The Curtis Fund Scholarship Program

Perceptions and Outcomes of Recent Scholarship Recipients

Prepared for:

The Curtis Scholarship Foundation

Prepared by:

Dr. Vincent Bolduc Dr. Herbert Kessel Saint Michael’s College Center for Social Science Research Summer of 2011

The Social Science Research Center at Saint Michael's College was established in 1987 to provide opportunities for faculty and students to engage cooperatively in inter-disciplinary research within the social sciences. Research services are offered to government, businesses and nonprofit institutions.

Acknowledgements

Besides the support and encouragement of Joe Boutin and other Board members, we also owe a debt of gratitude to student manager Athena Drellos, whose efficiency and tenacity in keeping the schedule of interviewers and respondent records in impeccable order was invaluable. Leslie Turner, SMC Administrative Assistant, also made a tremendous contribution for her many hours of data entry and careful file creation and formatting. Finally, the project would have been impossible without the interviewing skills of the following students in Vince Bolduc‟s Research Methods class: Harrison Antognioni; Casey Aspell; Brittany Borja; Cassy Burns; Jerry Carter; Kate Coggeshall; Maria Cole; Kate Condon; Sam Culver; Athena Drellos; Sarah Ells; Sarah Godlewski; Dan Healy; Erin Kennally; Kate Laughlin; Tim McDonnell; Rachel McLaughlin; Kate McNamara; Ben Mitchell; Abbie Monaghan; Kate Murphy; Meghan O‟Brien; Liz Reid; Joel Smus; Tobin Weltin.

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Introduction

Going to college is expensive, with yearly increases in tuition over recent decades exceeding almost all other items in the CPI index. To make matters worse, there has been a decrease in many forms of public funding for grants and loans making cost a major impediment to young people seeking a higher education.1 At the same time, the earnings gap between those with a high school degree and those with a college degree has increased, making a college education of higher relative value than it has been for many years. Once in college, students from lower income families face many challenges not experienced by those from more affluent families, so their college completion rates are less.2 According to Lawrence Summers, the former Secretary of the U.S. Treasury and past President of Harvard University, "We need to recognize that the most serious domestic problem in the United States today is the widening gap between the children of the rich and the children of the poor…and education is the most powerful weapon we have to address that problem."3

For all these reasons, the importance of private scholarship funds, especially those designed for first generation students, are more important than ever. In late 2010, the Director of Vermont‟s Curtis Fund, Joe Boutin, contacted Drs. Vince Bolduc and Herb Kessel of Saint Michael‟s College, to interview recipients of the Curtis Fund scholarships to determine their satisfaction with the program, post college outcomes and suggestions for improvements. This baseline study focuses on Vermonters who received a Curtis scholarship between 1995 and 2010, a time period in which the program maintained more up to date address records than in earlier years.

The Curtis Fund traces its origins back to a $120,000 trust fund established by Emma Eliza Curtis in 1910 that was designed to help young Vermonters, both men and women, pursue a college education or a trade. Over the decades, the trust fund has grown to $28 million, from which approximately $1.5 million is allocated annually to Vermonters of limited means, with a particular focus on first generation college students. The Fund is administered by the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC) which combines Curtis Fund grants with loans and other scholarships to enable Vermont high school graduates to further their educations.

The study begins with an overview of the costs and benefits of a college education and some of the special challenges faced by first generation college students that have been documented in earlier research. The study then turns its attention to some methodological issues associated with the survey of the scholarship recipients, followed by a summary of the study‟s data findings. The first appendix includes the survey instrument with the percentages for each question presented in bold. The second appendix includes the verbatim responses to the open ended questions listed for each participant who shared their views with us. The final appendix presents charts of some

1 According to William Deresiewicz in an article entitled “Faulty Towers: The Crises in Higher Education,” (The Nation May 4th, 2011), “Estimates are that over the past decade, between 1.4 million and 2.4 million students have been prevented from going to college for financial reasons---about 50 percent more than during the 1990s. And of course, in the present climate of universal fiscal crises, it is also about to get a lot worse.” 2 “Only 41 percent of low-income students entering a four-year college managed to graduate within five years, the Department of Education found in a study last year, but 66 percent of high-income students did. That gap had grown over recent years.” The College Dropout Boom, David Leonhardt, New York Times 2005. 3 Ibid 3 selected findings and then an extensive array of tables which shows the responses to various questions broken down by the key social-economic characteristics of the sample.

The Broader Context

In 2009, the proportion of American adults over 26 who had a college education was almost 30%. More precisely, according to the 2011 Statistical Abstracts of the United States, 9.0% have Associates degrees, another 19% have Bachelor‟s degrees; finally, 10.6% have advanced degrees. We usually combine the latter two to say that 29.6% of American adults have a BA or more. Fully 68% of high school graduates enroll in college immediately after high school.4 Because of Vermont‟s relatively low number of large colleges and universities, Vermont has one of the lowest percentages of students attending college in their home state (24%).5 The national average is 50%.6 There were 19,102,800 college students in the US in 2009.7 In 2008, 750,164 Associate degrees were awarded and 1,563,069 BA‟s.8 In 2008, there were 2,675 four year colleges and universities and 1,677 two year colleges.9 According to the 2011 Statistical Abstracts of the US, between 2007 and 2008, the average official prices of attendance at U.S. colleges and universities (absent financial aid contributions) were as follows:

All institutions: $14,006 Public 2 year: $7,033 Public 4 year with doctorate program: $16,615 Private non-doctorate program: $25,184 Private doctorate: $31,628

Average amount of financial aid per student, includes grants, loans and work-study programs (65% of all students receive some financial aid):

All institutions: $9,127 Public 2 year: $3,395 Public 4 year with doctorate program: $10,097 Private non-doctorate program: $16,006 Private doctorate: $18,962

Numerous sources document the material benefits of a college degree, such as lower unemployment rates and higher average incomes. While the cost of college is increasingly expensive, the College

4 Baum, Sandy; Jennifer Ma; Kathleen Payea, Education Pays: 2010, Trends in Higher Education Series, The College Board, 2010 p48. 5 In spite of the relative low percentage of young Vermonters remaining in the state for their secondary education, overall the state has been ranked as the 6th best educated state in the nation. In large part, this statistic reflects the high level of education of those non-native born Vermonters who choose to live here. Thomas Mortenson, Interstate Migration of College Graduates 1989 to 2007. Postsecondary Education OPPORTUNITY. August 2008. 6 Ibid, p.48. 7 Statistical Abstracts of the US, 2011 p. 177. 8 Ibid, p.187. 9 Ibid, p.176. 4

Board estimates that by age 33, the cost of a college education has paid for itself.10 More specifically, Day and Newburger found that “over a work-life, individuals who have a bachelor‟s degree would earn on average $2.1 million — about one third more than workers who did not finish college, and nearly twice as much as workers with only a high school diploma. A master‟s degree holder tops a bachelor‟s degree holder at $2.5 million. Doctoral ($3.4 million) and professional degree holders ($4.4 million) do even better.”11

College grads also enjoy a higher perceived quality of life. As education increases, so does volunteerism: people with a bachelor‟s degree volunteer at a 43% rate in comparison to 30% for those with an associate‟s degree or some college and 19% for high school graduates only.12 Just as important, people “with higher levels of education have better health, exercise more, smoke less, are less often obese, have better medical care, fewer sexual partners, higher life expectancy, more secure retirement plans, and higher savings rates. While many say that „the exceptions always make the rule‟ (and there are many exceptions) the generalization is well established: as education increases, so do the choices, options, and opportunities available. Having choices in life is an important component of human well-being.”13

It is well established that children from well-off families have significant advantages in attending and completing a college education. For example, 57% of BA degree recipients come from the upper quartile in the distribution of income; only 10% come from the lower quartile.14 A recent report from the College Board provides clear documentation on the relationship between educational attainment and family background.15 For example:

“Children of parents with higher levels of educational attainment are better prepared for school and, while in school, are more likely than other children to engage in educational activities with their parents (p31).”

Thirty-nine percent of dependent undergrads from families with incomes below $40,000 were enrolled in two-year institutions, in comparison to 17% for families with income above $120,000. The latter are also far more likely to go to four year institutions (p39).

“In 2008, about 70% of white, 62% of Hispanic, and 56% of black high school graduates enrolled in college within 12 months of graduation.” (Figure 2.2a, p40)

A large study conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) documents the same special challenges for first generation students. Each of the following bullet points were taken from their 2005 report, NCES-171 by Xianglei Chen and C. Dennis Carroll, “First Generation Students in

10 Baum, Sandy; Jennifer Ma; Kathleen Payea, Education Pays: 2010, Trends in Higher Education Series, The College Board, 2010, p1. 11 “The Big Payoff: Educational Attainment and Synthetic Estimates of Work-Life Earnings,” Day and Newburger, Current Population Reports , P23-210. July 2002 12 Baum, Sandy; Jennifer Ma; Kathleen Payea, Education Pays: 2010, Trends in Higher Education Series, The College Board, 2010, p32. 13 Bolduc and Kessel, “2010 Pulse of Vermont Study,” Vermont Business Roundtable. See Appendix, “Education and Vermont‟s Quality of Life.” 14 Mortenson, Postsecondary Education Opportunity, http://www.postsecondary.org/last12/168606_p10-16.pdf. 15 Baum, Sandy; Jennifer Ma; Kathleen Payea, Education Pays: 2010, Trends in Higher Education Series, The College Board, 2010 5

Postsecondary Education.” “The findings from this report indicate that compared with students whose parents attended college, first-generation students consistently remained at a disadvantage after entering postsecondary education: they completed fewer credits, took fewer academic courses, earned lower grades, needed more remedial assistance, and were more likely to withdraw from or repeat courses they attempted” (page ix). Here are more specifics:

“…first generation students were less likely than other students to attend college within 8 years after high school…43% of first-generation students who entered postsecondary…left without a degree…while 24% graduated with the bachelor‟s degree. The opposite pattern was observed for students whose parents were college graduates: a large majority (68%) had completed a bachelor‟s degree, while 20% left without a degree.” page iii, iv, p.5

First generation students are a minority of undergraduates—constituting only 22% of those who entered college between 1992 and 2000 (page iii, iv, 5).

First generation students are “less prepared academically for college…are more likely to delay postsecondary entry, begin at a two year institution, and attend part time and discontinuously (page iv).

First generation students are more likely to choose vocational or technical fields (page v).

First generation students trail others in their course credits accomplished by the end of the first year, and more often need remedial course work (page v).

In summary, the Report concludes that “Taken together, these results suggest that growing up in a family in which neither parent has gone to college may have long term consequences on students‟ success in postsecondary education” (page 1).

The research strongly suggests that first generation students who make it to college face many challenges that derail more of them than those who are from families where college education is a well-established intergenerational pattern. Two-year colleges as well as public four year institutions are typically less expensive than private, and understandably attract disproportionate numbers of first generation students. Here are some of the patterns that we found in reviewing the literature on the subject.

One study found that first year college students with the following characteristics faced the greatest challenges:16

being low income and first generation being low income and disabled being disabled only being low income only being first generation only

16 Zhang, Yu, and Tsze Chan, 2007, “An Interim Report on The Student Support Services Program,” US Department of Education, American Institutes for Research, Washington. 6

Among these 5 traits, being “first generation only” resulted in slightly higher overall graduation rates (by about 1 to 3%). This was the only study we found that showed a slight advantage for first generation students, but only when it does not interact with any of the other variables, an unusual event. The combination of the above factors was the most damaging.

Key factors in reducing the negative effects of being a first generational college student include receipt of scholarship and a strong academic ethic.17 According to the research arm of ACT (American College Testing), completion rates at two year colleges for the period between 1983 and 2010 were much lower than at four year colleges. These two year colleges are often the first step in post-secondary education for less well-off first generation students. Here are the published three year graduation rates for two- year colleges:

28% for public institutions 53% for private institutions 31% average for all two year institutions

According to the same ACT report, the five year completion rates for four-year colleges tend to be higher:

40% for BA/BS granting public institutions 39% for MA/MS granting public institutions 48% for PhD granting public institutions 55% for BA/BS granting private institutions 55% for MA/MS granting private institutions 65% for PhD granting private institutions

The figures are only slightly different when the College Board provides the data. “Students from higher-income families and students whose parents have four-year college degrees are more likely than others to earn bachelor‟s degrees within six years. Differences in the characteristics and qualifications of the students account for about half of the differences in graduation rates.”18 Of first- time full-time students who began studying for a bachelor‟s degree at a four-year institution in 2002, 57% earned a B.A. within six years from the institution at which they began their studies. Completion rates averaged:

65% at private not-for-profit 55% at public four-year 22% at private for-profit institutions

The percent of 1999 entrants at “flagship universities” graduating within 6 years was as follows:

83% if parents had a graduate degree 79% if parent‟s had a BA

17 Smith, William L. and Pidi Zhang, 2010, “The Impact of Key Factors on the Transition From High School to College Among First and Second Generation Students,” Journal of the First Year Experience and Students in Transition, 22, NO. 2. 19 Baum, Sandy; Jennifer Ma; Kathleen Payea, Education Pays: 2010, Trends in Higher Education Series, The College Board, 2010, pp 40, 42.

