UVM interim president outlines enrollment metrics, nursing consortium and three funding requests to Senate Education Committee

Patty Prelock, interim president of the University of Vermont, told the Vermont State Senate Education Committee on Feb. 7 that the university is “stable and continues to thrive” while outlining enrollment, workforce and research priorities and three formal funding requests to the Legislature.

Prelock summarized student‑level metrics, workforce partnerships and new initiatives, and asked the committee to support a 3% increase in UVM’s base funding in the governor’s budget plus two one‑time allocations: $1 million for the Tech Hub (to be matched by industry) and $5 million spread over five years for the Vermont Cancer Center initiative as the center seeks National Cancer Institute designation.

The nut of Prelock’s message was financing for statewide workforce and research needs. She said UVM is prioritizing affordability through its UVM Promise program, expanding nursing capacity through a proposed nursing consortium with other Vermont institutions, and investing in research and workforce pipelines tied to semiconductor manufacturing and rural cancer care.

Prelock said the university enrolls 3,664 Vermont residents—about 25% of the student body—and that “46% of our Vermont undergraduates attend tuition free because of the direct financial support we provide.” She added that 91% of Vermont students receive some scholarship or financial aid and that Vermont‑resident student retention stands at roughly 93%. On graduation timing, she said…