is $85,000 or less, the line set for 2026-27. It does not cover program tuition for nursing, engineering, or dental programs, mandatory fees, or books, and it excludes certificate and graduate programs. Students qualify by filing the FAFSA and the Vermont Grant application. The 2027-28 income line had not been announced as of October 2026.

When is the VSAC scholarship deadline for 2027?

The deadline for VSAC-assisted scholarships for the 2027-28 academic year is February 10, 2027. The Unified Scholarship Application and all required documents, including transcripts, essays, and recommendation letters, must be submitted or postmarked by that date. VSAC begins notifying recipients on May 1, 2027.

Can you use Vermont state aid at an out-of-state college?

Yes. The Vermont Grant can be used at approved colleges outside Vermont, as long as the student or parents have been domiciled in Vermont for 12 continuous months before classes begin. Vermonters attending participating public colleges elsewhere in New England may also qualify for the NEBHE Tuition Break discount. The free-tuition programs, by contrast, apply only at their own Vermont colleges.