Vermont High School Juniors Can Apply for a Free, Fast-Tracked Associate Degree
Montpelier, Vt. — Vermont high school juniors can now apply to earn a free, fast-tracked associate degree through the Free Degree Promise pathway at the Community College of Vermont (CCV). The Free Degree Promise builds on the state’s Early College program to give students the chance to complete a free associate degree of their choosing just one year after high school graduation.
Aidan Hall attended Early College at CCV and continued with the Free Degree Promise the year after he graduated from Proctor High School, earning his associate degree and a certificate in cybersecurity and networking by age 19. He then transferred to a four-year degree program as a junior with no student debt.
“CCV prepared me to step into my junior year,” said Hall, who is looking forward to returning home to the Rutland area to work as a network engineer or in IT systems administration after he completes his bachelor's degree.
“It gave me confidence to know I could do well. I’ve been doing great in classes because I was normalized to routines and college-level work that I would have been thrown into if I went [to a bachelor’s program] straight off the bat. It was a great way to get prepared—and because of the Free Degree Promise, getting that preparedness wasn’t a risk.”
The hundreds of students like Aidan who have pursued the Free Degree Promise pathway are graduating at twice the rate and in half the time as their community college peers nationally. These are students like Abbie Violette from Barre Town, who is pursuing her bachelor’s in nursing; Jada Unruh from Vernon, who is studying behavioral health; and Donovan Arnold from Richford, who is now working toward his bachelor’s in accounting.
The state’s Early College program supports eligible high school seniors to take a full year of college courses tuition-free while completing their high school diploma. Students who successfully complete Early College at CCV can continue full-time enrollment to earn their associate degree through the Free Degree Promise before entering the workforce or transferring their credits to a bachelor’s degree program.
The Free Degree Promise is available to current 10th, 11th and 12th graders in Vermont. Since its launch in 2022, CCV has seen triple the number of low-income students accessing Early College and persisting toward associate degrees.
“The Free Degree Promise is making it possible for young Vermonters to earn fast-tracked, debt-free degrees that open doors to a lifetime of opportunity,” said CCV President Joyce Judy. “While Vermont has New England’s lowest rate of students continuing to college after high school at 40%, students who participate in Early College continue at 80%. CCV's goal is to make postsecondary education accessible for all Vermonters, and pathways like the Free Degree Promise do just that."
In its first three years, partners say the Free Degree Promise is reaching more low-income, first-generation and students of color. Building on the success of state programs like Early College and 802Opportunity, the Promise also offers enhanced advising and stipends for expenses like transportation and textbooks.
“It’s a bright spot. When young people have accelerated pathways to debt-free degrees of their choosing, it’s a gamechanger,” said Carolyn Weir, Executive Director of the J. Warren and Lois McClure Foundation, the funder behind the Promise. “This pathway could be a great option for students looking to explore their interests in order to graduate with a plan, students ready to get a head start on college, and self-motivated students who are ready for a change.”
Ruby Hall of Burlington—no relation to Aidan Hall—chose the Early College and Free Degree Promise pathway because they had completed their high school graduation requirements as a junior and were otherwise looking at graduating high school early.
“I don't know what I would have done after that,” said Hall. “I didn't really want to go into a massive amount of debt when I didn't even know what I wanted to study. It’s really nice that this program didn’t cost money for me to explore my interests, which is huge.”
After two years of debt-free coursework in CCV’s STEM studies program, Ruby says, “I decided recently that I’d like to focus on environmental science in sustainable city planning and design.”
Visit ccv.edu/freedegree to learn more and apply. Students and families are also invited to attend an upcoming information session; register here.
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CCV is Vermont’s second-largest college, serving more than 10,000 students each year. With 12 locations and extensive online learning options, students don’t have to travel far from their communities to access degree and certificate programs, workforce, secondary and continuing education opportunities, and academic and veterans support services.
The McClure Foundation is a 30-year affiliate of the Vermont Community Foundation that works to close the opportunity gap and strengthen rural communities by expanding access to postsecondary education and training opportunities, particularly for young Vermonters. Its work is guided by curiosity about what fosters hope among young people that they can imagine — and build — bright futures in Vermont. Visit https://mcclurevt.org/freedegree/ to learn more.