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Committee split on using higher-education trust fund for UVM convention center; supports scholarship and micro-credential requests

Vermont House Committee on Commerce & Economic Development · February 25, 2026

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Summary

Members discussed UVM’s request to use $15 million from the Higher Education Trust Fund for a multipurpose/convention center and expressed reservations about using the trust fund for that purpose while supporting Freedom and Unity scholarship funding and other higher-education grants.

The committee considered several higher-education funding requests as it drafted its Appropriations letter on Feb. 24.

UVM requested authorization to use $15,000,000 from the Higher Education Trust Fund to support a multipurpose/convention center. Several committee members said they support the concept of a convention center but opposed using the Higher Education Trust Fund—established from estate-tax special funds and intended to advance higher education—to pay for a convention center. "I am not I don't think that trust fund is the right fund to use to fund them," one member said. Another member suggested the trust should be analyzed for an appropriate size and a policy for using surplus interest above a floor.

Separately, members supported continuing a micro-credential/certificate extension at Vermont State University with a one-time request (discussed around $1.5 million previously) and discussed a $2.3 million one-time request to expand a scholarship program (Freedom and Unity scholarship) to raise eligible income levels. The committee generally supported $600,000 for the scholarship program components and voiced interest in making some elements high priority while noting education committees should further vet base-funding decisions.

Why it matters: The use of a purpose-specific trust fund for capital projects raises questions about precedent and the intended beneficiaries of the trust. Scholarship and micro-credential funding affect students and workforce pipelines.

Next steps: Staff will flag the trust-fund issues in the Appropriations letter, include support language for scholarships and micro-credential programs as agreed, and defer base-funding decisions to the Education Committee where appropriate.