VSAC Zoom rooms keeping info accessible for students
The Vermont Student Assistance Corporation offers college access programs for adults, helps them determine what they want to study, and assists with financial aid applications.
The Career and Education Outreach branch within VSAC is now offering Zoom rooms every Tuesday at 10 a.m. connect with students.
Monica Sargent, the lead counselor of this program, said, “The Zoom rooms were a way to put together content that we would normally be providing to groups, to agency personnel, to individuals, and make it available online. This is both a service to the communities we aid as well as to the individuals who might be interested in the topics that we’re covering.”
Sargent was enthusiastic about adapting to meeting over Zoom, since the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed online learning into the forefront of academia.
“It’s not a substitute for in person meetings, it’s a supplement. It’s a way to really promote what we have available. People can pop into a zoom room then follow up with us individually for more support. It’s been a smooth transition and we’re quite comfortable with presenting information remotely,” she said.
Most recently a couple of counselors addressed the organization’s advancement grant, that was formerly called the non-degree grant – information about how to apply, how it can be utilized and eligibility.
Next week, a counselor will talk about the impact of COVID-19 on financial aid. There will be a session addressing the process of finding, applying for and filling out the free application for federal student aid.
A Zoom meeting planned for September will covering online learning resources, which is something on in the forefront of a lot of people’s minds during this unsteady time. Another is slated to address opportunities for new Americans attending college while working against food insecurity.
“When we work with people we really are a resource for everything. We help people figure out what’s the best financial approach to them starting school. We have an open-door policy for people utilizing our services,” Sargent said.
In a year’s time, VSAC has worked with about 1,600 people statewide, and two thirds of that population has been the first generation in their family to go to college.
Sargent said, “We’re here to help, we’re here to inform, and that invitation is an open one.”
The VSAC website has helpful information for adult students, and there is both a toll-free number and a local number that people can call to schedule their individual appointments.
Visit vsac.org for more, or call:
Toll Free Number: (800) 642-3177
Local Number: (802) 654-3793
