Admissions and Aid

If you are motivated by ecological thinking and action, sustainability, and social justice, you are already a great fit for Sterling.

Admission to Sterling College opens the door to a transformative and affordable education, valuable work experience, and an eclectic, diverse and socially conscious community.

Sterling College offers admission to both first-time college applicants and transfer applicants. We also have a significant population of student veterans and adult learners at Sterling. Application review at Sterling is an individualized process, characterized by a personal and holistic approach. Affordability is central to the mission of Sterling College.

Admission to Sterling College is competitive. However, students who did not excel in high school or who have taken a non-traditional path to college may gain admission to Sterling by demonstrating work ethic, character, and passion for ecological thinking and action.

A strong academic record is certainly a good thing, but it is not the most important criteria for admission to Sterling College.
Sterling College practices test-blind admission. We do not consider standardized test scores during application review.
We welcome and encourage communication from prospective students at all stages of the application process.
No student is granted admission to Sterling College until they have completed an interview. Interviews can be conducted in person, over the phone, or via Skype.
In addition to an online application form, we require a personal essay, two letters of recommendation, and a high school transcript or the equivalent. Transfer students must also submit transcripts from each college or university they previously attended.

Admission Requirements

Applying for Financial Aid

Sterling College maintains a commitment to affordability and financial access. We work closely with each student and their family to create a financial aid package that meets their individual needs.

Your application for admission also serves as your application for merit-based Sterling College scholarships. There is no need to file additional applications for specific scholarships. The only exception to this rule is the Climate Justice Scholarship, which does require an additional essay.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is required for all U.S. residents who want to be considered for need-based financial aid. The FAFSA determines eligibility for state and federal financial aid. We also use information from the FAFSA to award need-based Sterling College grants. The FAFSA code for Sterling College is 014991.

Students may also complete the Sterling College Financial Aid Application. This application provides space to describe any aspects of your individual financial situation that may not be captured on the FAFSA.

Navigating the process of applying for financial aid can be complicated. We are here to help. Please feel free to contact us with questions about financial aid at any point during the application process.

Let us help!

Ready to Apply?

Students arrive at Sterling College with a wide variety of personal histories and educational backgrounds. Every prospective student receives personal attention throughout the application process, so that individual circumstances can be taken into account.

Apply Now!

Specific guidelines and information for applicants who are transfer students, home schooled students, student veterans, international students, and Vermont students is available by following the links below:

If you’ve been offered admission to Sterling College, CONGRATULATIONS! Please follow the link below to access registration forms and other important information.

Admitted Student Portal

Open

The Farm Between serves as a teaching laboratory for Sterling students interested in perennial systems, agrobiodiversity, beneficial insect habitat, marketing, and value-added food production. The nursery is an integrated part of curriculum and the college’s work program. Students participate in all aspects of the farm, such as nursery and crop management, value-added food production, marketing and sales, wildlife habitat management and learn what an ecological, perennial, polycultural farming model looks like. In the need for some spring plantings? Support the education of Sterling students and pre-order from our student-run nursery. Reserve inventory now with pick-up in April. Link on bio.

15 0

Open

This 3 day workshop at Sterling's instructional site at The Farm Between in Jeffersonville, Vermont, will take a deep dive into the hidden world of the insects that keep our natural systems and farms and gardens running smoothly. A combination of classroom, laboratory and field work experiences will allow participants to fully engage with "The Little Things that Run the World". The workshop covers how to keep native bees and honey bees, and appreciating and understanding pollinating flies and wasps. We will also explore the predatory and parasitic insects that keep pest populations in check through biological control. Participants will learn insect identification skills, life cycles and ecology, and how to enhance pollinator and beneficial insect populations in farm fields and gardens. The workshop includes strategies to improve habitat through native plantings, cover crop selection, and other ways to create insectaries. Participants will create different types of nesting habitat such as solitary bee nest boxes and bumblebee overwintering and nesting habitat. Most importantly, participants will gain the expertise and confidence to better manage these fascinating insects that benefit us all.

Register: Link on Bio.

33 0

Open

For $15 and two hours of your time, sit down with some of the most profound thinkers of our time: Shaun Chamberlin, Eve Annecke, and David Abram. Surviving the Future of Education takes place on January 18, 2022 from 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM EST.

The first half of this first stand-alone 'Conversations for Our Time' event will take the form of a free conversation between diverse educators David, Eve, and Shaun, exploring intertwined questions including:

What forms might education most usefully take in these times of cultural, ecological and economic crisis?

How can educators who believe in the centrality of personal connection, sensory immersion and being grounded in place do their work when everything is increasingly forced online?

How do we combat the fearsome educational potency of social media algorithms, which are shaping hearts, minds and souls moment-by-moment, and increasingly polarizing our societies?

And in place of the traditional Q&A, in the second half each will host a smaller-scale breakout room, for reflective conversation with whichever of the participants choose to join them (whether to share thoughts or just listen). We will then close with final thoughts from each of the three.

