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Read. Follow. Verify.Vermont Establishes Free Degree Promise Program and Alters Endowment Fund Allocations
Last action · January 28, 2026: Read first time and referred to the Committee on EducationSponsors: Michael Marcotte and 9 others
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What This Bill Would Do
Vermont lawmakers introduced a bill to create the Free Degree Promise Program, offering tuition-free accelerated associate's degrees at the Community College of Vermont for qualifying high school graduates. The measure also expands the Vermont Higher Education to include the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation as a recipient and names the State Treasurer as council chair.
Vermont high school graduates who complete specific early college credits gain access to tuition coverage, academic advising, and stipends for college costs, while state higher education endowment funds shift distribution percentages and timelines beginning in 2029.
- The Community College of Vermont is part of the Vermont State Colleges system, operating multiple academic centers across the state. context
- Early college programs in Vermont allow eligible high school seniors to enroll full-time in college courses, earning credits toward both high school graduation and postsecondary degrees. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Vermont high school graduates
Qualifying students receive tuition-free community college education, enhanced advising, and stipends for college-related costs.
Community College of Vermont
CCV is tasked with administering the Free Degree Promise Program, providing student services, and conducting outreach and reporting.
Vermont Student Assistance Corporation
VSAC is added as a recipient of the Vermont Higher Education Endowment Trust Fund and gains a seat on the fund's council.
Key Facts
- Establishes the Free Degree Promise Program to cover tuition, fees, advising, and stipends for eligible Vermont high school graduates completing an accelerated associate's degree at the Community College of Vermont.
- Requires eligible students to successfully complete the CCV Early College program with at least 20 college credits and complete the FAFSA and Vermont Grant application.
- Directs the Commissioner of Labor, in consultation with CCV, to adopt rules defining eligibility, cohorts, and award amounts, initiating rulemaking by January 15, 2027.
- Amends the Vermont Higher Education Endowment Trust Fund to divide annual asset withdrawals among the University of Vermont, the Vermont State Colleges, and the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation beginning in fiscal year 2029.
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- Adds the State Treasurer as chair of the Vermont Higher Education Endowment Trust Fund Council and includes the president of the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation as a council member.
- Authorizes the State Treasurer to make up to three percent of fund assets available for permanent endowments in equal parts to the University of Vermont, the Vermont State Colleges System, and the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation, subject to matching private donations.
- Sets the effective date of the act as July 1, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the eligibility requirements for the Free Degree Promise Program?
How will the Free Degree Promise Program be funded?
When do the endowment fund allocation changes take effect?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
1 action- Jan 28, 2026HouseIntroducedRead first time and referred to the Committee on Education
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Expansion of Higher Education Endowment Recipients
The bill integrates the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation into the Vermont Higher Education Endowment Trust Fund alongside traditional college systems.
Connected Entities
Sources
legislature.vermont.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance65How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy15Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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