ROAD to Success

Student Eligibility

BIG changes in the Rural Opportunity and Development (ROAD) to Success Program eligibility!

We wanted to share some exciting news about a change in eligibility for the ROAD to Success program. We recently were informed that our eligibility no longer needs to require that students graduated from a rural Vermont high school (or transfer from a rural CCV center) as long as they attend a rural Vermont campus. Here is what this means:

• No matter where a student attended high school (in-state and out-of-state, rural or not) if they are enrolled as students at Lyndon, Johnson, Castleton or Randolph (our rural campuses) as full-time students in a Bachelor’s degree program, they are now eligible, PLUS;
• If they attend online and live in a rural Vermont community (anywhere EXCEPT Essex, Burlington, South Burlington, Williston, Winooski or Milton or outside of Vermont), they are now eligible, PLUS;
• If they attend Williston and live in a rural community and travel to campus (this includes Colchester/St. Mike’s campus, but excludes those other non-rural communities listed above and those commuting from outside of Vermont), they are now eligible!

Over the past 3 years, ROAD to Success funds have supported our students by:

• Paying $119K+ to students for unpaid internships, student teaching, research and professional development
• Helping 76 students with borrowed laptops, iPads, internet costs
• Upgrading 2 classrooms (Lyndon and Randolph) and 1 lecture hall (Johnson) with tech upgrades
• Funding Tutor.com online 24/7 tutoring program
• Participating in the work to increase Career Pathways from CCV to VTSU (as of 10/21/26 there are 51 Pathways)
• Supporting creation of online courses and certificates, including Navigating Ethical Scholarship at VTSU
• Sponsorship of numerous rural community discussions that now include conversations on post-secondary education
• Providing a consistent Student Success Advisor, Sawyer Judkins, over VTSU undergraduate years

Access to Technology & Expert Staff

Participating students receive stipends for experiential learning (such as research or internships), support from professional staff who have training and expertise in serving rural students, and access to the technology needed to complete their credentials. 

Beyond the dual-advising model system that supports all students, ROAD to Success participants get tailored support services in the following areas: 

Career Development

We’ll work with you to determine what path best fits your interests and lifestyle, and help you find an academic program path that will directly place you into a high-skilled, in-demand occupation in Vermont.

Starting in your first semester, you’ll have access to career development that helps guide you through paid career-focused internships and learning experiences that are based in the NACE Core Competencies of career readiness.