[T]he Vermont Student Assistance Corp. will get $2.8 million over the next six years to help 1,000 students in 40 schools stay on track after high school and get further education or training. The money is part of the federal Talent Search program and is a small increase over the past five-year grant of $2.2 million.
Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., announced the funding Monday at a news conference at Burlington High School.
“VSAC’s impressive track record with the Talent Search program has meant that more Vermonters every year enhance their ability to successfully transition from high school to education and training programs needed for successful careers,” Leahy said in a statement. He is on the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Talent Search targets middle and high school students of modest means to give them and their families the information they need to get more education after graduation. Last year, 83 percent of Talent Search students continued their education after graduating, according to a news release.
Leahy said he was proud that Talent Search will get substantial support from the federal government and added that he will continue to work toward boosting Pell Grant funding and streamlining student financial aid services.
Vermont’s other senator, Bernie Sanders, who sits on the Senate committee that handles education, said he wanted to make sure anyone could get a college degree. “In my view, it’s long past time for the richest nation in the world to make public colleges and universities tuition-free. But we must also do everything we can to help low-income and first-generation students enroll in college,” Sanders said. He said that is why he will continue to fight for Talent Search funding.
Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., agreed that college is the “gateway to America’s middle class,” and he said the Talent Search grant for VSAC will open that door to more people.
VSAC President and CEO Scott Giles hailed the delegation’s efforts.
“Education and training after high school is the single most important investment a person can make in his or her future,” Giles said. “Access to higher education is an essential component of reversing income inequality and creating career opportunities that will last a lifetime.”
VSAC is a nonprofit agency designated by the Vermont Legislature to help Vermonters get a higher education through career planning, financial advice, and grants and scholarships. It has been working with the Talent Search program since 1969.
