College readiness program extended for six years after new federal funding

A program that annually supports over 1,000 Vermont high schoolers reach a college education is funded for the next six years, according to a recent press release.

The Talent Search program, administered by the Winooski-based Vermont Student Assistance Corporation, won a $2.6 million grant from a U.S. Department of Education program.

The program is key for the about 1,000 students who work with a counselor. Career exploration, college research, application help and picking the right high school courses are all part of the program.

“These students are a critical part of our state efforts to strengthen our workforce and grow our post-pandemic economy. We are proud to support them on their career and education journey and these funds make it all possible,” VSAC president and CEO Scott Giles said in the release.

Giles said the funding is thanks in large part to Vermont’s congressional delegation. Vermont’s senators, Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT), along with Rep. Peter Welch, (D-VT) hailed the program as key to ensuring young people have a shot at higher education regardless of their background, and said that getting students into college is a sound investment.

“This isn’t just about building a more equitable future for all Vermonters, this is about investing in our state’s workforce,” said Welch.

VSAC measures program outcomes each year, and recent data show strong success rates for the students who are part of VSAC’s Talent Search.

For example, in the class of 2020, 78% of Talent Search participants enrolled in a postsecondary education program by the following academic year, compared with 52% of non-Talent-Search-affiliated graduating seniors who were first-generation to college (meaning neither parent has a bachelor’s degree), according to the release.

According to the Vermont Agency of Education, the state’s overall postsecondary enrollment rate is about 62%.

Read more about the program here.