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71% of parents had “some college 69% if parents had no college

The studies mentioned above provide convincing evidence of the importance of family background in shaping successful educational outcomes for dependent children. In concert, they reinforce the need for special scholarship programs like the Curtis Fund, which, as is documented above, significantly improves a student‟s chances for success. The study will now turn its attention to the experiences of a sample of Curtis Fund recipients, but before it does, a few methodological issues associated with this study will be examined.

Methodology

The data base for the study comes from information collected through a series of telephone interviews conducted by students from Saint Michael‟s College in the spring of 2011. Prior to the interviews, a first class letter was sent to the Curtis Fund recipients by Joe Boutin, the Executive Director of the Fund, explaining the purpose of the study and requesting their participation in the study. It also explained that the project was being overseen by Professors Vince Bolduc and Herb Kessel from the Social Science Research Center at Saint Michael‟s and that the phone interviews would be conducted by students in a class in Methods of Sociological Research. The letters went on to say that people who completed the survey would be eligible for a drawing for one of ten $50 gift cards that would be held at the end of the interview process.

Two thousand, two hundred and fifty-nine Vermonters received a Curtis Fund scholarship between 1995 and 2010. Reaching so many former recipients after many years of non-contact was especially difficult and even using Nexus-Lexus researchers could not guarantee accurate phone numbers for more than a fraction of the names of the list. As a result, the useable address list was reduced to 1,027. Out of this number, we eventually made contact with 382 confirmed recipients, but that left 645 people that we believe we correctly called but who never answered phones. What do we know about these 645 people? Clearly, some were entirely wrong phone numbers but others may also have been Curtis recipients who were passively refusing to participate in the study by pre-screening their calls and not picking up the phone. Why might they not have cooperated? Some may have forgotten the name of the scholarship fund and dismissed the call from Saint Michael‟s College as an unwanted intrusion in their lives. Some may have also been away from their phones for each of the times we called, while others may have started college (in part because of the Curtis support) and ultimately failed to complete their degree and felt embarrassment to talk about their experience. To the extent that non-respondents fell into this last category, the data in this report will reflect a positive bias of the respondents who successfully completed their educational programs, and had positive feeling towards the Curtis scholarship.

Out of the 1,027 persons for whom we thought we had good addresses, we successfully completed telephone contact with 382 recipients, 318 of whom agreed to participate in the survey. To be sure, the 318/382 completion ratio (85%) is very high by survey research

8 standards.19 If we had any empirical basis for believing that more than 382 former recipients existed and did not want to participate in the study, the completion rate would have been lower.

Interviewers felt that many of the explicit rejections (n=64) were from people who answered the phone but who did not recognize the name of the organization, and were merely reacting to what they thought was an unwanted solicitation. Many of these calls were perfunctory “hang-up” calls. More than one rejection came from spouses of the recipients who said that his/her spouse “never” did telephone interviews. The remaining non-respondents in the sample (n=877) either never answered their phones or should not have been on our master list to begin with if the numbers were incorrect.

Social scientists are deeply concerned about response bias, or the extent to which the characteristics of the final sample differ in important ways from the population from which it is drawn. If there is significant bias, it makes it difficult to draw valid conclusions from the sample. It is always a challenge to determine whether a sample is biased or not, but particularly so in this case where we lacked detailed information on the background of the larger group of 2,259 scholarship recipients. But we do know from a review of the names of the people on the master list that 70% were females, nearly identical to the 71% that comprised our sample respondents. Based upon last known address, we estimated that 73% of the Curtis Fund population was living in Vermont, nearly identical to our percent of 72%. Based upon this limited demographic information, our sample seems to be at least somewhat representative of the population from which it was drawn.

One caveat that should be kept in mind is the difficulty in isolating the impact of the Curtis Fund from other types of financial aid people received and the unique circumstances that each respondent experienced. Several questions were asked during the interviews about the impact of the Curtis Fund on peoples‟ life experiences, but in most cases they likely received funding from multiple sources, all of which may have had an impact on their lives. Indeed, some respondents may not have been able to distinguish one scholarship or loan from another. Another caveat is that college student interviewers might have elicited more positive reactions from respondents than other interviewers might have. Likewise, as a way of justifying their own educational investments, student interviewers might have an unconscious bias impacting the way they recorded the comments to the open-ended questions. While we reminded students to take verbatim comments, it‟s possible they recorded the “best” or more of the positive comments.

A thumb nail sketch of the characteristics of our sample indicates that 14% of our respondents were still in school at the time of the interviews, and among the remaining members of the sample 20% had earned a master degree, 49% a bachelor‟s degree, and 19% an associate‟s degree. The remaining 13% of the sample members had either failed to complete their education program or received a non-academic certificate.20

19 The federal government considers a 50-50 response/rejection rate to be acceptable for most purposes, and increasing data indicates that rates of completion closer to 25% are not necessarily un-representative. Many widely cited surveys have completion rates that are still lower. 20 Among those who never completed their academic program or received only a non-credit certificate (n=30), 16% came from families where neither parent had completed a post-secondary educational program. This compares to only 6% when both parents graduated with a two year program. There were no statistically significant differences by gender in the likelihood of completing an educational program. 9

Nearly one half of our respondents were between the ages of 30 to 40 years (15% were over 40, while the average age was 33), 71% were females, 60% were married, and, on average, respondents had been out of school for just under 8 years. Nearly 40% were earning between $25,000 and $50,000, while 15% were making more than $75,000 per year. The age and earnings of our respondents suggest that many were still in the early stages of their careers. It is also important to keep in mind that many respondents had household or family incomes much higher than the personal income reported. Lastly, two-thirds of the respondents now live in Vermont.

Key Findings

Below we highlight some of the study‟s key findings. As noted above, detailed tables follow this narrative.

Just over 100 respondents (about one-third of the sample) entered an out-of-state educational institution, while those who went to a college in Vermont were most likely to go to the University of Vermont (the actual number--the “n” is 39), followed by CCV (n=28), Vermont Tech (n=20), Champlain College (n=17), Johnson State College (n=17), Saint Michael‟s College (n=15), and Norwich University (n=11). The most common fields of study were Social Science (17%), Education (16%), Arts and Humanities (15%), vocational training (13%), Business (12%), or one of the biological or physical sciences (12%). The vast majority, 83%, attended school full-time, while only 23% took some time before getting their degrees. Respondents were evenly split in terms of commuters (40%), living on campus (44%), or some of each (16%). Those who left Vermont for an education where no more likely than other respondents to enter a two or a four year program.

The first question on our survey instrument asked respondents whether they remembered receiving a Curtis Fund scholarship and most had (87%). However, participants had been prompted through the two survey notification letters that they would be called about their Curtis Fund scholarships, so this reminder surely helped increase name recognition. While there may be some bias in the way people answered this question, when we asked them at the end of the survey whether they had “any special thoughts that you would like to share” about the Curtis Fund, the open-ended responses were often quite specific while many were “appreciative testimonials,” leaving little doubt that the scholarships had made an important differences in many of their lives. See Appendix B for a listing of their verbatim responses—many very poignant.

The Curtis Fund provides scholarships largely targeted to first generation Vermont college students so it was not surprising to see that 60% of respondents grew up in household where neither parent had earned either a two or four year degree. Another 27% had a parent who had graduated from a two year college, while 14% came from families with at least one parent having graduated from a four-year college. Additionally, nearly one-half of the respondents told our interviewers that their families would best be categorized as “low income,” while only 1% said they grew up in an “upper income” household. Consistent with the design of the Curtis Foundation, the vast bulk of these scholarships were going to needy Vermont students. It should also be noted that a significant proportion of respondents (21%) came from single parent homes.

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Thus even when a parent possessed a two-year or a four-year degree, he/she may not have been present in the student‟s life and financially supporting the family. Reading the comments in the margins of the interviewer forms, one is struck with the frequency of a reference to an absent (sometimes deceased) father.

As one might expect for a sample drawn from many first generation households, scholarships were regarded as “important” to our respondents as three quarters told our interviewers that they would not have attended college without one. When asked if they could have graduated from college with the support of only the Curtis Fund, without other loans and grants, only 33% said they could. While the majority of our respondents were “completely satisfied” with the “quality, amount, and usefulness” of their educations, a substantial minority were either “somewhat satisfied” or “dissatisfied” with their educations. The data also indicates that satisfaction levels rise with the amount of education. For example, only 20% of those who failed to complete their educational programs were “completely satisfied,” compared to 59% for those with a two year degree, 66% for those with a four year degree, and 71% for those with a master‟s degree. The desire for higher levels of education is clearly manifest by the way people responded to this question. About three-quarters of the respondents felt that having the scholarship made them “work harder” in school because of the scholarship.

There is little question in the minds of our respondents that the effort and time they devoted to school paid off not only economically, but also in important yet less tangible ways. For example, 88% felt that college changed them in “significant ways;” nearly 90% felt that their “philosophy of life” was different from what they expected it would be if they hadn‟t gone to college. An even higher percent, 95%, thought that they will have a “better overall quality of life” than if they had not gone on to college. While none of these statistics can be proven to be “factually correct,” they indicate extremely positive perceptions of respondent‟s educational experiences.21

The high proportions of people who felt positively about these intangible issues rose with the amount of education. For just one example, in response to the question about whether college changed your “philosophy of life,” 94% of those with at least a master‟s degree thought so, compared to 88% for those with a bachelor‟s degree, 75% for those with a two year degree and 75% for those who failed to either complete their program or earned a non-academic degree.

As was shown earlier, the literature suggests that limited family wealth and the lack of parental educational role models combine to make the college experience more challenging for first generation college students. We found that nearly 90% of our respondents said that they “had to take a job to earn money while going to college.” Furthermore, just over a third of the students felt that “it was more difficult ….to get into and succeed in college than it was for other students with parents who were college grads.” In spite of these impediments, two-thirds of the respondents felt socially comfortable and “felt like they fit in” as well as their classmates.

Perhaps even more impressive by national standards (and most importantly) 88% of the non- students in our sample graduated with either a two year degree (18% of the degree recipients), or

21 This question is what social scientist terms a counter-factual, one that cannot be proved since the outcome, in this case what would have happened if the respondent had not gone to college, never happened. Yet the respondent clearly felt that they had changed and were somehow different because of the experience. 11 a four year or advanced degree (78% of degree recipients). Another 4% who said they completed a program earned “some other form” of educational degree. Interestingly, those who entered a Vermont-based institution were slightly more likely to graduate than their counterparts who started elsewhere.

How can we account for the 88% graduation rate when nationally only around 40% to 65% of students who start a four year college finish in five years (depending on the type of college)? This 88% is especially impressive in light of the special challenges faced by first generation students (see pages 6 through 8 above.) The answer cannot be that Curtis recipients disproportionately attended private PhD universities which boast the highest graduation rates (close to 65%) as the list of colleges respondents attended is not particularly elite. We offer the following possibilities: 1. Flawed estimates of national graduation rates. While the low graduation rates cited on pages 6-8 are derived from the mandated records maintained by colleges, they may be unrealistically low because transfer students are often counted as graduation failures even while graduating elsewhere. If it takes students 6 or more years to graduate then they would fail to meet the 5 year standard. We had no such restrictions in calculating the graduation rate. So the graduation percent in the Curtis sample would necessarily be higher than the national rate because we set no time limited on degree completion. 2. Response bias. Potential respondents who did not graduate from college may have refused to participate in the survey in larger numbers (the 15% explicit rejections) or among the 645 who never answered their phones. 3. The scholarship selection effect. The Curtis scholarship (probably every scholarship) is only awarded to students who make it through a screening process and deemed “worthy.” They are selectively awarded scholarships when pre-screened for ability, motivation, academic ability, and other determinants of success. Many Curtis scholarship recipients also received other scholarships, which introduced yet another layer of screening for the most qualified. 4. The effect of receiving the scholarship. Our findings found that 75% of recipients said that “they worked harder” because of the scholarship than they would have otherwise.

