The VLCT Municipal Service Scholarship was established by VLCT in 2023 to encourage Vermonters to serve in a city, town, or village government.
To qualify, applicants must meet these three requirements:
- Be a Vermont municipal employee, a Vermont municipal official (elected or appointed), or a dependent child age 26 or younger of a Vermont municipal employee or official
- Intend to work in municipal government
- Plan to attend an accredited school in Vermont
VLCT intends to award at least one single-year scholarship of $2,000 each year. A committee comprised of a subset of VLCT board members selects the recipient.
To apply, visit the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation. The full description below is also available in the VSAC portal.
Municipal Service Scholarship (sponsored by the Vermont League of Cities and Towns)
The Vermont League of Cities and Towns established this scholarship to encourage Vermonters to serve in a city, town, or village government.
Eligibility:
- Must be an employee of a Vermont city, town, or village (including part-time and seasonal who have served within 12 months of application), or a Vermont city, town, or village elected official, or a Vermont city, town, or village appointed official, or dependent child age 26 or younger of any of the above. Vermont city, town, and village appointed officials are defined as any individual appointed to a municipal role by the legislative body of a municipality, such as planning commission members.
- Have an interest in working or volunteering in a city, town. or village government. (Applicants must address this in their general essay.)
- Demonstrate financial need
- Demonstrated academic achievement (through transcript)
- Demonstrated engagement in a city, town. or village (if not currently serving in an elected or appointed position, resume, essay, and recommendation letter should reflect municipal interest)
- Attend an accredited school approved for federal Title IV funding (Pell grants, federal Direct loans), within Vermont.
Required documents: Unified Scholarship Application, FAFSA, essay #1 (general essay—include why you want to serve in city, town. or village government), transcript, one recommendation letter #1 (non-relative; must be from a city, town. or village official – either elected, appointed, or employed), and resumé
Amount:
Selection: Financial need, recommendation letter, and essay
Due Date/Timeframe: Due by February 12, 2025. (Mid-February each year). See VSAC's suggested timeline for scholarship applications.