News Release — Vermont Congressional Delegation
June 1, 2017
Leahy Press Contact:
David Carle
(202) 224-3693
Sanders Press Contact:
Dan McLean
802-862-6695
Welch Press Contact:
Kate Hamilton
(202) 440-3340
BURLINGTON, Vt. (THURSDAY, June 1, 2017) — The U.S. Department of Education has awarded more than $1.3 million in grants to Vermont universities, announced Thursday by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Congressman Peter Welch (D-Vt.). The grants, awarded through the Upward Bound program, will go to four Vermont institutes of higher education to prepare first-generation and low-income students for success in postsecondary education. Offered activities include career and college readiness counseling, connecting high school students with dual enrollment programs, financial aid advisement and resources, and more.
In a joint statement, Leahy, Sanders and Welch said: “Vermont’s strength is our people, and we are delighted to announce these grants to help Vermonters succeed in higher education. College is a vital pathway to success, and these grants will help first-generation college students in Vermont flourish in our 21st Century economy. We look forward to seeing these universities continue their great work.”
While Vermont boasts one of the highest high school graduation rates in the nation, Vermont’s postsecondary enrollment rate lags behind, with only about 60 percent of all Vermont graduates continuing immediately as compared to 66 percent for the United States. Education experts cite low-income levels and poor social and academic conditions as obstacles to attending college and earning a degree.
Jennifer Jones, Director of Castleton University Upward Bound added: “With only a fraction of low-income Vermont high school graduates continuing to college and only a one-third of all adults in Vermont having a bachelor’s degree or higher, TRIO programs such as Upward Bound are integral to helping our state close the skills gap. Upward Bound has a profound impact on our families, and helps prepare low-income students for the rigor of a college education and helps them acquire the skills needed for this new economy.”
The grants, totaling $1,345,454, include $270,375 for Castleton University, $270,375 for The University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, $334,508 for Lyndon State College, and $470,196 Johnson State College.
The fiscal year 2017 federal appropriations bill negotiated by Leahy included $950 million for TRIO programs, a $50 million increase. Despite this, President Trump’s budget proposal for fiscal year 2018 calls for cuts to this successful program.
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