Vermont State Colleges asks Legislature for base-budget increase and funds for microcredentials, allied health and housing planning

Chancellor Beth Mow told the Senate Education Committee on Jan. 16 that the Vermont State Colleges System is seeking a 3% increase to its base budget for FY27, which she said would bring the base to $54,425,753. "This is our first year for FY27 where we're not gonna be requesting bridge funding," she said, adding that the system is also requesting $1.5 million for workforce microcredentials and a combined $4.2 million to underwrite allied health programs.

Mow described the allied-health request as support for faculty, clinical support and training tied to growing programs in nursing, respiratory therapy and dental hygiene. A staff speaker explained the allied-health funding draws largely on Global Commitment (Medicaid-related) grant dollars with a smaller general-fund component; the staff estimate cited an increase of about $2.4 million to those funds to support program costs.

The chancellor framed the microcredential request as an effort to scale apprenticeships and short-term credentials statewide that let working adults upskill while remaining employed. "That that's the program where I would look at generalizing the kinds of microcredentials, apprenticeships that we have around the state," she said.

Mow stressed these are budget requests to be considered by the governor and Legislature rather than enacted changes. Committee members asked for a written letter describing the allied-health funding and for campus-level enrollment trend data to inform appropriation decisions. The chancellor agreed to provide the requested campus-by-campus figures and additional detail in a follow-up letter.

Next steps: the committee will consider the system's requests as part of the broader budget review; the Vermont State Colleges will submit the additional documentation requested by senators.