A college education has always been seen as the most reliable route to financial independence, upward mobility, and enhanced citizenship. While an occasional cynic questions whether this is still true today, the empirical literature is clear.22 Based upon the qualitative evidence in this study, the idea that education provides an opportunity for upward mobility is alive and well supported. For example, respondents were asked to compare their standard of living with their parents “when they were at the same age.” Of course, we cannot expect too much precision in the way people went about answering this question, but still the overwhelming majority of the Curtis Fund recipients (72%) felt that their standard of living was higher than their parents at a similar age. These results differed by two demographic categories: Marital status and whether or not the respondent‟s parents graduated from college. In the first case, 78% of those who were

22For an anecdotal review of questions being raised about the value of college see, “My Degree Isn‟t Worth the Debt,” Annalyn Censky, June 24, 2011: http://finance.yahoo.com/college-education/article/113010/degree-not- worth-debt- cnnmoney;_ylt=AtzZ9Kc3QsGBQeBXR3iBfAu7YWsA;_ylu=X3oDMTFhcWwxYWVuBHBvcwMzBHNlYwNw ZXJzb25hbEZpbmFuY2UEc2xrA215ZGVncmVlaXNudA-- 12 married felt their standard of living was higher than their parents compared to only 53% of those “living with someone else in a steady relationship.”23 In the second case, among our respondents with at least one parent who had graduated from a 4 year college, 64% felt that their living standards were higher than their parents at the same age, while among those with parents who had not graduated from a 4 year institution, 77% felt this way. While the relationship between the educational attainment of our respondents and cross generational standard of living was not statistically significant, 80% of those who went on to earn a master‟s degree indicated that they had a higher standard of living than their parents, while among those who failed to complete either a two year program or received only a non-academic certificate, just 57% felt this way.

In a similar vein, nearly one-half of our respondents told our interviewers that they grew up in “lower income” households as opposed to either “middle” or “upper” income. By comparison, only 21% today feel that they are living in a “lower income” household, while 8% said that they are in the “upper income” compared to 1% who reported that they grew up in an “upper income” household. Interestingly, many of today‟s lower income respondents were over 40. Almost 40% of these “older” respondents reported themselves as being in the “lower income” category. It is not clear why this is the case as one would expect to find a disproportionate percent of lower incomes at early ages.

Intergenerational movement from one income stratum to another is one way that social scientists assess the “fairness” of a society. As noted above, we found a fair amount of mobility. Among the 21 respondents who indicated that they were now in the “upper income” category, not one person in this select group came from an “upper income” household. At the same time, among those who indicated that they were raised in a “lower income” household, about one in five were still in this same group, but most respondents (70%) had moved into the “middle income” category. There was also some downward mobility however, but this was far less common. We found, for example, that out of the 128 respondents who grew up in a “middle income” household, 25 were now in a “lower income” household. Of course, as the respondents mature and move on with their careers, the percent of people in the lower income groups should decline.

Overall, when asked to assess their prospects for a higher standard of living than their parents, only 1 percent thought it would be lower, 17% thought it would be the same, and 82% felt it would be higher. Statistics like these stand in sharp contrast to today‟s pessimism about our long term economic prospects.

Another way we can assess the degree of upward mobility is by comparing the occupational attainment of our respondents to their respective parents. To keep the comparisons clearer, we compared the jobs of our male respondents with their fathers and likewise, the jobs of our female respondents with their mothers. To conduct this analysis, we classified all jobs within one of 11 categories which broadly speaking, reflected job status (e.g., 1 = professional workers, 2= managers and other skilled workers, 3 = skilled trades, etc.). We then collapsed the 11 categories into 4 broad groups upon which we could compare occupational attainment over two generations. Here too we found a fair amount of upward mobility. For example, among our male respondents, 38% of their fathers worked in jobs in the highest two categories. Today, almost

23 Given the phrasing of the question, one cannot be certain whether the enhanced household income can be attributed to the Curtis Fund recipient, their spouse, or some combination of the two. 13

60% of our male respondents do so. While the number of fathers who worked in the lowest status job categories was not large (n=21), only five of our respondents worked in a job in one of these areas.

Among our female respondents, we found even more upward mobility. The female respondents grew up in households were only 19% of their mothers were classified into one of the top two occupational categories. But now, 60% of the female Curtis Fund recipients show up in one of these top two categories. Conversely, among the mothers of our female respondents, just over 40% worked in the lowest job categories or were homemakers. Among these respondents with mothers in this group (n=60), 36 were classified into one of the top two job categories. The progress we see among our female respondents reflects the broad educational and occupational achievements that women in general have made in the past few decades. In recent years, more than one-half of graduate and professional degrees are going to women. It also reflects the fact that more women are in the labor market rather than previously.

Our respondents seem to be doing financially better than their parents, but the data also includes some precautionary statistics. While most of our respondents had reached what they consider middle class (or higher) status, most (81%) responded affirmatively to the following question: “With all the trouble we are facing today, I need to spend more time looking out for myself and family.” Like many of the questions in the survey, the responses also varied by educational achievement. Just over 90% of those with a two year degree or less agreed with this statement in comparison to approximately three-quarters with at least a bachelor‟s degree. Clearly this self- protective and inward looking question reflects a defensive posture to life, and maybe a manifestation of the very real financial and social tensions that many people in our society face today. We saw a slightly lower response to this question (69%) in a study of quality of life in Vermont we conducted for the Vermont Business Roundtable in 2010 (see: 2010 Pulse of Vermont: http://vtroundtable.org/library/). The higher rate among Curtis Fund recipients might simply reflect the younger age distribution of this sample in comparison to a statewide random sample that comprised our earlier 2010 study. It may also be caused by slightly greater social and economic anxiety of a first generation college graduates.

Most of our respondents (88%) who were no longer in school were employed. Among those who were not working (n=32), about one-half were actively seeking jobs. This translates into an unemployment rate of 6.1%, fairly close to the overall unemployment rate in Vermont in May of 2011 (5.4%). We cite this unemployment rate merely as a benchmark while recognizing that high proportions of Curtis respondents are living and working in other states. As noted above, nearly 60% of those who were employed were working in professional and managerial professions. Less than 10% were working in lower skilled areas such as factory work, cashiers, service workers, medical aids or laborers.

Overall, almost one half of our respondents were “completely satisfied” with their jobs with a similar percent indicating that they were “somewhat satisfied”. The combined percent is higher than we found in the random study of Vermonters from the previously mentioned 2010 Pulse of Vermont study. Most people (60%) are in jobs they feel they could not have gotten on their own without their post-secondary education or training. For reasons that are not entirely clear, females were more likely than males to feel that they could have gotten their jobs without their

14 formal education. This cannot be explained by educational differences as females were considerably more likely to earn master‟s degrees than males—as is the case nationally—(23% vs. 16%) and their broad occupational attainment did not differ significantly from their male counterparts. Additionally, approximately three-quarters of our respondents, both males and females, felt that their “educational experience after high school was a source of the skills” they use on their current jobs.

One area where we did uncover a fair amount of concern was in perceptions of the quality of compensation. Almost 70% of males felt that their pay was “good” in comparison to only 48% among females. This statistic reflects the reality that males in the sample, even though their educational attainment was lower than females, were earning more than their female counterparts. For example, nearly 10% of the males were earning over $100,000 per year while only 2% of the females were in this position. While the wage gap between males and females in the general labor market has been declining in recent years, significant differences still exist, even when controlling for other factors such as job tenure, choice of a for-profit vs. non-profit job, or marital status. Childbearing experience typically explains part of this difference.

In light of today‟s high unemployment rates (the Vermont rate is considerably below national levels) it was reassuring to find that most respondents (80%) were in jobs that held “long term” employment potential. This statistic did not vary by gender.

Summary and Conclusion

The findings from this study of 318 Curtis Fund scholarship recipients present a particularly encouraging picture of the experiences of a group of mostly first generation college students. Respondents were deeply appreciative of the scholarship assistance, felt that the educational opportunity was a transforming life experience, and were optimistic about their futures. Graduation rates were high, upward mobility evident and respondents appeared to be well aware of the many non-pecuniary and transcendent benefits of a college education. Moreover, these positive outcomes rose with each level of education.

As positive as these outcomes are, a note of caution is nonetheless urged in reaching firm conclusions about the impact of the scholarship fund. No control group was employed so we cannot be certain what would have happened to our respondents without their Curtis Fund scholarships. Additionally, while our response rate was an unusually high 85%, a few people that we contacted choose not to participate in the study, and perhaps their experiences were less positive. Nor can we generalize about those recipients in our original sample that we were not able to contact because they either never answered their phones or were excluded from the sample due to a lack of known addresses or current telephone numbers. And lastly, the benefits of an education will extend well beyond the average of eight years out from college graduation; our sample by design is a relatively youthful group of Curtis Fund recipients. It‟s quite possible that viewing the situation over a longer period of time might uncover still more prominent results.

While we urge readers to interpret the results cautiously in light of the limitations of the study, the verbatim responses to our open ended questions (reproduced in Appendix B) provides

15 additional evidence of the value of the Curtis Fund. Indeed, our student interviewers repeatedly reported the enthusiastic support and gratitude of the vast majority of respondents.

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Appendix A: The Questionnaire

CURTIS FUND SURVEY

Conducted in March and April of 2011 percent selecting each response

Standard introduction, then…

VAR 5. Just to verify that we are talking with the right person, do you recall whether or not you received a scholarship from the Curtis Foundation when you first went to college? 1. Yes 89% 2. No 5% 3. Not sure 8% IF NO/NOT SURE: A lot of people we‟ve been calling don‟t remember for sure. It was administered by VSAC (the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation) and it would have been listed as one of the sources of aid that you received in your scholarship letter from VSAC. Does that jar your memory and sound familiar? 4. Yes, now I‟m sure [GO TO 6] 5. No, I still don‟t remember IF I STILL DON‟T REMEMBER: Our records indicate that you did receive the scholarship, so if you don‟t mind we‟ll proceed on that assumption and we‟d just ask you to answer as best you can. OK?

VAR 6. Do you think you would have received it for two years or four years? 1. Two years 36% 2. Four years 40% 3. Not Sure 24%

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND VAR 7. Do you think you would have attended college without any form of scholarships or financial aid? 1. Yes 22% 2.No 75% 3.Not sure 3%

VAR 8. How about the Curtis Scholarship in particular? Do you think you could have attended college without the Curtis Scholarship awarded by VSAC or don‟t you remember? 1. Yes 48% 2. No 33% 3. Not sure 11% 4. Don‟t know/remember 7%

VAR 9. Are you an undergraduate student in college now? NO 87% CONTINUE WITH INTERVIEW 2. YES 14%--skip to the other Questionnaire for students only

VAR 10. Did having a scholarship motivate you to work harder or did it not make any difference? 1. Yes 75% 2. No 25%

VAR 11. In what year did you start your college or educational program? ______

VAR 12. Most of the time you were in college, did you live on campus or did you commute? 1. On Campus 44% 2. Commuted 40% 3. Some of each 16%

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VAR 13. Were you able to attend full time, part time, or did it depend on the semester? 1. Full time 83% 2 Part time 9% 3. Depended on the semester 8%

VAR 14. At any point while you were in college, did you ever have to drop out or take some time off? 1. YES, TIME OFF 23% 2. NO 77%

VAR 15. In what state did you attend college?______Vermont 66% Outside of Vermont but still in New England 18% Other state 16%

VAR 16. What was the name of the college or program that you started in that year? Responses in bold are numbers, not %. 0. Bennington College 1. Burlington College 16 Castleton State 17 Champlain College 1 College of Saint Joseph 28 Community College of VT (CCV) 1 Goddard College 1 Green Mountain College 17 Johnson State College 0 Landmark College 7 Lyndon State College 1 Marlboro College 2 Middlebury College 2 N E Culinary Institute (NECI) 11 Norwich University 15 Saint Michael‟s College 0 Sterling College 4 Southern VT College 39 University of VT 20 Vermont Technical College 0 Woodbury College 15 Other College in VT (Trinity) 105 Other college out-of-state

