In Vermont and across the country, higher education is slipping further out of reach for working-class students. Soaring tuition, shrinking aid, and political attacks on public education are pushing postsecondary education out of reach for many. The Curtis Fund stands in sharp contrast. They don’t just make education accessible; they make it real by providing scholarships for two- and four-year degree programs and short-term, career focused training programs.
For Evan Haley, The Curtis Fund was the catalyst behind a career built on giving back. A first-generation college student from a working-class Vermont family, Evan knew postsecondary education wasn’t something he could pursue on hope alone. It had to be mapped out, paid for, and within reach. “Unless higher education was a sure thing and a positive return, I could’ve ended up doing something completely different,” he said. “The Curtis Fund made it possible.”
“I ended up in higher ed because I wanted to help students who were like me,” Evan says.
The opportunity became a launchpad. Evan completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Vermont, graduating without taking on debt thanks to his scholarship, and then earned a master’s in education. Today, he’s giving back to his community, working as Assistant Director for Student Conduct at the University of Vermont, educational and social lead for the university staff union, and a doctoral student in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies.
His decision to stay in-state and serve his community was intentional. “I ended up in higher ed because I wanted to help students who were like me,” Evan says. “That’s why I do what I do.”
But Evan’s story isn’t just about personal achievement. He sees education and access to it as a political act. “There’s a real movement to eliminate or reduce access to higher education. Programs like The Curtis Fund are how we fight back. They keep students enrolled with their renewable scholarships. They keep institutions alive. And they keep the future of change within reach.”
That’s what drives him. “I want to be on every front that matters,” he says. “Now’s not the time to sit back and hope things work out. It’s the time to try everything.”
From union halls to university offices, Evan is shaping systems from both the inside and the outside. And it all started with The Curtis Fund giving him the keys to unlock the gate and the footing to walk through it.
Thanks to wrap-around support and automatically renewable scholarships, Curtis Fund scholars graduate at a significantly higher-than-average rate of almost 90%. “When you support The Curtis Fund, you’re not just backing one student’s degree. You’re fueling a future of impact, leadership, and service to Vermont communities”.
Brittany Hamblin was doing everything right and still falling behind, but her life changed when she received a Credentials of Value (COV) scholarship from The Curtis Fund. For twelve years, she worked a demanding retail job that left no room to breathe. Her health, her energy, and her sense of self were all on the back burner. Her job gave her a title and a paycheck, though it meant long shifts, missed moments, and a growing sense that something had to change.
“I felt trapped before. I wouldn’t have been brave enough to make the leap without The Curtis Fund scholarship,” Brittany says.
That’s when Brittany found Stafford Technical Center’s adult education program. The idea of going back to school had always felt out of reach. “I never had loans, but I was afraid of having them,” she said. “It felt like taking out another mortgage, like another weight we couldn’t carry.”
Then, a VSAC counselor awarded Brittany with a Credentials of Value scholarship and cleared the financial barrier that had always stopped her. It gave her a path forward that didn’t require her to sacrifice her family’s stability to build something better. It also allowed her to complete her training without going into debt—something she hadn’t believed was possible.
Brittany enrolled in Stafford’s aesthetics program and started over. Today, she works at Five Elements Salon and Day Spa in Rutland as a licensed esthetician, massage therapist, and assistant manager. She treats clients, manages the front desk, and still gets home in time to tuck her kids in.
“I felt trapped before. I wouldn’t have been brave enough to make the leap without The Curtis Fund scholarship,” Brittany says. “Now, I’m learning and evolving in a way that lets me care for others and still show up for my family.”
She’s continuing her education, expanding her certifications, and helping the spa grow to meet community needs. “A lot of our clients carry so much. I get to help them feel better—in their skin, in their bodies, in their day. Self-care isn’t always about indulgence. For many of our clients, it’s one of the few moments they get to feel at ease. And I get to be part of that.”
Learn more about Curtis Fund scholars at https://www.thecurtisfund.org/meet-the-scholars
Learn more about how to support Vermont student like Evan and Brittany: https://www.thecurtisfund.org/donate#give-now
