Skip to main content
An Official Vermont Government Website

Early College

Through the Flexible Pathways Initiative, Vermont's Early College Program (ECP) has made funds available to students accepted into full-time programs that are developed and operated by one of the Vermont State Colleges or an accredited private postsecondary school located in Vermont, and that are approved for operation by the Secretary of Education.

Student Eligibility

  • Resident of Vermont
  • High school senior enrolled in a school that is publicly funded including a Vermont career technical center, approved independent high school and are publicly funded by their hometowns, High School Completion Program, and Home Study students.

Student Requirements

  • Students must get approval for their participation from their high school principal or designee in order to assure that the student is academically ready for college courses and to ensure that the high school graduation requirements will be met through college courses.
  • Students wanting to participate in the Early College program must have the program documented in their Personalized Learning Plan.

Approved Early College Program Partners

The following colleges have been approved to offer Early College Programs for the 2022-2023 academic year. Contact the approved college directly to apply.

Community College of Vermont
Natalie Searle, Director of Secondary Education Initiatives   
(802) 885-8368

Goddard College
Jillehn Washburn, Registrar
(802) 322-3524

Norwich University
Cameo Wells, Associate Director
(802) 485-3334

Vermont State University
Neil Sinclair, Assistant Director of Admissions
(802) 728-2368

Learn More about Early College

For Students

Early College Program Overview
  • Students must get permission from their high school principal in order to participate (or in the case of home study students their parent/guardian);
  • Students apply for admission to one of four colleges offering the Early College program;
  • Student must enroll in courses full-time for both the fall and spring semesters;
  • Courses must satisfy high school graduation requirements so that students graduate from high school at the end of the spring semester;
  • Students must un-enroll from high school and re-enroll at the end of spring semester to get their high school diploma; and
  • Students pay for textbooks, lab fees, materials fees, and any other costs associated.

For High Schools

  • Early College Program Manual
  • Participation Agreement Form Preview
  • Participation Agreement Form Preview for Non-Operating Districts
  • What is the process for students who wish to participate in Early College?
    • Students must have the Early College element written into their Personalized Learning Plan (PLP). For a student in a high school, the high school develops and maintains the plan. For students in the home study program, the parent or guardian is responsible for developing and maintaining the plan.
    • The student must apply to one of the partnering colleges. Once accepted to college, the student:
      • Must have the Principal of the high school approve and sign off that the student is ready for the EC Program. In the case of a home study student, the Home Study parent has to approve the student is ready. Note: When principals approved participation in ECP, they agree to waive any senior-year mandated courses, projects or requirements that would only be accessible to enrolled students. It is incumbent on the approving secondary school to ensure the student's intended ECP coursework is in alignment with the school's graduation requirements.
      • Must un-enroll from the high school or home study program;
      • Shall be enrolled as a full-time student at the college;
      • Is responsible for applicable fees and textbook costs.
    • At the end of the school year, the student must re-enroll at their high school in order to get their diploma. Home study students do not need to re-enroll in the home study program because they are not issued diplomas (with the exception of home study students in the Vermont Technical College Vermont Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) program).

For any 12th grade student enrolled in VAST and/or in any eligible Vermont Early College program, the credits and grades earned shall, upon the request of the student or the student’s parent or guardian, be applied toward graduation requirements at the Vermont secondary school that the student attended prior to enrolling in the early college program.

Note: VAST is an independent high school that issues high school diplomas. VAST students have the option, if they so choose, to earn a diploma from their sending school. In this case, they would need to re-enroll in their sending school prior to receiving their diploma.

  • What happens if an early college student falls below full-time status?
    • ​If a student drops below full-time status for any unforeseen circumstance, the Early College Program Waiver must be provided to the secondary and/or postsecondary institution in order to support the accommodation of contributing in a part-time status.
  • Memo: Early College and CTE Enrollment Requests

For Colleges/Universities