VAR 17. Is that a two year college, a four year college or some other form of educational institution? 1. Two year college 18% 2. Four year college 78% 3. Other kind of educational institution, specify 4%

VAR 18. Did you graduate from that institution or from another one that you might have transferred to? 1.YES In what year?______IF NO: What was the primary reason that you did not finish your program or degree? I‟m going to read a list of 5 possible reasons. Please tell me if any of these fit. [READ] 2. I decided it was not worth it. 2 people 3. I ran out of money and needed to work 9 people 4. I was needed at home 5 people 5. I was having health or academic problems at school 6 people 6. Something else I haven‟t mentioned? 9 people SKIP TO “FAMILY BACKGROUND” (VAR 27)

VAR 19. What degree did you receive? (NB These responses were calculated apart from this single question.) DIDN‟T FINISH OR RECEIVED A NON-ACADEMIC DEGREE 13% 2. Associate‟s degree from a two year college 19% 3. Bachelor‟s degree (BA or AB, BS) 49% 4. Master‟s degree or more 20%

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VAR 20. All together then, how many years of formal schooling after high school did you complete? SEE ABOVE ITEM VAR 21. IF MORE THAN FOUR: Did you obtain a graduate degree? 1. YES, Master‟s 2. YES, PhD 3. YES, Other degree or certificate 3. No

VAR 22. What was your major or your primary field of study? Was it in the liberal arts and humanities, in a business program, or was it in an area specifically for job preparation? 13% 1. A vocational program for job prep 15% Arts and humanities 12% Biological/ physical science 12% Business 16% Education 6% Engineering 2% Professional 1%. Technical 17% Social science 4% Communications and Computer Science 7% Other

VAR 23. Did you ever have to take a job to earn money while going 89% 11% - to college? yes no VAR 24. Some people say that going to college changes a person, but 88% 11%. 1% others say that college does not have a big an influence on people. Yes, No, No Changed little Diff. How about you? Do you think that college changed you in any me effect significant ways or did it have little effect? VAR 25. How about life in general? Do you think that your education 88% 10%. 2% has given you a different view of your philosophy of life than you Yes No D/K would have had you not gone to college? VAR 26. As a result of going to college, do you think that you will 95%. 3%. 1% have a better overall quality of life or do you think that it won‟t make Yes, No, D/K better not that big a difference? QOL better FAMILY BACKGROUND VAR 27. How would you describe the household in which you grew up for most of your childhood until you left for college? [READ] Two parents who worked. 44% One parent who worked, one who stayed at home. 27% A single parent household with one worker. 21% Or some other combination. 9%

VAR 28. What was your father‟s primary occupation while you were in high school? 1.Professional: doc, teacher, lawyer, accountant, business 5.self-employed, farmers and 6. Secretaries, total 29% owner, clergy and 2.Manager and skilled sales: real estate agent, supervisor, sales rep, broker, insurance agent tot:23% 3.Skilled trade: plumber, carpenter, electrician, cook, painter, 7.Factory worker, truck drivers, 8.Retail, sales, cashiers, bank medical technician and 4.Protective services: cops, fire, tellers 9.Lower level service worker: child care, health aids, guards, social workers, total 34% data entry, hair cutters 10.Laborers and janitors 11. Other such as “stay-at-home Dad” total:14% VAR 29. What was your mother‟s primary occupation while you were in high school?

1.Professional: doc, teacher, lawyer, accountant, business 5.self-employed, farmers and 6. Secretaries, total 28% owner, clergy 2.Manager and skilled sales: real estate agent, supervisor, sales rep, broker, insurance agent. Total 20% 3.Skilled trade: plumber, carpenter, electrician, cook, painter, 7.Factory worker, truck drivers, 8.Retail, sales, cashiers, bank medical technician and 4.Protective services: cops, fire, tellers 9.Lower level service worker: child care, health aids, guards, social workers total 11% data entry, hair cutters 10.Laborers and janitors 11. Other such as “stay-at-home Dad”, total: 41%

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VAR 30. Compared to your parents when they were the age you are now, do you think your own standard of living is better, about the same, or worse than theirs was? Better 71% About the same 24% Worse 5%

VAR 31. Thinking just about your own financial situation, do you consider yourself to be upper income, middle income, or lower income? 1. Upper income 8% 2. Middle income 71% 3. Lower income 21%

VAR 32. How about the family in which you were raised during most of the time when you were growing up? Would you describe that situation as upper income, middle income, or lower income? 1. Upper income 1% 2. Middle income 50% 3. Lower income 48%

VAR 33. Did either of your parents graduate from either a two year or a four year college? 1. Yes, one or both parents graduated from a two year college, max 27% SKIP TO VAR 40 2. Yes, at least one parent graduated from a four year college 14% SKIP TO VAR 40 3. No, neither did (Continue to “First Generation” Section) 60%

QUESTIONS JUST FOR “FIRST GENERATION” RECIPIENTS Now we‟d like to ask you a series of questions about how you felt about being a college student from a family with parents who were not college graduates. Most of these questions are just yes or no questions. If you are not sure, I can mark it that way, too. Yes No n/s d/k VAR 34. Do you think it was more difficult for you to get into and 34% 59% 7% succeed in college than it was for students with parents who were college grads? VAR 35. Because both of your parents did not graduate from college, 17% 76% 7% did you ever feel like you didn‟t quite “belong” or didn‟t “fit in” as well as some of your classmates or do you think it didn‟t make any difference? VAR 36. As you continued with your college education, did you ever Yes No 3 feel that there was a new barrier or a distance between you and your 20% 78% d/k parents that was due to your new education? 2% VAR 37. Did you ever form a relationship with a faculty or staff 62% 37% 1% member that had a significant influence on you? VAR 38. If you had to make a prediction, do you think that you will 1 2 3 eventually enjoy a higher standard of living than your parents, a lower Higher Lower Same SOL SOL SOL standard of living, or do you think it will be the same? 82% 1% 17% VAR 39. While in college, did you ever make the Dean‟s List? 1, yes 2, no 57% 43%

IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION AND LIFE SATISFACTION

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VAR 40. When you think about the quality, amount, and usefulness of your education, how satisfied are you with your education? [READ] 1. Completely satisfied 59% 2. Somewhat satisfied 35% 3. Somewhat dissatisfied 5% 4. Completely dissatisfied 1%

VAR 41. Would you agree or disagree with the following statement? “With all the troubles we are facing today, I need to spend more time looking out for myself and my family.” 1. Agree 81% 2. Disagree 19%

EMPLOYMENT

VAR 42. Are you currently working? 1. YES IF NO: Are you actively seeking work? 87.5% 2. I am actively seeking work. SKIP TO VAR 49, ON VOL 5.5% 3. I am not actively seeking work. SKIP TO VAR 49, ON VOL 7.0%

VAR 43. What is your main occupation?

1.Professional: doc, teacher, lawyer, accountant, business 5.self-employed, farmers and 6. Secretaries, Total 11% owner, clergy 2.Manager and skilled sales: real estate agent, supervisor, sales rep, broker, insurance agent Total 59% 3.Skilled trade: plumber, carpenter, electrician, cook, painter, 7.Factory worker, truck drivers, 8.Retail, sales, cashiers, bank medical technician and 4.Protective services: cops, fire, tellers 9.Lower level service worker: child care, health aids, guards, social workers. Total 22% data entry, hair cutters 10.Laborers and janitors 11. Other such as “stay-at-home Dad” Total 8%

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VAR 44. How important was your educational experience after high school as a source of the skills that you use in your current job? [READ] {A GSS q.} Very important. 57% Important. 17% Somewhat important. 17% Not at all important. 9%

Now I am going to read three sentences that might apply to the job you have right now, each of which you might agree with or disagree with. Please tell us whether the following statements are “true,” “not true,” or “somewhere in between.”

VAR 45. The first statement is, “The pay is good.” Is this true, not true, or somewhere in between? 1. TRUE 56% 2. NOT TRUE 10% 3. BETWEEN 34%

VAR 46. The second statement is, “The chances for long-term employment are good.” Is this true, not true, or somewhere in between? 1. TRUE 80% 2. NOT TRUE 8% 3. BETWEEN 11%

VAR 47. The third statement is, “I could have gotten this job without the formal education that I have.” Is this true, not true, or somewhere in between? 1. TRUE 31% 2. NOT TRUE 60% 3. BETWEEN 9%

VAR 48. All things considered, how satisfied are you with your job overall? [READ] Completely satisfied. 49% Somewhat satisfied. 46% Not very satisfied. 5% Not at all satisfied. 1%

VAR 49. How about volunteer work? Have you done any unpaid volunteer work in the past 12 months? 1. YES 53% 2. NO 47%

VAR 50. Is there any special aspect of your education after high school that was particularly important that you think young people should know as they consider going to college? See attached

VAR 51. How about the Curtis Scholarship Foundation? Do you have any special thoughts that you would like us to share with them? See attached

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BACKGROUND

VAR 52. Which of the following best describes your present living situation? Are you married, single, divorced… [ONLY READ LIST IF YOU NEED TO PROMPT THEM] Married 57% Single 29% Divorced or Separated 7% Living with someone in a steady relationship 6% Widowed 1%

VAR 53. How about your personal income—not for the whole household but just for you? Which of the following income categories do you fall into before paying your taxes? Stop me when I reach your category: 1. Under $25,000 27% 2. $25,000 to $50,000 39% 3. $50,000 to $75,000 21% 4. $75,000 to $100,000 9% 5. $100,000 to $125,000 3% 6. Over $125,000 2%

VAR 54. Were you born in Vermont? 1. Yes 67% 2. No 33%

VAR 55. Do you live in Vermont now? LIVES IN VERMONT 66% 2. DOES NOT LIVE IN VERMONT 34%

VAR 56. IF NOT: Would you like to move back to Vermont someday if you had the chance? 1. YES 54% 2. NO 29% 3. DON‟T KNOW 17%

VAR57. How old are you now? See attached.

That was the last question! Thank you very much for your time! It was very helpful! I‟ll put your questionnaire among the other completed questionnaires to see if you are one of the lucky 10 people to get the $50 debit cards. We appreciate it!

VAR 58. INTERVIEWER, PLEASE CODE Gender: 1. Male 29% 2. Female 71%

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Appendix B: Responses to Opened Ended Questions

Question 50: “Is there any special aspect of your education after high school that was particularly important that you think young people should know as they consider going to college” Numbers refer to the questionnaire number.

1. Get involved. 4. Working a little before going back gave unforeseen knowledge. 11. Value of good communication skills. Critical thinking. 13. What I encourage every college student I know to do is study abroad!! 17. I don‟t know—worth it. Can always go for a year and then go back later. 22. It‟s all about the long term pay-off you get. You might hate knowing you have to pay off loans but it is all worth it in the end. 23. College helped me get the job that I wanted. 25. Yes, study abroad. 28. Need to learn to write well! Good way to get your ideas out. 29. Consider the benefits. 31. Pick something that you will be able to use. 33. Use of time management. 44. Get involved right away in the school‟s programs. 49. School choice is very important. 50. Just be sure of your direction before you take excess classes. 56. Learn about the community they live in and not to take things for granted. Too much of a push to go straight to school. Don‟t go right away. Take some time to figure out what you want to do. People need to take advantage of the services that the schools provide. Advocate for yourself. Sometimes professors are not always correct. If the student does not feel they are getting the education that they are paying for. 57. To have a focus before you go off to college. 61. They have to do research on the degree they choose. 66. Gave me broader perspective about issues going on in the world. Gave me more exposure to different cultures. 68. Careers/decisions = going to try with options (more ed letting them know what their options are) 69. A college education is important for continuing learning as an adult. 70. Definitely worthwhile, financially and personally. 75. Rounded education, liberal arts. 77. Adds to life experience, becoming more mature. 78. Courses! Take as many as you can. 82. Not as much as what you are taught formally vs. informally. 85. Do what you love. 87. Staying in school instead of taking time off is definitely important. 88. college is completely different than high school. If you do not do well in high school that does not mean you can‟t do well in college. 96. Yes, motivation to work harder in school. 104. Find something you like; stepping stone. 105. A gain of knowledge, learn as much as possible.

