UVM, VSAC and Vermont State Colleges outline budget priorities and program updates

University and higher‑education officials appeared before the committee after the H.205 discussion to press budget and program priorities.

Wendy Hoenig, director of government relations for the University of Vermont, said UVM seeks a 3% increase to its general fund appropriation, requested $1 million a year for five years to expand rural cancer work at the Vermont Cancer Center and called for a $15 million state investment to complete a multipurpose center. Hoenig described UVM’s Tech Hub resubmission after a rescinded $24 million federal award and said the university has advanced to round two, with applicants expecting an answer in April.

Patrick Deduc, chief operating officer at Vermont Student Assistance (VSAC), updated the committee on outreach tools and program requests. He described AwardAdvisor, a free tool to parse and compare competing college award letters, and requested a 3% base increase for VSAC (about $812,000) plus support to transition the Freedom and Unity scholarship from one‑time pilot funding to $2.3 million ongoing and to raise the household eligibility threshold to widen access.

Beth Mauck, chancellor of the Vermont State Colleges System, reported a 1.4% rise in headcount and a more than 10% increase in online enrollment. She described partnerships, micro‑credential proposals and requests for higher allied‑health funding and $1 million in capital for site work on an apartment project on the Johnson campus. Mauck noted FY'26 is the last year of prior bridge funding (about $5 million) and said the system is not requesting additional bridge aid next year.

Why it matters: officials framed these requests as workforce and retention investments — from rural cancer outreach to tech commercialization and scholarships — that support Vermont employers’ ability to recruit and retain talent. Committee members pressed for additional data on program uptake and discussed marketing and coordination options for Green Mountain Jobs and other retention efforts.

Next steps: committee members asked for follow‑up information (program uptake figures and distribution of remaining Green Mountain Jobs funds) and took a short recess before resuming markup and budget work.