What is it?

Are you a good student who wants a free ride to a great college? According to UVM, the Green and Gold Scholarship is an academic merit scholarship program that considers the nomination of the most academically talented rising high school senior from every eligible Vermont secondary school, and Vermont residents attending select border schools. As a Green & Gold Scholar, an invitation to UVM’s prestigious Honors College is included. The Honors College has, hands down, the best dorms on campus. Students get a bigger living space, their own bathroom and air conditioning.

How do I qualify?

Students who are the” most academically talented” at the end of the junior year are nominated by their principal and must be residents of Vermont. After being nominated by their school, the student will receive a letter of congratulations from UVM and be invited to a scholarship dinner, which is being held October 4th this year. UVM says: 

To receive the Green and Gold Scholars Award, selected students must be a competitive applicant, meet or exceed minimum entrance requirements to the university and for the selected program, apply for admission by January 15 of the senior year, and must choose to attend UVM by May 1 of the semester prior to enrollment.

Nominee selection is based solely on academic achievement. Each high school may establish criteria to determine academic achievement. UVM asks only that the school identify the most academically talented student in the class and that standardized test scores not serve as the sole determination of excellence. In the event of a tie, schools may take into account the course of study pursued; strong performance in college-level courses; involvement in extracurricular activities; commitment to community service; and school leadership roles.

Students have the best chances of being nominated by keeping up their GPA and taking AP level classes.

What Happens if I Win and Don’t Want to Go?

The Green and Gold Scholarship is only awarded to one student for each school. If the recipient chooses to not go to UVM, it does not go toward another student or another college. That said, a recipient could potentially use the scholarship to persuade other colleges they want to attend to offer more money in financial aid, scholarships, or grants.

If you get the scholarship and are invited to the dinner hosted by UVM, you get the opportunity to talk to students who got the Green and Gold in prior years and decided to attend UVM. You can learn about their experiences and some of the programs that they offer. You will also get the chance to talk to professors and ask them your questions.