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106. Most important decision ever. Great effect on professional career. 108. Don‟t get a credit card if you don‟t need it. Apply to all scholarships that you can find. 109. Valuable—volunteer work important. 123. Know that you really want to go to college before you start. Don‟t waste your parent‟s money. 125. Strongly agree that math and science skills are lacking. 127. Take a year off and really think about if you want to go to college. 128. Get your degree—don‟t stop no matter what. 133. Small classes/liberal arts/new world perspectives. Hands on learning. 146. It‟s important to take off before college. 153. Don‟t rush yourself to go to school just because others want you to. 156. Taking school more seriously. 160. Take accounting courses. 161. Mean it, work hard, remember you‟re only as good as the grades you get, you‟re responsible for your success. 162. Do as much hands on work as you can while you‟re there. 165. There‟s always a way to go to college no matter what or who someone needs to find money. 173. Enjoy it. 175. Yes, living on Cape Cod/working with kids/day camp 176. Everyone should go, try to get away from home. 178. Yes, high schools need to better prepare students, especially in grammar skills. 181. Do the best you can! 184. College is the key to get in door. College is definitely a stepping stone to get a decent job. Need college degree to get a decent paying job. 189. Thinks the aspect of getting a degree regardless of field is good. 194. Move out of state. Get out of your comfort zone. 209. Study abroad was vastly important! 216. Encourage young people to pursue an education so they can follow their vision. 217. Work/study—internships—very good preparation. 225. Perhaps not prepared to fully appreciate college after high school. 232. Costs a lot of money to go from college to real world (cut out spring break) 234. Yes, if you get a chance—go do it. Grasp it, learn all you can while you have it. Make best of it. Meet people you haven‟t grown up with. 235. A college education is an important part of growing up. 238. Study something you really love. Make sure you‟re interested in it. Watch out for those credit cards. 238. Study something you really love. Make sure you‟re interested in it. Watch out for the credit cards. 239. Going to college is very important as a whole. 241. Exposure to different opinions and lifestyles. 250. Being able to explore different subjects. 254. Don‟t go unless you know what you want to do. 257. Ethics/morals (needs to learn). 258. College education is critical for having a successful career. 262. Yes, networking, meeting new people.

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273. Yes, young people don‟t realize how personal you can make education. 275. Figure out what you desires/goals are before you go to school. 278. Need the support in order to succeed. 283. Learn math as well as possible. 287. Computer skills 295. College is a good experience. 300. On campus first year; go while time. Apply yourself. Should be mandatory to stay in school. 303. Financial troubles should not stop you. So many younger students in financial issues don‟t realize competitive schools can and will help you out finding money to pay for your education. 309. Idea of being “first generation” was really important and big deal to her. 312. It wasn‟t what she wanted before college but now doing something she loves and it‟s because of college. 313. You can always find a major scholarship that makes college an option. 315. Prepare yourself—not high school. Don‟t miss one assignment. 316. Be prepared for almost everything. Be responsible for yourself and learn how to manage money. Be emotional mature enough to attend school. 317. You don‟t really need to know what you want to be. Can sort that out in your first couple of years. Stay involved with extracurricular activities and get to know your floor mates. 325. Study. 328. Study abroad was amazing. Searching for scholarships is hard but students should realize the importance of them. 335. You‟re responsible for your work and everything. 339. Finish school. 345. Take their time, really think about the college. Find a close group of friends. 353. Learning how to balance between work and play. 354. Keep up with technology, which is the age we are going into. 356. Study Abroad—best way to learn. 357. Attend a good school. It matters. It‟s a combination of having a good attitude and getting a good education and having a good atmosphere. You learn about yourself and the people around you and where they came from. 361. Research as much as possible so they know their major. Pick a college you‟re happy with and not based on price. 367. Stay organized. 370. Take a year off—figure it out what you want to do—then go. 372. Minor- computer investigation 374. They should continue with their programs, especially with the economy. An education is important for making money for yourself. 383. Not everyone is ready to go to college as soon as they graduate high school. 384. It‟s important for young people to apply talents to lifelong learning. 386. Younger people take it for granted depending on who pays for it. Younger kids text in class and they don‟t appreciate education and how they pay for it. She didn‟t understand why kids were so unfocused in class. 389. Experience different types of classes. 391. Stay focused, do internships.

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392. College opened up a lot of doors. Began non-profit art school. Volunteer work = most rewarding. 393. Go in the military! 401. I think you should go! The state is aging and no one‟s going into the trade. 401. I think you should go! The state is aging and no one‟s going into the trade. 411. Do well in school. Make contacts! 413. Don‟t worry about the “what ifs”. There is always an option. 416. Making sure there is hands on experience or internships really opened up his view of the real world and got him valuable experience. Teachers who are not retired or worked in the real world didn‟t have as great an impact on him than those who did. 418. Don‟t give up! 421. Learning more about how the world works is very significant and challenges you to evolve and work continuously. Don‟t box yourself in. 425. It‟s worth a try! 426. Really research the program they want to go to. 432. Know exactly what they want to do. Truly enjoy what you do. 433. Makes a huge difference in what you get to do. 436. Very important for better quality of life. 437. A good life experience. Making your own decisions and so much more than just education. 438. Living way from home is a great opportunity. Half of college learning is this—Huge part—learn from this. 444. Single parent—look for scholarships. It can be done! 449. It is what you make of it. 453. They should know that they will probably not have that aspect of what they study after college. Change can happen and it‟s okay. Don‟t always expect the big bucks. 454. Hands on opportunities are good. 462. We need to think about renewable fuels and products. Going through products to see what can be recycled. 466. Job market = not marketable without degree. Basic to have a degree. 475. Work hard. 485. Yes—expands consciousness of what‟s around—makes you grow up, more responsible. 486. Never went to high school so had to move through education fast. Don‟t throw away dream because it can happen. Was a homeless teenager with no education and now almost has a college degree. 487. Learn a lot before you can be in a career. Necessary step in life. 510. They need to set priorities have a goal and stick to it. 513. Make sure you have a strong support system and make sure you research where you are going. 520. Be independent. Take constructive criticism and use it effectively. 527. Wait and year and volunteer somewhere. 533. Go to college! 540. Do as good as you can. 545. Don‟t screw up! 549. Social issue/Big world. 565. In-field work during college (i.e., in classroom work).

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571. Yes—extended service trips played a large role in the direction career went in. 574. Great opportunity. 576. Transfer if you‟re not happy where you are. 581. Figure out what you want to do earlier. 589. Good experience (social rite of passage). 594. Opportunity for socialization is a good thing. Helps to broaden a person‟s horizon. 595. Know what you need to do. 610. Go to college, study hard and get involved. 617. General knowledge I received from college, the people and classes give you life knowledge that you couldn‟t nurse if you don‟t go to college. 618. Broadens different things that may not have had access to. 622. Concentrate and finish. Make sure you do want you want. 626. Writing classes are important. 627. Go to college, stay focused, be smart and really study. 630. Go to college! Very difficult to get a job without a college education. 632. Take fun business classes—very helpful. 635. Fieldwork/internships 636. Weigh your options carefully. Most expensive college not always the best. Work hard. 637. Take advantage of the whole package, the whole environment. 652. Technical skills are important. 661. Young people don‟t understand money. Know before going into college and about the risks. 666. Small town—culture shock. Visits/experience would be helpful, longer than a few hours. 669. Learn about different cultures and travel as much as possible. Learn diversity. 671. Kids should go to college with a plan. If they aren‟t sure, students take a year off and get a plan. Don‟t go to goof off. Consider leaving Vermont. Consider relocating because the market is tight. 678. The relationship with your professors after college as useful resources and friends. 686. Be good person, don‟t need to go to college to figure that out. 688. Young people should work on network skills especially when it comes to social media. There‟s a happy medium but carelessness can close opportunity. People should try Linked-In. 690. Don‟t hold back from what you want to do. 691. Know what you‟re going for. 693. Look into technical schools as an option. 697. Community college first! 705. Doing what you want/going for what you want to do. 720. Studying and discipline. 733. Think about what you really want to do before entering college. 737. Liberal Arts college 739. College is the experience you make. You work harder to do what you want to do. 746. Be prepared for a lot of studying. Make strong connections with your professors. Do it when you are young. 763. Find something you‟re passionate about when you go to college. Don‟t just go to get a job in the real world. 764. Anybody who wants to have a successful life needs to go to college.

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766. Don‟t think private schools are the only option. There‟s community college too. Don‟t get in debt! It‟s not worth the price of the paper. 769. College is worthwhile. It will develop your thinking; it will never be easier to go (go right after high school). State college or other, you should go, there are cheaper options. 771. Make sure you are willing to learn and get a well rounded education. 772. College is really important to learn about yourself. 773. Variety of formats for receiving education, and you can find one that works for you. Being in class with different age group is helpful. 779. It‟s a good idea for people to know more about their body so that people can do more preventative actions. Etiquette, politeness, setting the table. 786. Important that even though some students have a full ride, they have to contribute to their education. Gives you responsibility. 794. Important to focus on a skill. Stick to science because teaches you critical thinking. 805. People need to go and think about before they make choices. 807. Being presented with the huge variety of class is a important and great opportunity. 810. Participate in college. Get involved with campus community. College life makes the person. 813. Living on your own/specialized skills. 815. It gives people better opportunity. 817. Focus on what is good for you so you don‟t waste time. She went to a big school but should have just started out at a community college. 826. Try and gain some life experience before going to college. 831. Gives opportunity to meet lots of people—chance to meet other people. 834. Go right after high school! 842. Advise people to do things they like to do. Focus studies on interesting subjects. Must have passion for study/subject. 854. Start off with easy courses to allow yourself to adjust. 856. Being able to stay on task and time management were very important skills in college for her. Being able to balance partying with school work helped me succeed. 859. Learn self discipline earlier—helps to get into college and during college. 877. Kids should experience a young college life. 887. Encourages thinking about major and where it will take them. Evaluate current schools. Not about money. Invest and go to school that fits you. 889. Higher ed is important in terms of relating to your place in the world. 898. When you think you know something don‟t use that as an excuse to be lazy. 912. Exposure to different people and college environment and broadening horizons 916. Do all you can to succeed if you need education. Go for it. 919. VSEC was great resource for her. 920. Key thing is the ability to critically analyze a piece of work, solving problems. 931. Not enough information right from the beginning. 937. Good investment. 948. Take time to figure out if you really want to go to college. 960. Women in art class—history important. 1002. You get what you put into it. You have to prepare to do well in school. If you mess around and don‟t work hard you won‟t find a good job. 1006. Expand your horizons. Get out of Vermont. Diversity (experience).

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1043. Importance of college education in looking for a career. No job without education. 1049. Exposure to the world beyond what you‟re raised in. 1058. Studied abroad. Encourages kids to go abroad. 1069. Leave your comfort zone...go away and gain a new perspective of things. 1083. Important for high school students to broaden their horizon. Know what is important. 1085. More info on college loans. 1088. It was a blast to go back after so many years. Fun as a non-traditional student. 1140. Getting away from family—see the world. 1143. Don‟t necessarily go and he feels like he could have gotten along without it.

Question 51: “How about the Curtis Scholarship Foundation? Do you have any special thoughts that you would like us to share with them?”

Numbers refer to the questionnaire number.

4. Thank you very much. Helped the educational experience. Wish they had them for grad students. 10. Thanks for the help. 11. Thank you very much. Huge piece of the puzzle. Could not have done it without scholarships. 13. I hadn‟t given it a lot of thought until I got the letter but I was so grateful when I graduated. That I was in such a good financial situation so I could reasonably pay off my student loans. 17. Don‟t forget about adults. 19. Awesome for kids who can‟t afford it. Really helpful for those who couldn't afford it. 22. Gave her opportunity to attend SMC a small liberal arts college, otherwise she would have had to attend a state school. She was very thankful for the opportunity. 23. Thank you! 25. Very grateful for the opportunity to go to UVM. 29. People that are determined, it‟s a great benefit and an honor. 33. When I first got it it was a blessing. Wouldn‟t have gone without it. 42. Got masters too. She was very appreciative and thankful. The Curtis Scholarship worked for her and let her have no worries about getting money for college. Such a great program. Now she is able to get masters and become a teacher—even though she doesn‟t have a job now, Curtis Fund definitely helped her in life. 44. It was absolutely amazing. The way they find students is great. 49. The issuance of money needs to have more background as to where it came from. 50. Thank you! 54. Very much appreciated. She was very grateful. It helped her be able to go to college and break the streak of her family living in poverty. 56. She lost the scholarship because she didn‟t know she had to “do something more” to keep it. 57. Really grateful for the help. Wouldn‟t have gone to college. Boost of confidence. 61. They‟ve allowed someone on welfare be able to get a good job. 66. I can‟t thank them enough! I am eternally grateful.

