(South Burlington, Vt.)  At a recent meeting of its Nordic Educational Trust Scholarship Committee, the Vermont Business Roundtable awarded eight Vermont high school and adult students with two-year college scholarships totaling $40,000; another $5,000 was awarded for a second year of support to existing Nordic scholars. The need-based awards ranged from $3,000 to $8,000.

This year’s Nordic scholars (four men and four women) will pursue degrees in automotive technology; business management and technology; civil engineering; diesel and heavy equipment technology; mechanical engineering; radiology technology; respiratory therapy; and veterinary sciences.

According to Roundtable President, Lisa Ventriss, “This year we received a record-number of applications from First Generation-college bound students eager to pursue a two-year post-secondary degree. They are driven Vermont students who understand very well how life-changing a college degree can be for them and their future life goals. The Roundtable is extremely pleased that we can walk that journey with them.”

In the past 10 years, the Nordic Educational Trust Scholarship has awarded $245,0000 to over 40 high school and adult students pursuing technical degrees at two-year post-secondary institutions. The Roundtable has administered the Nordic Trust since 2010, which was established by retired Roundtable member Ross Anderson and his wife, Gail. The scholarships reinforce the work of the Roundtable and its partners in the Vermont Talent Pipeline Management project, by helping to prime the numbers of qualified entrants into the priority sectors of construction, health care, and manufacturing.

For more information about the VSAC-assisted Nordic Educational Trust scholarship (Nordic), please visit www.vsac.org.

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The Roundtable is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization of CEOs from Vermont’s top private and nonprofit employers, representing geographic diversity and all major sectors of the Vermont economy. The Roundtable is committed to sustaining a sound economy and preserving Vermont’s unique quality of life by studying and making recommendations on statewide public policy issues.