VT's Free Degree Promise

Accelerated degree pathways are a game changer for young people furthest from opportunity.

That's why we have offered all students in the Vermont high school classes of 2023 - 2026 the opportunity to earn a free associate degree through the state's Early College program at the Community College of Vermont (CCV). The Free Degree Promise also offers living stipends and enhanced advising, putting students on a fast track to a debt-free degree that creates a lifetime of opportunities.

Accelerated degree pathways inspire hope.

Back in 2022, the McClure Foundation approached the question of how to equitably scale pathways to Vermont’s Most Promising Jobs from a place of curiosity: in a state with one of the highest high school graduation rates and one of the lowest college-going rates in New England, what happens when all Vermont high school graduates are given the opportunity to pursue a fast-tracked, debt-free CCV degree?

Fast-tracked pathways to affordable degrees are good for Vermonters – and good for Vermont.

Vermont is a highly rural state where college degrees – especially associate degrees – have enduring value.

Associate degree graduates in Vermont are the most likely in the country to achieve a positive ROI (79 percent) (STRADA).

Since the Free Degree Promise was announced in spring 2022:

CCV has seen a 150% increase in the number of low-income students enrolled in the Early College program (113 in fall 2024).

Triple the number of Early College completers are continuing their near-full-time enrollment at CCV.

This year, over half of the Free Degree Promise cohort are first-generation college-going students.

Vermont's Enabling Conditions are Strong:

- A single statewide community college. The Community College of Vermont serves the greatest number of Vermonters of any college in the state via 12 locations and extensive learning options. 25% of CCV students are high school students.

- Publicly funded Early College. Vermont has a 10-year history of offering a free year of full-time college in lieu of a traditional 12th grade. Most participating students enroll at CCV.

- New public investments in college affordability. Facing a shrinking workforce and an economy with two job openings for every jobseeker, policymakers are committed to investing in talent, especially through community and public colleges.

- Established cross-sector partnerships. The cross-sector Early College Equity Working Group has spent years analyzing data and data systems, engaging proximate voice, exploring promising practices, and addressing barriers.

How the Free Degree Promise works for Donovan

“The thing I’m most excited about is being able to get into what I want to do at a young age. With an associate degree, I could get a great accounting job at the age of 19. But even if I go on to a bachelor’s or master’s degree, I’ll still be in my early twenties when I graduate. That feels like a really big win for me.”

- Donovan Arnold, Free Degree Promise Student

Donovan spent his 12th grade year enrolled in Early College at CCV, blending full-time college courses with paid work at his town’s only grocery store and staying connected to his high school through the dance team. In one of his CCV courses, he completed a 100-hour internship with the accounting team at the nonprofit that runs the grocery where he works. He graduated in June 2024 from high school with a bookkeeping certificate and 30 credits toward his accounting degree. He's continuing at CCV and will graduate in June 2025 with a debt-free accounting degree, one year out from high school graduation, prepared to land a promising job or continue toward a bachelor’s degree. There are projected to be over 7,000 accounting jobs in Vermont with salaries above the state median.

Donovan is just one story. The Free Degree Promise creates an opportunity for all Vermont high school students to envision futures they can create for themselves.

“Programs like these enable Vermonters to reach their full potential. This opportunity is a gamechanger for first-generation students and for employers alike.
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– Anna Noonan | President & CEO, Central Vermont Medical Center

In its first two years, Vermont's Free Degree Promise is making college the easy choice for Vermont youth furthest from opportunity. Read about the impacts:

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Learn more about enrolling in the Free Degree Promise:

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