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68. Great, positive influence, helpful with continuing with school. Lifesaver. 69. Thank you for making it easier to go to college. 70. Appreciate their value of education and willingness to help. 75. Very grateful. 77. Appreciate helping out. Works in education now. 82. Extremely thankful, appreciative. Would donate when he could/if he could. 85. Such a blessing. Wouldn‟t have been able to go to school without it. 88. Thank you! 93. Very important. First scholarship received—very encouraging. 96. Extremely appreciative. 104. Helped pay for expenses so put it to good use. 105. Exponential to allowing her to go to school. Helped her focus on studies more. 106. It enabled him to go after his dreams. This made it possible. 108. It‟s a great scholarship. 109. Thankful—received numerous grants, don‟t remember Curtis in particular, but thankful. 125. Thanks! 127. Thank you for giving her the money so she did not have to work so much and could focus on her school work. 133. Thanks. 134. Keep it going, extremely helpful. 146. What they do is amazing. It made a big difference. 160. I greatly appreciate the scholarships. 161. She can‟t thank them enough. They can‟t know how much it helped her. This household is incredibly thankful. I was a drug addict and the Curtis Scholarship let college become my sanctuary. 162. I believe it was very helpful in my success! 165. Very grateful. Without the money she wouldn‟t have gone to school. 173. Thank you for the scholarship. 175. Thank you for contributing. 178. Couldn‟t have done it without the scholarship. 184. Thank you. Definitely read through scholarship before granted to him. Became part of his core thought once he received it. Huge thing for scholarships. So happy he was part of it. 187. It‟s wonderful. 189. Thank you! The help made it a lot easier. 194. I appreciate this survey, and wouldn‟t have gotten to go to college and be living the way I am without it. 197. Appreciate the scholarship and it was very helpful. I hope they can continue the fund. 203. Liberal arts is great! 204. It helps people who can‟t afford a college education. It definitely helped me. 209. Can‟t thank them enough. 216. Thank you. 217. Continue as best they can to provide funds to qualified students. 225. Sincerely appreciate. Very important for humanity for anyone whether right out of high school or down the road. 232. Appreciated it. Welcome help. 234. Wish remembered more about it. The money was key in ability to go back.

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235. Continue giving scholarships. 238. Really nice to be doing this survey. The money really helped me financially. It helped me be able to focus on other things in school. 238. Really nice to be doing this survey. The money really helped me financially. It helped me be able to focus on other things in school. 239. Very appreciative. Wonderful thing that Curtis Fund is continuing. 250. Thanks. 254. Great! Cutting back on loans made everything much easier. 257. Thank you. 262. Wonderful, helped alleviate lots of stress. 269. Extremely helpful. Very grateful. Helped allow her to go to school. Lifesaver. 273. Yes! Thank you very much! Had an impact that some one cares that she was seeking education and working to better herself. Really gave her motivation. 278. Thanks. 283. Really appreciate it. 287. The grant structure of the scholarship was very helpful compared to other ones. 295. Really appreciate the opportunity. Very grateful. 300. Thank you for supporting education. If willing to pay for masters she would love that. 303. Extremely grateful for it. My family didn‟t have all the money to pay and I was able to go through college and have a better life thanks to the Curtis Scholarship fund. 309. Really thankful. Without it it wouldn‟t be possible. 312. Grateful for the scholarship. It was very helpful. 315. Gratitude helps out tremendously. Two year as opposed to four year. 325. Great scholarship. If you‟re willing to do your best it is a great foundation. 326. I am so grateful for the money they gave me so I could attend college. 328. Nominated for it in high school and she was very thankful for it. 335. Thank you for the opportunity to excel. 345. Really appreciate helping him out. Continue the scholarship. 353. Nothing specific, just the fact that I am very thankful and grateful to receive the scholarship. 354. Thank you for giving me the opportunity. Hope it keeps going. 356. Thanks, great way to help and go to school. 357. I am very very grateful. It made a tremendous impact on my life. Keep up the good work finding great kids who want to go to college and don‟t have the financial means. It was quite scary when I applied to college because of the financial burden because I was flipping burgers and to have people say they would give me scholarships and loans was extremely helpful. 361. Really thankful and appreciative. Scholarships are great for low income. 365. Just very glad and thankful to have the scholarship. 367. Thank you! 370. Thanks for helping to finance with generosity. Little means a lot. Anything helps— better way of living than parents. 372. Thanks! 374. Thankful for their help. Without their help it would be harder. Very appreciative. 383. Thank you. 384. It is possible to pursue your dreams.

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386. Absolutely thrilled when advisor told her that she received the Curtis Scholarship. She could not have finished her last two years of college because she didn‟t have any money left. Everyday she thought about how lucky she was to have the Curtis Scholarship. She even keeps every single Curtis acceptance letter in a memory collection book! She was also very thankful we were calling people because she always wanted to thank the people of the Curtis Scholarship. 387. Thank you!! Only one of 7 kids who went to college and couldn‟t have done it without it. 389. Made it possible for me to get books, and purchased a computer. Enabled me to do things I couldn‟t have done without it. 390. Very pleased. 392. So thankful for scholarship. 393. Very thankful. 401. Good to see letter ahead of time. Great reminder of the money and where it came from. Did not go unnoticed. Great to pass on wealth. 401. Good to see letter ahead of time. Great reminder of the money and where it came from. Did not go unnoticed. Great to pass on wealth. 411. Thank you!! 413. Thank you. 416. Very easy to work with. Never had any negative aspects about the Curtis Fund. Every part of the fund was very easy to follow along with. 421. Thank you! 425. Thanks. Keep it up! 432. Keep up the good work! Offer it to kids that truly need it. 433. Allowed her to be able to go to school without stressing about finances. Helped with living situation financially. 436. Thank you so much! Very grateful! 437. Very grateful for the money and experience. Helping having to take less loans. 438. Thank them—very appreciative, huge benefit to receive scholarships and not to pay back. Worst is having debt. Letter was helpful to reflect ahead of time. 444. Big thank you! It allowed me to get the degree. 449. So helpful to get money and get back on her feet. To be the first one in my family to graduate college was huge. 453. It was definitely a huge help. Got him through a rough time. Great that it was there. 454. Thank you—good idea to give opportunity. 459. It definitely helped him be able to attend college. He was very thankful and mentioned his brother also received a Curtis Scholarship. 462. Appreciate help very much. 466. Certainly helped. Every little bit didn‟t have to pay back. 475. Thank you! 478. She was thankful because she realizes how scholarship receivers often don‟t take the time to thank the foundations who helped them. It was great to be able to thank the Curtis Fund for helping her get through college. 486. Really appreciative for everything. Wants to write them. 487. Appreciate the financial help. 510. I appreciated getting the help to go to school. 513. Great opportunity.

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520. Appreciative and thankful. 528. No way I would have gone. 533. They give a great gift and without them I would not have been able to attend college or even get into college because I am from a low income family. 549. Thanks. 558. Thanks. Had to leave due to pregnancy but was thankful that the scholarship continued to be offered to her after she left. 565. Without it wouldn‟t have been able to do all 4 years. 571. Had a VSAC counselor—I didn‟t know about the scholarship—the work they are doing is great—to be prepared for college. Didn‟t know much about scholarship but after receiving the letter realized how crucial it was to be able to go to SMC. It was close financially and it pushed it over to be able to go. 572. Thank you. Made life a little easier and I appreciate it. 576. Thank you for financial assistance. 581. Totally appreciative. Money to fewer people. 594. Strong motivator especially for first generation students. Very important for students who might not be able to afford college. 595. Honored to get it. 602. Grateful. 606. Great help to have it. 610. Thank you very much. 617. Thank you for honoring me with the scholarship. I know loans wouldn‟t give me the money to get me through school, so I am very appreciative and thankful to have the Curtis Scholarship. I have the job that I wanted because the Curtis Fund was able to get me and help me through college. 618. Thank you for choosing me! 622. Really appreciative. Hope it continues. 626. Very grateful, wouldn‟t have attended without it. 627. Thank you. Without it wouldn‟t have been able to attend school. 630. Enabled her to continue her education! Thank you! Very grateful. 635. Helped you get where you are today. 636. Very thankful. Tremendous help. 637. Very grateful for receiving it. 640. I appreciate it. 659. Scholarships are always helpful. 666. It‟s great to help those who can‟t afford it. 669. Thank you! 670. Thank you for your help so I didn‟t have to work too much while in school. 671. The scholarship allowed her to go to SMC and college in general. Thanks and gratitude. 678. A huge thank you. 686. Would love more scholarships to go back to school. Thanks, always good to look to someone for help. Awesome what they are doing. 688. Appreciation and gratitude. She worked and she‟s given back to the community and charities. 690. Thank you. 691. I am grateful.

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697. Thank you!!! So thankful! Wouldn‟t be where at now without their help. 705. Greatly appreciated; helped a lot. Loved receiving it. 720. Very grateful. 733. Not sure how I really received it. Thankful for it but not sure how or why I received it. 733. Not sure how I really received it. Thankful for it but not sure how or why I received it. 735. It was incredibly valuable to me. 739. Wonderful thing. Took a lot of stress off and wasn‟t expecting it. 743. Greatly appreciative. 746. Thank you very much. I appreciate it. 763. It was very helpful to have the Curtis Scholarship and she was very thankful to have that opportunity. She wanted me to mention she had three kids and was divorced and had to work on top of going to college in order to graduate. 764. Thank you! Got to keep money that she made from work study. 766. It‟s a great program and hope it continues since it‟s been such a big help for me. 769. It made a huge difference at a time when I couldn‟t afford college. Although a small amount, it made all the difference ($1,800/semester) 771. Does not have anything to say because he hasn‟t heard from them in so long and does not know what they have been doing. 772. Thank you for helping make my dreams come true. 773. Wonderful scholarship foundation. Especially touched by Emma Curtis‟ story. Would like to receive more information about her. 779. A big giant “hug”. Felt great to know that someone thought highly of me. 786. Without their scholarship, I wouldn‟t have been able to go to college at all. 794. Very grateful to have opportunity to go to college. Never thought could get that opportunity. Even thinking about grad school. 805. Thank you! There‟s no way she could have done it without it. Grateful. 807. Very thankful. 810. Good scholarship—thankful. A lot of other students should get it—helps lighten the burden. Helped her. 813. Appreciated the scholarship 815. I wouldn‟t have gotten into college without them. 817. Answer was for Curtis recipients: remember to apply every year. 821. Very grateful!! 826. Thank you. 831. Scholarships are extremely important. Keep it up! 836. Don‟t remember, yet wouldn‟t have gone back to school if didn‟t have any aid. 842. Thank you. Way too expensive for college—can‟t afford it without help. 847. Excellent opportunity for low income but high academic. 854. Need a better way to keep contact with recipients because she moved and almost lost scholarship because she didn‟t receive the info but her counselor forwarded it to her so it was okay. 856. For my first two years I definitely could not have attended school without the Curtis Fund. It was especially helpful for my family because her sister and mother were finishing school as well. Overall she was extremely grateful to have the Curtis Scholarship. 859. Thank you. Would have made it harder without scholarship. Any assistance for furthering of education is important.

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860. Thank you. 877. Very helpful. 881. Appreciative for the scholarship. 887. Grateful. Changed life. Would not have gone without it. 889. Fantastic that I was given the opportunity to receive it. Positive opportunity. 898. Increase awareness. 912. No, but appreciate it. A significant help. 916. Very generous funding and encouraging people to move forward and see that there‟s help out there! 919. It was something she was very thankful for and she is appreciative of it. 920. Thank you very much! Nice warm feeling! 937. Thankful. 948. The Curtis Foundation was very important to him. He would not have gone to school without it. 954. Thanks for the offer! 958. Surprised when she found out she was eligible, very appreciative. 958. Surprised when she found out she was eligible. Very appreciative. 960. Wonderful opportunity. Grateful, thankful, surprised to get scholarship. Positive experience, playing field leveled. 994. I‟m glad I had the opportunity. 1002. I hadn‟t thought about it in 10 years and I‟m glad they are still helping people attend college. 1006. Blessed for having the opportunity. Every amount of aid helps. 1043. Fortunate to receive it. Paid off loans already. 1049. Grateful, terrific, not much money, drop in the bucket, maybe more money. 1058. Very grateful. Made a big difference. 1069. I appreciate it greatly. 1083. Very appreciative for the assistance. Not having a huge debt over your head. 1085. Great surprise! Very welcomed. Unexpected and appreciated. 1088. Keep up the good work. 1111. She was very grateful and it helped her a lot.

