Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Vermont private colleges tell House committee they are vital to workforce but face enrollment and housing pressures
Summary
Leaders from the Association of Vermont Independent Colleges and presidents of Champlain and Norwich told the House Commerce & Economic Development Committee that private colleges contribute hundreds of millions in economic activity and supply critical pipelines in nursing and cybersecurity, but they face enrollment declines, housing constraints and tight staffing.
Kimberly Jessup, executive director of the Association of Vermont Independent Colleges, told the Vermont House Committee on Commerce & Economic Development on Feb. 11 that the state’s 11 private nonprofit colleges enroll about 13,400 students and bring roughly 11,300 young adults into Vermont, support more than $300 million in institutional aid and employ over 6,200 people across the state.
Jessup said those colleges generate about $317 million in wages and roughly $728 million in direct expenditures, not including multipliers. She told the committee that one member, Sterling College, is scheduled to close in August and described the closure as “orderly.” She confirmed the Vermont College of Fine Arts is still operating and has partnered with the California Institute of the Arts for administrative services.
Jessup highlighted workforce programs tied to private institutions, including an updated figure of about 164 students participating in the Green Mountain Job and Retention Program, a program she said was initially funded by federal stimulus and offers…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
