Vermont John H. Chafee Education and Training

The Vermont John H. Chafee Education and Training Scholarship is federally funded aid, administered by VSAC, for young Vermonters who experienced foster care and are heading to college or job training after high school. Students qualify if they were in the custody of the Vermont Department for Children and Families after age 14, or after age 16 if they left care through adoption or legal guardianship, are under 26, have not used the program for more than five years, and show financial need. Awards generally range from $1,000 to $3,000 a year and may not exceed $5,000, limited to cost of attendance minus the Student Aid Index and other gift aid. The scholarship is unusually flexible: it can be used in any program, with no minimum number of credits, at any accredited school approved for federal student aid, including postsecondary vocational schools. Students apply with VSAC's Unified Scholarship Application, the FAFSA and the Vermont Grant application; for 2027-28 everything is due February 10, 2027.

Other deadlines near this one

How hard is the Vermont John H. Chafee Education and Training Scholarship to win?

A large applicant pool chases this award. Apply if the student is a genuinely strong fit, but build the plan around better-odds awards first. The provider does not publish applicant or winner counts, so Solyo shows no odds figure for this award.

Odds: not published by the provider
Paperwork: ~3 hrs to file

What drives the odds here

Odds on a scholarship are mostly a question of how many students can enter. Each rule below changes the size of that field.

Fewer rivalsOpen only to Vermont residents
Fewer rivalsRequires a specific life circumstance
Fewer rivalsOpen to a single grade level only

How Solyo estimates this: We model the applicant field from how narrow the eligibility rules are, then divide the awards available by that field. Requirements such as essays and recommendation letters improve a serious applicant’s odds, because most browsers never complete them. These are estimates derived from each award's published structure, not reported acceptance rates, which almost no scholarship provider discloses. Treat them as a way to rank where the hours go, not as a guarantee.

Who can apply for the Vermont John H. Chafee Education and Training Scholarship?

These are the eligibility rules Solyo verified against the official award page, translated into plain English. Your student must meet each one.

Must be a resident of Vermont
Open to high school seniors
For current or former foster youth
Age 25 or younger

Confirm these before applying

Must have been in Vermont DCF custody after age 14 (after 16 if adopted or placed in guardianship) and be under 26

Good to know

Must show financial need

What the application takes

No essay, recommendation letters, or transcript are required. This is one of the lighter applications in the directory.

Deadline and application cycle

The current deadline is February 10, 2027. This award runs on an annual cycle, with deadlines around February 10 each year. Applications open October 1, 2026. One missing document makes the whole application late, so submit the USA, FAFSA and Vermont Grant application well before February 10.

2027-28 FAFSA and Unified Scholarship Application open: October 1, 2026
USA, FAFSA, Vermont Grant application and documents due (submission/postmark): February 10, 2027
VSAC begins notifying scholarship recipients: Beginning May 1, 2027

Remind me before Feb 10 Apply on the official site

Free to apply. Legitimate scholarships never charge a fee. We use your student's information only to build their plan.

Common questions about the Vermont John H. Chafee Education and Training Scholarship

How much is the Vermont John H. Chafee Education and Training Scholarship worth?

The Vermont John H. Chafee Education and Training Scholarship awards $1,000 to $3,000 typical, up to $5,000 and is renewable in later years.

When is the Vermont John H. Chafee Education and Training Scholarship deadline?

The current deadline is February 10, 2027. This award runs on an annual cycle, with deadlines around February 10 each year. Applications open October 1, 2026. One missing document makes the whole application late, so submit the USA, FAFSA and Vermont Grant application well before February 10.

When do Vermont John H. Chafee Education and Training Scholarship applications open?

Applications open October 1, 2026, and close February 10, 2027. One missing document makes the whole application late, so submit the USA, FAFSA and Vermont Grant application well before February 10.

Who is eligible for the Vermont John H. Chafee Education and Training Scholarship?

Key requirements: Must be a resident of Vermont; Open to high school seniors; For current or former foster youth; Age 25 or younger.

Does the Vermont John H. Chafee Education and Training Scholarship require an essay?

No essay is required. The application is light on requirements. Expect to spend about 3 hours on it.

How hard is it to win the Vermont John H. Chafee Education and Training Scholarship?

A large applicant pool chases this award. Apply if the student is a genuinely strong fit, but build the plan around better-odds awards first. The provider does not publish applicant or winner counts, so Solyo shows no odds figure for this award. What is known: open only to Vermont residents and requires a specific life circumstance. Plan on about 3 hrs of work.

Is the Vermont John H. Chafee Education and Training Scholarship free to apply?

Yes. The Vermont John H. Chafee Education and Training Scholarship is free to apply. Legitimate scholarships never charge an application fee, and Solyo verifies every listed award against its official page.

Vermont John H. Chafee Education and Training Scholarship