Affordable Colleges in Vermont: Tuition and Financial Aid

Colleges to explore

Vermont’s public system runs from a per-credit community college to a state university with campuses across the state and the flagship in Burlington, and the state’s own free-tuition programs reach only some of them.

What changes the price, by school:

• Community College of Vermont: the college 802Opportunity covers. Where you live if you are in a border county; a $125 non-refundable administrative fee applies to everyone.
• Vermont State University: program tuition in health and technology fields, residency, and whether your program is online-only.
• The University of Vermont: residency, and $706 per credit in-state or $1,944 out-of-state below 12 credits. A $500 program fee applies in three colleges and schools.
• Champlain College Online: reduced rates apply only if your own status qualifies, and a one-time $150 graduation fee applies.

A caution on units: CCV and Vermont State publish per-credit prices, UVM publishes per-semester figures, and Champlain charges per online credit. None of these is a whole-degree total, so compare them at the same credit load before you compare dollars.

Vermont state grants through VSAC

VSAC “administers financial situation-based Vermont grants on behalf of the State of Vermont,” and the grants are portable—they can be used at approved schools within or outside Vermont (VSAC Grants). Eligibility depends on residency, program type, funding availability and application timing, so no award amount can be promised in advance.

Students who cannot file the FAFSA may qualify for the Vermont Grant Pathway Application or the Advancement Grant Pathway application instead. The separate Advancement Grant covers non-degree job-skills courses, limited to 2 courses per term, 2 terms per financial year, and 6 terms total (VSAC Grants).

802Opportunity: tuition-free CCV under an income cap

Vermont’s 802Opportunity program, run by VSAC and the Community College of Vermont, is open to Vermont residents “of any age” whose family adjusted gross income is $100,000 or less and who do not already hold a bachelor’s degree (802Opportunity). Read the coverage precisely:

• Tuition “is covered in full when 802Opportunity is combined with the federal Pell grant, the Vermont state grant and the Green Mountain Grad”—the program is a last-dollar-style payer, not a standalone full ride.
• The $125 CCV administrative fee is also covered.
• Textbooks, course fees, and other costs are not covered.
• There is no separate application: complete the FAFSA and a Vermont grant application through VSAC, apply for admission to CCV, and register.
• It covers fall, spring, and summer courses; CCV says some programs “can be completed entirely online.”

Two more tuition-free routes at Vermont State University

Vermont State University publishes two income-based programs of its own, both limited to Vermont residents and both described as tuition-only (VTSU scholarships and tuition programs):

• Free Tuition Guarantee — for Vermont residents enrolling in degree programs “starting in the Spring 2026 or Fall 2026 semesters with a student/family adjusted gross income (AGI) of $50,000 or less as reflected on their FAFSA.”
• Freedom & Unity — a joint VSAC and VTSU program for “Vermont students with a family income of $85,000 or less to attend VTSU tuition free.”

Two limits matter. The same page states that “Amounts are non-negotiable and may be used for tuition only,” and that students enrolled in online-only academic programs, A.S. Nursing and certificate programs “do not qualify for institutional scholarships.” It also states that for fall enrollment, students regularly admitted by April 1 are considered and scholarships are awarded on a funds-available basis.

CCV per-credit prices, 2026-2027

CCV publishes per-credit tuition and a separate schedule of services for 2026-2027 (CCV Tuition & Fees):

The NEBHE Tuition Break rate covers Cheshire, Sullivan, Grafton, and Coos counties (NH) and Franklin and Berkshire counties (MA). The Good Neighbor rate covers Clinton, Essex, Rensselaer, and Washington counties (NY). In each case you must be a “permanent resident of and living in” the county. NEBHE-approved programs offer a second route to the reduced rate. CCV’s separately priced services include a $125 non-refundable administrative fee, $80 independent study, $80 field experience, $300 prior-learning portfolio evaluation, $290 course challenge, $150 competency-based pathway, and $200 focused portfolio development; transcript evaluations from other colleges are free, while course-specific fees “vary (check the Course Schedule for info)” (CCV Tuition & Fees).

What to do next in Vermont

1. File the FAFSA and a Vermont Grant application in MyVSAC—both are required, and Vermont Grant money is first-come, first-served.
2. Match the free-tuition program to the college before you plan around it. If your family income is $100,000 or less and CCV fits your plan, check 802Opportunity eligibility rather than assuming a full ride; the Free Tuition Guarantee and Freedom & Unity apply at Vermont State University. None of them covers textbooks or course fees.
3. If your family income is $50,000 or less and Vermont State fits your plan, check the Free Tuition Guarantee; if it is $85,000 or less, ask about Freedom & Unity.
4. If you live in a border county of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, or New York, ask CCV whether the NEBHE Tuition Break (NH/MA) or Good Neighbor (NY) rate applies to you. Vermont State lists its own NEBHE Tuition Break and Good Neighbor programs, which adjust cost to the in-state tuition rate for qualifying students (VTSU scholarships and tuition programs).
5. Add up per-credit tuition plus the $125 CCV administrative fee (or the Vermont State institution fee at $71 or $31 per credit) and any course-specific fees before comparing programs.

Each college on this page sets its own prices and aid rules, so confirm your program’s credits, delivery and fees on the school’s own official pages before you commit.