Vermont State Colleges ask for continued bridge funding, capital repairs in FY26 budget hearing

CHANCELLORS AND CFO GIVE OVERVIEW, BUDGET REQUEST On Feb. 7 at a meeting of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Vermont State Colleges Chancellor Beth Mauck and Chief Financial and Operating Officer Sharon Segosh presented the system's FY26 budget request and capital needs, asking the legislature to continue bridge support while the system completes a multi‑year financial turnaround.

Why it matters The Vermont State Colleges system includes the Community College of Vermont (CCV) and Vermont State University (VTSU) and operates campuses and centers across the state. Committee funding decisions will affect operating capacity, maintenance of campus buildings and tuition programs that several presenters said are driving enrollment and workforce outcomes in key fields such as nursing.

What presenters told the committee For the record, Chancellor Beth Mauck said the system has about 850 employees and described the colleges as “the heart and soul of these rural communities.” Mauck highlighted the system’s recent work to expand workforce programs, noting in her remarks that “this year alone, we graduated 500 nurses. Over 90% of them were Vermonters or took the exam in Vermont.”

CFO Sharon Segosh reviewed finances and the multi‑year recovery plan the system has followed since the pandemic. Segosh said the system had about eight days of cash on hand early in the pandemic and that the legislature created a select committee and a multi‑year plan to restore sustainability. She…