Scholarships

Fund yourself & scholarships

We recommend Vermont residents first contact VSAC about a ‘Non Degree Grant’.

We are the only Fully Accredited Permaculture Institute in Vermont presently eligible for VSAC grants, which provide for full tuition, plus materials and supplies for income eligible Vermont State Residents.

Note: Vermont grant applications are considered on a first-come, first-served basis as long as funding is available.

Vermont Non-Degree grant for Vermont residents enrolled in a non-degree course or program

Eligibility

A Vermont resident enrolled in a non-degree (non-matriculated) course that will improve employability or encourage further study is eligible to apply for a Vermont Non-Degree grant.

An applicant may receive a Non-Degree grant for up to two enrollment terms per financial aid year (July 1 – June 30), and a total of six terms of Non-Degree grants in a lifetime.

Classes can be taken at any of the following:

• An approved postsecondary education institution within the United States or Canada.

• A Vermont educational institution such as a high school or technical center that offers a continuing education program.

• A private organization within the United States that offers training courses and meets the requirements for being an approved school for the Vermont Non-Degree Grant Program.

Amount

The grant award amount is based on financial need and the cost of the course. The maximum award amount per term is determined each year by VSAC based on funding availability.

Note: Vermont grant applications are considered on a first-come, first-served basis as long as funding is available.

How to Apply

Log directly in to your myVSAC account to complete the online application (or create an account if you have not yet done so). Once logged in, follow the grant link on the left in order to submit the appropriate grant application.

For more information visit – VSAC online or in downtown Winooski, VT

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Also, VT Women Farmers are eligible for funds through the Womens’ Agriculture Network, who we’ve been working closely with to provide whole farm planning and farm-oriented permaculture education.

WAGN: http://www.uvm.edu/wagn/?Page=funding_opportunities.html

The 2012 Prospect Rock Permaculture Design Certification Course is fully qualified for Vermont Green’s ‘Professional Development’ Funds.  Vermont State residents studying permaculture to further their careers may be eligible for up to $880.  For more information, contact Tatum O’Maley or any of the Career Development Councilors at:

www.vtgreen.org

http://www.vtgreen.org/career-development-counselors/

A few other ideas to stimulate your thinking….

Professional Development. Your work place may have money set aside for their employees to learn new skills and improve their knowledge base. Ask you supervisor to help you fund this workshop!

Get sponsorship from family and friends in exchange for design work after the course. They will be investing in your education and the payoff is in taking advantage of the skills you learn.  If you can get five sponsors for $200 each, then you will get the benefit of five practice designs.  Then you can sell your skills to others.

Just Ask. That’s right, if you ask, people will give you money! Here is a sample letter you can send to your network to support this great learning opportunity. To share what you learned in the class invite them all over after and tell them about it: SAMPLE FUNDING LETTER

College Credit:

This course is accredited through the University of Vermont for 5 credits transferrable to any school.  Taken the course for credit incurs additional costs for accreditation, but is also eligible for a wide variety of Financial Aid for Students.  Some students have also attended the course and received credit through their home institutions by designing an independent study or other means.  Please contact us or the Continuing Education department at UVM for more details.

Throw a fundraising BBQ. With fresh fish you caught and/or veggies from your garden.  Tell people a little bit about Permaculture and what you plan to do with what you learn, then ask people to donate $25-$50 to help you achieve your goals.  Ask some friends to play music or donate food.  You will only need to convince a party’s worth of people to give money to cover your costs.

Pot up your raspberry shoots that are coming up where you don’t want them and sell them at the farmer’s market.

Make dandelion fritters and sell them at the farmers market.

Hold a workshop teaching whatever skill you have or whatever is your passion or hobby… everyone wants to learn something new!  (Charging people $10 per workshop hour seems about right, so a 3 hour workshop is $30) Or ask your friends to donate their time to teach a workshop.  Making cheese, keeping chickens, pruning trees, baking bread, starting a garden, making a website, knitting, etc.

Additional Scholarships

Our goal is to receive a good amount of funding to cover sponsorships. We will need to wait until we get 22 people signed up OR get enough individual donations. If there are folks who can support another student to take the course, we can offer scholarships sooner. $2200 in donations would cover two scholarships.

Our first consideration for scholarships will be people of color, and low income folks. To apply for a scholarship please send a letter of consideration to Keith Morris: keith@prospectrock.org, P.O. Box 426, Jeffersonville, VT 05464.  In your letter of need please include answers to the following questions:

• Tell us a little about yourself, what are your interests? Hobbies? Where are you from?
• What is your interest in Permaculture and this Course?
• After the Permaculture Design Course how do you plan on integrating your new knowledge into your life, community and/or job & career?
• Have you had any previous experience with Permaculture or sustainability issues? If so please explain.
• Please include information on your need for a scholarship.

Work Trade

Our criteria for choosing work trade students include: people of color, people with few resources, and people who sign up early. Please make sure to state your work trade interest when registering.

Payment Plans

Payment plans may be available. Please contact us to request a payment plan. At this point we have limited scholarships, if you can afford a payment plan this may be a good alternative.