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Appendix C: Selected Graphs and Tables

Age Distribution 45

40 38.5

35

30

25 19.3 20 16 15 13.6 12.6

10

5

0 24 or younger 25-29 30-34 35-39 40+

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Gender Distribution

Male 29%

Females 71%

Population Born in Vermont 80%

70% 67%

60% 53% 50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0% Curtis Recipients Census

38

Are you currently an undergraduate student? Yes 14%

No 86%

39

Could you have attended college without any financial aid? Not sure Yes 3% 22%

No 75%

Could you have attended college without the Curtis Scholarship? Not sure 12% No 36%

Yes 52%

40

Personal Income Last Year 45% 40% 39.10% 35%

30% 26.70% 25% 20.70% 20% 15% 10% 8.60% 4.90% 5% 0% Under $25,000 $25K to 50K $50K to 75K $75K to 100K $100,000+

Distribution of Majors A vocational program for job preparation 13.0% Arts and humanities 15.2 Biological and physical sciences 12.3 Business 12.3 Education, teacher preparation 16.3 Engineering 5.8 Professional preparation, pre-med, pre-law 2.2 Technical 1.4 Social Sciences 16.7 Communications and computer science 4.0

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Distribution of Colleges Number of Students or Graduates Burlington College 1 Castleton 16 Champlain 17 College of Saint Joseph 1 CCV 28 Goddard 1 Green Mountain College 1 Johnson State 17 Lyndon State 7 Marlboro 1 Middlebury 1 NECI 2 Norwich University 11 Saint Michael‟s College 15 Southern Vermont College 4 UVM 39 Other colleges in Vermont (Frequently Trinity) 15 Other colleges out of state 105

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State Distribution of Colleges

Non-Vermont 34%

Vermont Colleges 66%

Miscellaneous: Mothers and Daughters (based on 155 cases with full data) Among women, 89 Curtis recipients had occupations in the “top” two occupational categories (professionals, accountants, business owners, clergy, teachers, managers etc.). Sixty-three of their mothers worked in lower level occupations or were homemakers, yet only 16 of the recipients were in the same situation, plus another 16 who were not working and not actively seeking employment.

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Dropped or Assoc B/A, B/S MA/M Level Questions rec‟d non-aca - Degre Degree S or of certficate e more Sig.

VAR 10. Did having a scholarship motivate you to work harder or did it not 61% 64% 78% 83% .035 make any difference? % yes VAR 24. Some people say that going to college changes a person, but others say that college does not have a big an influence on people. How about you? Do 75 83 92 89 .09 you think that college changed you in any significant ways or did it have little effect? % yes VAR 25. How about life in general? Do you think that your education has given you a different view of your philosophy of 75 73 88 94 .019 life than you would have had you not gone to college? % yes VAR 30. Compared to your parents when they were the age you are now, do you think your own standard of living is better, 52 75 73 80 ? about the same, or worse than theirs was? % yes VAR 31. Thinking just about your own financial situation, do you consider yourself to be upper income, middle 52 13 19 15 .001 income, or lower income? % lower income. VAR 32. How about the family in which you were raised during most of the time when you were growing up? Would you describe that situation as upper income, 36 48 44 67 .05 middle income, or lower income? % lower income VAR 34. Do you think it was more difficult for you to get into and succeed in college than it was for students with parents who 21 42 31 49 .06 were college grads? % Yes

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Dropped or Assoc BA/BS MA/MS Level Questions rec‟d non- Degree Degree or more of Sig. aca - cert VAR 36. As you continued with your college education, did you ever feel that there was a new barrier or a distance between you and your parents 8% 3% 13% 55% .000 that was due to your new education? % yes VAR 37. Did you ever form a relationship with a faculty or staff member that had a significant 12 42 74 79 .000 influence on you? VAR 39. While in college, did you ever make the Dean‟s List? % yes 17 58 74 66 .000 VAR 41. Would you agree or disagree with the following statement? “With all the troubles we are facing today, I 88 94 77 75 .047 need to spend more time looking out for myself and my family.”% agree VAR 44. How important was your educational experience after high school as a source of the skills that you 28 57 56 77 .011 use in your current job? % Very important VAR 45. How true is the following? “The pay is good.” Is this true, not true, or somewhere in between? % 38 71 49 68 .003 True VAR 46 “The chances for long-term employment are good.” Is this true, not true, or somewhere in between? 72 91 76 89 .015 % true VAR 47. “I could have gotten this job without the formal education that I have.” Is this true, not true, or 52 26 36 15 .011 somewhere in between? % True VAR 48. All things considered, how satisfied are you with your job overall? 40 50 46 66 .022 % very satisfied VAR 53. Personal Income % over $50,000 12 38 40 36 .029 VAR 55. Do you live in Vermont now? % Yes 79 79 58 51 .004

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Responses by Gender Male Female Column N % Column N % Household until you left for Two parents who worked 51% 41% college One parent who worked, one 22% 28% who stayed home A single parent household with 15% 23% one worker Some other combination 12% 8% Attend college without Financial Yes 39% 18% Aid? No 59% 80% Not sure 1% 3% Attend college without Curtis Yes 62% 45% Scholarship? No 23% 33% Not sure 5% 15% Don't know/remember 10% 7% Did scholarship motivate you? Yes 67% 77% No 33% 23% Live on campus or commute? On Campus 57% 43% Commuted 24% 42% Some of each 19% 15% Full time or part time? Full time 92% 83% Part time 3% 10% Depended on the semester 5% 7% Ever take time off from college? Yes, time off 15% 23% No 85% 77% What state did you attend Vermont 57% 68% college? Out of VT but still New England 20% 17% Other state 23% 15% What kind of college? Two year college 14% 16% Four year college 85% 79% Other kind of educational 1% 6% institution Educational Attainment Dropped out or received a non- 10% 13% academic certificate Associate's degree 21% 15% Bachelor's degree 53% 48% Master's degree or more 16% 23% Ever take a job to earn money Yes 89% 92% while going to college? No 11% 8% Did college change you in any Yes, changed me 86% 88% ways? No, little effect 13% 10% No difference 1% 1% Did education give you different Yes 86% 87% philosophy of life? No 14% 10% Don't know 0% 3% Did college give you better Yes, better QOL 96% 94% overall quality of life? No, not better 1% 5% Don't know 3% 1%

46

Responses by Gender Male Female Column N % Column N % Either parents graduate from Yes, both parents graduated from 34% 24% college? two year Yes, at least one parent 17% 12% graduated from four year No, neither did 49% 64% Financial situation of your Upper income 1% 2% family growing up Middle income 61% 44% Lower income 38% 54% Respondent‟s current financial Upper income 14% 5% situation Middle income 68% 72% Lower income 18% 23% Standard of living better than Better 63% 76% your parents? About the same 32% 20% Worse 5% 4% How satisfied are you with your Completely satisfied 52% 62% education? Somewhat satisfied 41% 32% Somewhat dissatisfied 6% 5% Completely dissatisfied 1% 1% I need to spend more time Agree 77% 82% looking out for my family Disagree 23% 18% Are you currently working? Yes 91% 86% I am actively seeking work 5% 6% I am not actively seeking work 4% 8% How important was education Very important 58% 57% after HS for skills you use in Important 10% 20% current job? Somewhat important 24% 14% Not at all important 8% 9% The pay is good True 69% 48% Not True 7% 11% Between 24% 41% The chances for long-term True 81% 80% employment are good Not True 10% 7% Between 10% 13% I could have gotten this job True 24% 34% without the formal education I Not True 61% 61% have Between 15% 5% How satisfied are you with your Completely satisfied 50% 49% job overall? Somewhat satisfied 42% 48% Not very satisfied 8% 3% Not at all satisfied 0% 1% Have you done any unpaid Yes 53% 52% volunteer work in the past 12 No 47% 48% months

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First Generation College Students Gender Were you born in Vermont? Male Female Yes No Column N % Column N % Column N % Column N % More difficult to succeed for you Yes 37% 31% 34% 28% than students with parents who No 63% 62% 63% 61% graduated? Don't know 0% 7% 3% 11% Didn't quite belong because your Yes 18% 17% 16% 22% parents didn't graduate No 71% 77% 78% 67% Don't know 11% 6% 6% 11% Barrier between you and your Yes 11% 21% 17% 24% parents due to new education? No 89% 76% 83% 70% Don't know 0% 3% 1% 5% Form a relationship with faculty Yes 53% 63% 57% 73% that had significant influence on No 47% 36% 43% 24% you? Don't know 0% 1% 0% 3% Predict your standard of living Higher SOL 68% 84% 82% 75% Lower SOL 0% 2% 2% 0% Same SOL 32% 14% 16% 25% Did you ever make Dean's List? Yes 50% 63% 56% 74% No 50% 37% 44% 26%

Educational Attainment Dropped out or received a non- academic Associate's Master's degree certificate degree Bachelor's degree or more Column N % Column N % Column N % Column N % Household until you left for Two parents who worked 54% 41% 47% 39% college One parent who worked, one 29% 36% 24% 18% who stayed home A single parent household 7% 16% 23% 29% with one worker Some other combination 11% 7% 7% 14% Attend college without Yes 20% 23% 26% 20% Financial Aid? No 80% 75% 72% 78% Not sure 0% 2% 2% 2% Attend college without Curtis Yes 40% 57% 49% 53% Scholarship? No 37% 30% 28% 35% Not sure 7% 11% 14% 8% Don't know/remember 17% 2% 9% 4% Did scholarship motivate Yes 60% 64% 77% 84% you? No 40% 36% 23% 16% Live on campus or commute? On Campus 53% 34% 50% 53% Commuted 37% 48% 30% 35% Some of each 10% 18% 20% 12% Full time or part time? Full time 57% 75% 96% 90% Part time 20% 11% 2% 8% Depended on the semester 23% 14% 2% 2% Ever take time off from Yes, time off 73% 32% 9% 10% college? No 27% 68% 91% 90% What state did you attend Vermont 77% 61% 64% 63% college? Out of VT but still New 7% 32% 14% 22% England

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Educational Attainment Dropped out or received a non- academic Associate's Master's degree certificate degree Bachelor's degree or more Column N % Column N % Column N % Column N % Other state 17% 7% 22% 16% What kind of college? Two year college 24% 38% 4% 6% Four year college 69% 50% 94% 94% Other kind of educational 7% 12% 2% 0% institution Educational Attainment Dropped out or received a 100% 0% 0% 0% non-academic certificate Associate's degree 0% 100% 0% 0% Bachelor's degree 0% 0% 100% 0% Master's degree or more 0% 0% 0% 100% Ever take a job to earn money Yes 100% 89% 91% 94% while going to college? No 0% 11% 9% 6% Did college change you in any Yes, changed me 75% 82% 92% 88% ways? No, little effect 25% 14% 8% 12% No difference 0% 5% 0% 0% Did education give you Yes 75% 75% 88% 94% different philosophy of life? No 25% 23% 11% 2% Don't know 0% 2% 2% 4% Did college give you better Yes, better QOL 88% 98% 94% 94% overall quality of life? No, not better 13% 0% 4% 4% Don't know 0% 2% 2% 2%

