Vermont Tuition Advantage Provides New Opportunities

Reuben Flieder has many talents and interests, and he has a desire to continue learning. He also has an “I can do that” mindset when considering new opportunities. When he learned of the Vermont Tuition Advantage (VTA) program offered at CCV, it was another opportunity to apply this mindset. “CCV announced they were offering half-priced tuition and I didn’t know if I would qualify but I started looking into classes at CCV.”

For the 2023-2024 academic year, the VTA program offered Vermonters half-priced tuition to help students access education and training for careers in high-demand fields. New and current students could take advantage of this tuition discount if they enrolled in an eligible CCV program, including seven degrees and 14 certificates

Among the eligible programs is CCV’s bookkeeping certificate, which caught Reuben’s eye. In 2021 he graduated from NVU-Johnson (now Vermont State University) with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. Since graduating he’s worked at the News & Citizen, in the hospitality industry, and is now the sales manager at the visitors center in Stowe. While he’s enjoyed his current job, Reuben said “I was really feeling like I wanted to do more, just in general with my life.”  At CCV, Reuben needed to pursue a different field of study than he had in the past, which is when he chose the bookkeeping certificate in fall 2023.  One semester into the program, Reuben can confidently say “I feel like I understand more of the world in general…I feel like I’m a better manager in my current career.”

For Reuben, the VTA program meant that for the first time in his higher education journey, he wouldn’t have to take out any student loans. “I didn’t want to take out loans to start something new…half-priced tuition meant that… I could say ‘I’m gonna try this out and if it doesn’t work, it’s ok’ and I’m still committing to my future and investing in myself.”  

The half-priced tuition also allowed him to take more classes in a semester than he would have otherwise, speeding up the rate in which he’ll complete the program. But, for Reuben the certificate isn’t the only benefit of his CCV education. “With one course I feel like I learned enough to make different career moves,” he says. Additionally, in the bookkeeping program he’s able to earn certifications from the National Association of Certified Public Bookkeepers (NACPB) each semester, providing an additional level of industry recognition of his new skills and knowledge. “I got my first certification from the NACPB through CCV so I’m able to put that on my resume,” Reuben said.

While the VTA program drew Reuben to the College, other factors have helped keep him here. “There are so many systems that CCV has that [other colleges] don’t offer,” Reuben said. “It’s super flexible, it makes the learning feel like it’s something that I’m doing and it’s not something done to me. The mode of delivery for CCV has been so positive and so helpful for learning, and the tech integration is great.”  He continued, “I found that the advising quality and instruction feedback was so much better because these professors are used to teaching online.”

Reuben looks forward to the lasting impact of his CCV education. “I’m always thinking about how to spend my time in a way that enriches me as a person…somewhere down the line something will come up and I’ll say ‘I know how to do that’ because of my time at CCV.”