802Opportunity is a “lifesaver” for Vermont students of all ages

In a world where everything from groceries to gas seems expensive, many Vermonters are discovering a rare and very valuable benefit in the world of higher education.

The 802Opportunity program allows any Vermonter with an annual household income of $75,000 or less, who does not have a bachelor’s degree, to attend the Community College of Vermont (CCV) cost-free. This means participants can end up earning a two-year associate degree, certificates, or credentials, at no cost.

802Opportunity is now in its fifth year. During the last two academic years, the program drew more than 2,600 students each year, from all 14 counties in the state. Students ranged in age from 17 to 79, and nearly three-quarters of participants were first-generation, meaning they are the first in their families to go to college.

Those who have taken advantage of 802Opportunity, either to realize their hope of continuing their education right after high school, or to go back to school mid-career to reskill for a job change, are sharing the profound impact that 802Opportunity has made on their lives.

Alex Tupper, 26, who grew up in the Brattleboro area and experienced bouts of homelessness as a child, always saw college as her way out of extreme poverty. While she was determined to work hard, she wasn’t sure how she could afford to go to college. Receiving the 802Opportunity promise and being able to enroll at CCV “has helped me feel secure and optimistic about my future,” she says. She expects to graduate next year with an associate degree in behavioral science, which will support her rising career at a disability services agency.

John LaLonde, who recently made a career pivot and discovered a passion for early childhood education at age 42, says 802Opportunity was the sole reason he was able to go back to school. “The cost of post-secondary education has skyrocketed, and the difficulty of saving money while working in the public school system is a very real thing. I can honestly say this was the sole reason I was able to go back to school without incurring debt,” says John, who now works at Orchard Elementary School in South Burlington, offering one-on-one support to children with behavioral challenges. “It is a lifesaver.”

Geneva Horster, 21, who also works as an early childhood educator, says 802Opportunity “saved me.” Her family was unable to provide financial support for college tuition. When the scholarships she worked hard to secure didn’t go far enough toward covering the cost, the Thetford native wasn’t sure she’d be able to continue her education beyond high school—a requirement for her field of choice. When she found out, “completely unexpectedly,” that she qualified for 802Opportunity, she was able to earn her degree and go to school full-time, allowing her to finish college earlier than expected and get a head start on her “dream job.” In the end, her education took her much further than she ever expected; she’s now living abroad and working at a bilingual kindergarten in Munich, Germany, where she has family ties.

Will Homer, a 31-year-old self-employed handyman living in Milton, has worked as a line cook, a framer, and a cabinet installer, but is looking for a new career. He’s grateful to the 802Opportunity program for “opening a wide horizon for my future and helping me solidify my goals.” The courses he’s taken at CCV have built upon college credits he completed about 10 years ago. Having discovered a latent love of psychology among the books and movies he enjoys, he hopes a college degree will open doors for him. After earning his associate degree in liberal studies from CCV, he hopes to go on to complete a bachelor’s in psychology, hopefully at the University of Vermont. “While I’m grateful for the skills I’ve gained in the trades, I look forward to the potential for a career beyond cooking and building,” he says.

CCV offers more than 30 two-year degree programs as well as several professional certificates. Classes are offered online and in person during daytime and evening hours, so students who work or have family obligations have options to fit college courses into their schedules.

Tupper says she’s had an extremely positive experience at CCV, where she’s taken many classes in person at the Brattleboro campus. “All of my professors and counselors have been wonderful. Everyone has been understanding about the stressful balance of work, life, and school,” she notes. “I think one unique aspect of CCV, and of community colleges in general, is the diverse mix of people you encounter—different backgrounds, ages, political beliefs, religions, and abilities. This environment pushes you to interact and collaborate with individuals you might not usually work with personally or professionally.” She says this experience has significantly improved her ability to connect with others—an important skill in any field, and especially in human services.

LaLonde says his CCV coursework is doing double duty, helping him reskill for his true passion—education—while also equipping him to start his own side business, utilizing his many years of experience in the pest control industry before he went to work in the classroom. “My goal is to utilize 802Opportunity now and in the future to further myself in the fields of business and education,” he says. “I’m really grateful for being able to do that.”

With Vermont’s median household income hovering just under $74,000, approximately 50% of Vermont students are eligible for the 802Opportunity promise. To be considered for funding, a student simply needs to fill out the FAFSA and the Vermont Grant application.

For more information about 802Opportunity, visit vsac.org/802Opportunity .

This story is produced by Vermont Student Assistance Corp., created by the Vermont Legislature in 1965 as a public nonprofit agency, to advocate for Vermont students and their families to ensure that they achieve their education goals. Our vision is to create opportunities for all Vermont students, but particularly for those — of any age — who believe that the doors to higher education are closed to them. We begin by helping families save for education with Vermont’s state-sponsored 529 savings program. To help Vermonters plan and pay for college or career training, our counselors work with students in nearly every Vermont middle school and high school, and again as adults. Our grant and scholarship programs attract national recognition, and our loan programs and loan forgiveness programs are saving Vermont families thousands of dollars in interest. Visit vsac.org to learn more.

Read the story on VTDigger here: 802Opportunity is a “lifesaver” for Vermont students of all ages .