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Educational Attainment Dropped out or received a non- academic Associate's Master's degree certificate degree Bachelor's degree or more Column N % Column N % Column N % Column N % Either parents graduate from Yes, both parents graduated 13% 26% 33% 22% college? from two year Yes, at least one parent 13% 7% 18% 14% graduated from four year No, neither did 73% 67% 48% 64% Financial situation of your Upper income 0% 2% 2% 0% family growing up Middle income 60% 48% 54% 33% Lower income 40% 50% 43% 67% Respondent's current financial Upper income 3% 9% 9% 10% situation Middle income 47% 77% 71% 75% Lower income 50% 14% 20% 16% Standard of living better than Better 57% 77% 72% 80% your parents? About the same 40% 16% 25% 14% Worse 3% 7% 3% 6% How satisfied are you with Completely satisfied 20% 59% 66% 71% your education? Somewhat satisfied 63% 36% 31% 20% Somewhat dissatisfied 13% 5% 2% 8% Completely dissatisfied 3% 0% 1% 2% I need to spend more time Agree 90% 93% 77% 74% looking out for my family Disagree 10% 7% 23% 26% Are you currently working? Yes 72% 88% 89% 92% I am actively seeking work 14% 7% 4% 6% I am not actively seeking 14% 5% 7% 2% work How important was education Very important 32% 55% 55% 77% after HS for skills you use in Important 23% 21% 18% 6% current job? Somewhat important 23% 21% 21% 6% Not at all important 23% 3% 7% 11% The pay is good True 43% 71% 48% 68% Not True 29% 5% 12% 2% Between 29% 24% 40% 30% The chances for long-term True 73% 89% 75% 89% employment are good Not True 18% 8% 8% 0% Between 9% 3% 17% 11% I could have gotten this job True 50% 21% 36% 15% without the formal education I Not True 36% 66% 57% 77% have Between 14% 13% 7% 9% How satisfied are you with Completely satisfied 45% 47% 45% 66% your job overall? Somewhat satisfied 41% 53% 50% 30% Not very satisfied 9% 0% 5% 4% Not at all satisfied 5% 0% 0% 0% Have you done any unpaid Yes 47% 48% 50% 64% volunteer work in the past 12 No 53% 52% 50% 36% months

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Were you born in Vermont? Do you live in Vermont now? Yes No Yes No Column N % Column N % Column N % Column N % Either parents graduate from Yes, both parents graduated 22% 35% 23% 31% college? from two year Yes, at least one parent 13% 17% 15% 11% graduated from four year No, neither did 65% 49% 61% 58% Financial situation of your Upper income 2% 1% 2% 1% family growing up Middle income 51% 46% 51% 46% Lower income 48% 53% 48% 53% Respondent's current financial Upper income 8% 8% 6% 12% situation Middle income 73% 64% 67% 76% Lower income 19% 27% 27% 12% Standard of living better than Better 75% 68% 68% 81% your parents? About the same 23% 24% 28% 15% Worse 3% 8% 4% 4% How satisfied are you with Completely satisfied 57% 67% 54% 69% your education? Somewhat satisfied 38% 27% 38% 28% Somewhat dissatisfied 4% 7% 7% 2% Completely dissatisfied 2% 0% 1% 1% I need to spend more time Agree 80% 81% 81% 80% looking out for my family Disagree 20% 19% 19% 20% Are you currently working? Yes 88% 85% 87% 88% I am actively seeking work 6% 5% 6% 5% I am not actively seeking work 6% 9% 7% 6% How important was education Very important 57% 57% 54% 63% after HS for skills you use in Important 20% 10% 18% 16% current job? Somewhat important 17% 17% 18% 15% Not at all important 6% 16% 11% 6% The pay is good True 60% 44% 54% 60% Not True 8% 16% 10% 10% Between 33% 40% 37% 30% The chances for long-term True 84% 71% 82% 78% employment are good Not True 6% 11% 7% 10% Between 9% 17% 11% 12% I could have gotten this job True 30% 27% 31% 26% without the formal education I Not True 63% 60% 61% 65% have Between 7% 13% 8% 10% How satisfied are you with Completely satisfied 52% 43% 48% 52% your job overall? Somewhat satisfied 45% 49% 48% 43% Not very satisfied 4% 6% 5% 4% Not at all satisfied 0% 2% 0% 1% Have you done any unpaid Yes 49% 59% 51% 53% volunteer work in the past 12 No 51% 41% 49% 47% months

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Current Income of Respondents Less than $25K $25K to $50K $50K to $75K Over $75K Column N % Column N % Column N % Column N % Household until you left for Two parents who worked 38% 45% 45% 46% college One parent who worked, one 32% 27% 22% 26% who stayed home A single parent household 15% 22% 22% 26% with one worker Some other combination 15% 6% 12% 3% Attend college without Yes 19% 16% 33% 40% Financial Aid? No 78% 82% 63% 60% Not sure 3% 2% 4% 0% Attend college without Curtis Yes 36% 54% 46% 69% Scholarship? No 38% 24% 37% 20% Not sure 17% 11% 12% 9% Don't know/remember 9% 10% 6% 3% Did scholarship motivate you? Yes 77% 73% 71% 71% No 23% 27% 29% 29% Live on campus or commute? On Campus 46% 42% 54% 54% Commuted 38% 43% 31% 29% Some of each 16% 15% 15% 17% Full time or part time? Full time 80% 84% 87% 100% Part time 10% 9% 10% 0% Depended on the semester 10% 7% 4% 0% Ever take time off from Yes, time off 30% 24% 10% 6% college? No 70% 76% 90% 94% What state did you attend Vermont 68% 70% 69% 40% college? Out of VT but still New 14% 19% 12% 34% England Other state 17% 11% 20% 26% What kind of college? Two year college 16% 22% 10% 6% Four year college 81% 72% 88% 88% Other kind of educational 3% 6% 2% 6% institution Educational Attainment Dropped out or received a 25% 10% 8% 0% non-academic certificate Associate's degree 11% 23% 16% 20% Bachelor's degree 46% 46% 53% 60% Master's degree or more 18% 21% 22% 20% Ever take a job to earn money Yes 89% 91% 88% 97% while going to college? No 11% 9% 12% 3% Did college change you in any Yes, changed me 93% 89% 80% 91% ways? No, little effect 7% 11% 18% 3% No difference 0% 0% 2% 6% Did education give you Yes 86% 88% 82% 94% different philosophy of life? No 13% 9% 18% 3% Don't know 2% 3% 0% 3% Did college give you better Yes, better QOL 88% 96% 98% 100% overall quality of life? No, not better 9% 2% 2% 0% Don't know 4% 2% 0% 0%

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Responses by Current Income of Respondents Less than $25K $25 to $50K $50K to $75K Over $75K Column N % Column N % Column N % Column N % Either parents graduate from Yes, both parents graduated 24% 22% 29% 36% college? from two year Yes, at least one parent 18% 13% 14% 12% graduated from four year No, neither did 59% 65% 57% 52% Financial situation of your Upper income 1% 1% 4% 0% family growing up Middle income 51% 48% 44% 54% Lower income 48% 51% 52% 46% Respondent's current financial Upper income 1% 2% 10% 35% situation Middle income 38% 86% 88% 65% Lower income 61% 12% 2% 0% Standard of living better than Better 61% 69% 85% 86% your parents? About the same 30% 27% 13% 14% Worse 9% 4% 2% 0% How satisfied are you with Completely satisfied 45% 64% 63% 71% your education? Somewhat satisfied 49% 29% 27% 29% Somewhat dissatisfied 3% 6% 10% 0% Completely dissatisfied 3% 1% 0% 0% I need to spend more time Agree 84% 79% 82% 74% looking out for my family Disagree 16% 21% 18% 26% Are you currently working? Yes 65% 95% 98% 97% I am actively seeking work 16% 2% 2% 0% I am not actively seeking work 19% 3% 0% 3% How important was education Very important 51% 52% 61% 74% after HS for skills you use in Important 13% 18% 20% 15% current job? Somewhat important 16% 20% 16% 12% Not at all important 20% 10% 4% 0% The pay is good True 27% 41% 82% 91% Not True 30% 9% 0% 3% Between 43% 50% 18% 6% The chances for long-term True 58% 86% 88% 85% employment are good Not True 20% 4% 4% 6% Between 22% 10% 8% 9% I could have gotten this job True 44% 30% 25% 12% without the formal education I Not True 47% 63% 73% 68% have Between 9% 7% 2% 21% How satisfied are you with Completely satisfied 29% 50% 51% 71% your job overall? Somewhat satisfied 62% 43% 49% 29% Not very satisfied 7% 7% 0% 0% Not at all satisfied 2% 0% 0% 0% Have you done any unpaid Yes 60% 50% 52% 49% volunteer work in the past 12 No 40% 50% 48% 51% months

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Intergenerational Mobility Respondent's current financial situation

Upper income Middle income Lower income Total Financial situation of your Upper income Count 0 2 2 4 family growing up % within Respondent's .0% 1.1% 3.6% 1.5% current financial situation Middle income Count 11 92 25 128 % within Respondent's 52.4% 50.3% 45.5% 49.4% current financial situation Lower income Count 10 89 28 127 % within Respondent's 47.6% 48.6% 50.9% 49.0% current financial situation Total Count 21 183 55 259 % within Respondent's 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% current financial situation

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Intergenerational Mobility by Gender Gender Respondent's current financial situation Upper income Middle income Lower income Total Male Financial situation of Upper income Count 0 1 0 1 your family growing % within Respondent's .0% 1.9% .0% 1.3% up current financial situation Middle income Count 6 35 7 48 % within Respondent's 54.5% 64.8% 50.0% 60.8% current financial situation Lower income Count 5 18 7 30 % within Respondent's 45.5% 33.3% 50.0% 38.0% current financial situation Total Count 11 54 14 79 % within Respondent's 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% current financial situation Female Financial situation of Upper income Count 0 1 2 3 your family growing % within Respondent's .0% .8% 4.9% 1.7% up current financial situation Middle income Count 4 56 18 78 % within Respondent's 44.4% 44.1% 43.9% 44.1% current financial situation Lower income Count 5 70 21 96 % within Respondent's 55.6% 55.1% 51.2% 54.2% current financial situation Total Count 9 127 41 177 % within Respondent's 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% current financial situation

Intergenerational Mobility by Educational Attainment Educational Attainment Respondent's current financial situation Upper income Middle income Lower income Total Dropped out or received a Financial situation of your Middle income 71.4% 53.3% 60.0% non-academic certificate family growing up Lower income 100.0% 28.6% 46.7% 40.0% Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% Associate's degree Financial situation of your Upper income 3.0% 2.3% family growing up Middle income 75.0% 48.5% 33.3% 48.8% Lower income 25.0% 48.5% 66.7% 48.8% Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% Bachelor's degree Financial situation of your Upper income 1.2% 8.3% 2.5% family growing up Middle income 63.6% 54.7% 45.8% 53.7% Lower income 36.4% 44.2% 45.8% 43.8% Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% Master's degree or more Financial situation of your Middle income 20.0% 34.2% 37.5% 33.3% family growing up Lower income 80.0% 65.8% 62.5% 66.7% Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%

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Occupational Change Across Generations Occupation of Curtis Fund Recipient Top ranked Second ranked Third ranked Lowest ranked occupations occupations occupations occupations Column N % Column N % Column N % Column N % Father's main occupation Top ranked occupations 26% 11% 22% 46% Second ranked occupations 36% 37% 30% 15% Third ranked occupations 28% 32% 30% 38% Lowest ranked occupations 11% 21% 17% 0% Subtotal 100% 100% 100% 100% Mother's main occupation Top ranked occupations 25% 22% 4% 31% Second ranked occupations 11% 11% 16% 13% Third ranked occupations 24% 20% 48% 25% Lowest ranked occupations 40% 48% 32% 31% Subtotal 100% 100% 100% 100%

Occupational Change Across Generations by Gender Father's main occupation Top ranked Second ranked Third ranked Lowest ranked occupations occupations occupations occupations Column N % Column N % Column N % Column N % Gender Male Occupation of Curtis Top ranked occupations 72% 59% 46% 38% Fund Recipient Second ranked 6% 32% 31% 38% occupations Third ranked occupations 17% 0% 23% 25% Lowest ranked 6% 9% 0% 0% occupations Female Occupation of Curtis Top ranked occupations 63% 66% 59% 56% Fund Recipient Second ranked 13% 17% 20% 31% occupations Third ranked occupations 8% 17% 10% 13% Lowest ranked 17% 0% 12% 0% occupations

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Occupational Change Across Generations by Gender Mother's main occupation Top ranked Second ranked Third ranked Lowest ranked occupations occupations occupations occupations Column N % Column N % Column N % Column N % Gender Male Occupation of Curtis Top ranked occupations 71% 67% 50% 56% Fund Recipient Second ranked 19% 17% 17% 36% occupations Third ranked occupations 5% 0% 33% 4% Lowest ranked 5% 17% 0% 4% occupations Female Occupation of Curtis Top ranked occupations 67% 53% 58% 60% Fund Recipient Second ranked 22% 21% 16% 22% occupations Third ranked occupations 0% 21% 16% 12% Lowest ranked 11% 5% 11% 7% occupations

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