General Session

Vermont – One State

Network That Has Made
Access and Awareness a
State-wide Priority
Presenter:
Don Vickers, President
Vermont Student Assistance Corp. (VSAC)
A Spectrum of Services ...
... for a Spectrum of Students
What is VSAC All About?

… just what To ensure that all

Vermonters have
I wanted to the necessary
know!!! financial and
informational
resources to pursue
their educational
goals beyond high
school.

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Fundamental Principle
“If you don’t know
where you are going,
any road will get you
there!!!”
-- old Arabic
saying

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 What We’ll Look At

! Historical development of VSAC

Model
! How and why it works

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 1965 – Landmark Year

HEA signed Vermont

creates VSAC
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 1965 – Unifying Objectives

• A more concentrated focus

• Emphasized access and choice
• Guaranteed Student Loan program
• Education Opportunity Grants

HEA signed Vermont

creates VSAC
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 VSAC’s Founding Principles

! Independent organization
! Representative, decision-making Board
! Mission-driven
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 VSAC’s Development
0 ’ s
197
1969 Deep en e d
it-
d o u r c o m m
Create our
o
r e a c h e nt t
Out m
a s e d
o g r a m need- b
p r
d d in g
by a aid
a l e n t
“T
a r c h ”
Se
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 VSAC’s Development
0 ’ s
198
1970’s VSA C b e g a n
e d f t f r o m
Exp a n d shi
c h le ly a
Ou t r e a so r
to a n t o
servi c e s guar r.
e vels n d e
all H .S . l to le
d u l t s
&a

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 VSAC’s Development
1 9 9 5
1990’s o n t’s
o r k e d Verm LP
Netw F FE
D E T to sole
With e n t s lend er
l p s tu d
h e e r ,
t h c a r e
w i d
in a i
Ed & f
r vic e s
se
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 VSAC’s Development
2 0 0 1
1999
VSAC e
o u rc
Begin Res
R -U P e n t e r
GEA C
rvic es o p e n s
se

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 Resource Center Symbolic

Self-help Library

On-line Counselors 13
A Continuum of Services

Serving People Appropriately at

Different Stages of Their Lives
 A Continuum of Services
“You haven’t
opened up my
account in the
Vt. Higher Education
Investment Plan!”

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A Continuum of Services
Middle School

! Increasing parental involvement

! Problem solving; decision making
! Academic planning for H.S.
! Early exposure to career
exploration, college environment,
self-awareness

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A Continuum of Services
High School

! Raising college aspirations

! Career awareness
! Financial aid planning & info
! Curriculum & professional
development

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A Continuum of Services
College

! Need-based grants
! Scholarships
! FFLEP & alternative loans

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A Continuum of Services
Adults

! Parent loans
! Non-traditional grants
! Career awareness
! College selection
&transition
! Financial aid planning

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 Partnerships;
Collaboration

! We don’t operate in a vacuum

! Our services are designed to
complement other programs and
providers
! Our intent is catalytic: To make others
more successful at what they do

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Partnerships;
Collaboration

Middle schools, high schools,

tech schools

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Partnerships;
Collaboration

Post-secondary Education
& Training

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 Partnerships;
Collaboration

State &
other agencies

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Partnerships;
Collaboration

Businesses, state &

regional boards

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Taking our Temperature
! Cooperation pays: 38%
increase in HE funding
! H.S. class of 2001:
– 65% of all graduates continued
– 76% of Outreach students
continued
! 97% of Vermont respondents
aware of VSAC
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Some Conclusions

" The Vermont experience

may be atypical; not all
states have “bundled”
agencies
" We have learned some
lessons

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Some Conclusions

" People are looking for

ways to pull information
together
" A cooperative venture
among schools, agencies
and guarantors holds
promise
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Some Conclusions

" Reaching out to guidance

counselors and teachers
effective
" Their efforts must be
supplemented
" BOTTOM LINE: you
can’t do it alone!
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 Technical Assistance

For more information, contact Don Vickers at:

Phone: (802) 655-9602
Email: vickers@vsac.org
www.vsac.org

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