VSAC newsline

WINOOSKI — Mary Welz, director of development for the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC), has received the Carol and Stephen Hebert Award for distinguished service to District 1 of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).

Welz has been with VSAC for six years, helping to develop its charitable affiliate, the Vermont Scholarship Fund, which annually awards more than $6 million in college scholarships to Vermont students.

Welz has been active in CASE since 1995 and has held a variety of leadership positions within the organization, most recently as District 1 conference sponsorship chair. The award recognizes her “extraordinary devotion of time and energy” to District 1, which encompasses the northeastern U.S. and eastern Canada.

Before joining VSAC, Welz worked at the Vermont State Colleges, Norwich University, and Goddard College.

WINOOSKI — Registration has opened for the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation’s 8^th annual College Pathways conference, a free college planning day for high school sophomores and juniors and their parents.

In order to accommodate as many families as possible, VSAC hosts the conference three times, all on Saturdays, in different regions of the state:

·        March 14 at Saint Michael’s College in Colchester

·        March 28 at Castleton State College in Castleton

·        April 4 at Lyndon State College in Lyndonville

The day-long program enables each student and parent attendee to choose up to five workshop topics from more than a dozen available, and includes a free bag lunch. Popular topics include surviving standardized tests, applying for admission, writing a great admissions essay, and learning about scholarships. There are also specialized topics for athletes, students with learning disabilities, and those interested in less than a four-year degree.

The conference begins with registration at 8:30 a.m. and concludes at 3 p.m. Families are encouraged to register early, because workshops fill fast. For more information or to register, visit www.vsac.org or call 800-798-8722.

BARRE — Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC) kicked off its annual observance of September as College Savings Month with a gubernatorial proclamation touting the benefits of Vermont’s 529 plan, the Vermont Higher Education Investment Plan (VHEIP).

Gov. Jim Douglas, surrounded by some of the young Vermonters for whom VHEIP is designed, signed the proclamation on Wednesday, Aug. 27, at the Barre City Elementary and Middle School. The proclamation notes that VHEIP currently has more than $90 million invested in nearly 8,500 accounts.

VSAC uses College Savings Month as a springboard for publicizing the benefits of VHEIP, which it administers in partnership with TIAA-CREF, and encouraging more Vermonters to enroll.

The plan offers three investment options, can be opened with a contribution of only $25, and provides attractive federal and state tax benefits. Plan earnings are free of Vermont and federal income taxes when used for qualified higher education expenses. Also, Vermont offers participants an income tax credit on contributions. The tax credit saved about 1,700 Vermont tax filers more than $800,000 in 2007.

Following are events where Vermonters can meet with staff from VSAC to learn more about VHEIP:

• Friday, Sept. 5: Diamond Run Mall, Rutland, 4–7 p.m.
• Thursday, Sept. 11: Wal-Mart, Bennington, 3–6 p.m.
• Friday, Sept. 12: Big Lots, Morrisville, 4–7 p.m.
• Tuesday, Sept. 16: Hannaford Supermarket, Enosburg Falls, 3–6 p.m.
• Wednesday, Sept. 17: Shaw’s Supermarket, Derby, 3–6 p.m.
• Saturday, Sept. 20: River Valley Kids Fair, Brattleboro, 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
• Saturday, Sept. 27: Vermont Parents Expo, University Mall, South Burlington, 9:30 a.m.–3 p.m. 

For more information about the Vermont Higher Education Investment Plan, visit the VSAC Web site at www.vsac.org or call 800-637-5860.