CRAFTSBURY COMMON — Staff and faculty at Sterling College are working to reorient themselves after the confusion caused by the pause of federal financial assistance. The college was unsure about what was and was not affected and are navigating how large of an impact such an action would have on the functions of the campus.

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Sterling College President Scott Thomas said much of the uncertainty was due to the belief that media explanations contradicted the original memo from the Office of Management and Budget. Lines between what expenditures were paused, which needed review and what might be unaffected, were blurred partially by vague explanations in the memo, saying the definition of federal financial assistance did not include “assistance provided directly to individuals.”
Because of how frequently details about the pause were evolving, the administration was hesitant to share information with students that may become altered and cause further confusion.
Discussions were focused primarily on how staff and faculty could support students who were having difficulties refocusing attention on their studies. Eventually the college was able to tell students their federal aid wasn’t at risk, but Thomas believed even that could be subject to change.
“It was a risk to tell students there was no risk,” he said.
Federal funding for the Spring semester has yet to be released, which was a major source of concern.
Thomas identified federal work-study as one of the largest programs potentially affected for Sterling. The work-study program is an integral part of student life and campus operations.
There were worries that a hold would be put on checks funded by federal dollars, which could mean a stunting of the school’s ability to maintain campus operations.
Dayne Bell (he/they) is a VTSU-Johnson student writing for the Gazette as an intern during the 2025 spring semester. Dayne is a creative writing student from Connecticut who says his zodiac sign of Pisces tells you everything you need to know about him. He serves as editor in chief of Johnson’s student-run community newspaper Basement Medicine.