Register: link on bio

49 0

Open

Lizzie, 31, came to the Wendell Berry Farming Program, as did most members of her cohort, through a circuitous route. A native Kentuckian, she was born in Louisville and raised in Oldham County by parents who worked hard (her mom has a G.E.D. and worked as a corrections officer, her dad works for the water company and earned an associate’s degree well into his career) and supported her desire to further her education. She studied hard, taking A.P. classes in high school and earning high grades in college, graduating with a degree in psychology from the University of Louisville. Her field of interest was “mindfulness, memory and attention.” Her plan was to go to graduate school, earn a Ph.D. and pursue a research career. She assumed she would eventually leave Kentucky. But then she found the Wendell Berry Farming Program. #wendellberryfarmingprogram

29 2

Open

In 2019, @vandanashiva1 touched our souls with her commencement address on our little Vermont campus. Yesterday, we learned her presence in the Sterling community will return, this time virtually, as a guest speaker in the upcoming Surviving the Future: The Deeper Dive - an eight week course part of our continuing education curriculum. Vandana joins an all-star cast including @dark_optimism , @drjasonhickel , David Abram, Rob Hopkins, @kaliakuno , Nate Hagens, Isa Frémeaux, and @eve_annecke . Only 27 spots left. Starts January 31st. Details: https://www.ce.sterlingcollege.edu/surviving-the-future

149 3

Open

Without the Wendell Berry Farming Program, Lizzie says, it would have taken “years and years” to make the friendships and connections, and to build the networks that she now has, within the Henry County farming community. This is important because Lizzie, along with her fiancé, Chris, have taken over part of Chris’ family farm in Campbellsburg, Kentucky. And they plan to stay. We are launching Lizzie's full story on Thursday but wanted to give you a sneak peek. #wendellberryfarmingprogram

61 0

Open

Co-taught by outdoor enthusiasts, educators and creatives, John Campbell and Josh Bossin, this workshop is geared towards the thrifty, make-doer. As an introduction to gear design and repair skills, participants will combine readings and videos with in-person instruction and hands-on practice of the skills needed to become proficient at making and repairing their own outdoor gear. During the workshop, participants will learn skills such as: hand and machine sewing, field repair techniques, pattern design, material selection, and gear production. Participants will use the skills learned to build either a retro pack or ultra light backpacking pack by the end of the workshop.

Americans collectively discard a staggering 13 million tons of textiles each year. Amid the cast-off t-shirts and fast-fashion items, this heap of waste includes lots of expensive and resource-intensive gear used in outdoor sports and adventure. One of the most effective actions an individual can take for the environment is to consume less. For every 2 years that you extend a garment's life you cut its combined carbon, water and waste footprint by up to 82%. One way of consuming less is getting more out of what we already have. Outdoor adventurers can do our part by purchasing quality gear, using and maintaining it well, and repairing it to extend its usable life. Another way to cut back on the buy-waste cycle is to make your own gear -- functional items that are suited particularly to your needs, that you will use and cherish for a long time. But because most of us have been steeped in a culture of constant and conspicuous consumption, even the well meaning often lack the skills to design and repair the gear that allows us to get outside safely and comfortably.

Register : Link on bio.

50 4

Open

@sevendaysvt shared their favorite bites and sips of 2021 and the Sea Kale grown at our very own instructional site at The Farm Between won Most Virtuous Vegetable!

99 1

Open

Thanks to the generosity of a Vermont couple, Sterling College is pleased to announce the application window for the Hermit Thrush Scholarship—a four-year, full-ride scholarship— is now open for students interested in joining Sterling College in Fall 2022. Named after Vermont’s state bird, the Hermit Thrush Scholarship will support a student to earn their Bachelor of Arts degree at Sterling College, Vermont’s higher education leader in ecological thinking and action. The scholarship will support four years of tuition, room and board.

“We are grateful to the donors of the Hermit Thrush Scholarship,” said Moxie Mehegan, Dean of Admission and Financial Aid. “New students are coming in after a year of changes, stressors, and huge lifestyle shifts as they have finished high school during a global pandemic. The Hermit Thrush Scholarship provides hope, financial access, and more importantly, the security of a four-year commitment to the student who is awarded the scholarship.”

The Admission Office will select the Hermit Thrush Scholarship recipient, who will have a strong academic record and demonstrate financial need. To be considered, prospective students must have completed a Sterling College application and a 2021/2022 FAFSA. This scholarship opportunity is open to U.S domestic students only, and open to applicants from any major of study. Preference for Vermont students will be given. Applications must be received by April 15th, 2022.

Sterling College is committed to accessibility and affordability, as demonstrated by its status as a federally-recognized Work College where nearly 100% of its student body receives Sterling grant funding.

69 1

Open

A #tbt to the last time we hosted David Asher for cheesemaking classes. These classes return for 2022! Check it out: https://www.ce.sterlingcollege.edu

67 0

Open

Food waste that happens on farms -- food loss -- has a range of problematic effects, including the environmental impacts of excess food production and the foregone benefits that could have been realized if the food had found a market or a mouth. In this half-day workshop, Theresa Snow '01, Salvation Farms' founder and Executive Director shares the reality of food loss on farms across America and in Vermont specifically. Participants will gain an understanding of how her organization approaches the reality of food loss on farms as an opportunity to build community reliance on local farms. This workshop will detail how Salvation Farms works to model regionally based responses that manage surplus farm food through collaborative partnership, workshop attendees will engage in discussions around why this is important socially, environmentally, and economically. The workshop will also explore experiential education and service learning on farms and local/regional food systems as powerful tool for enhancing support for farms, community food security, food independence, food access, food equity and food resilience.

This workshop is geared towards those who operate and labor on farms and want to avoid food loss, those who work in food systems and supply chains, those working to reduce food loss/waste, and anyone who is interested in building local resilience.

More info: link on bio

35 0

Open

Saturday, February 19, 2022, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm in Craftsbury Common, Vermont. By attending our in-person event, you are eligible for a $500 Scholarship which can be redeemed upon enrollment. Register: Link on Bio.

52 0

Dig In!

Sterling College Students to Build Their Own Outside Classroom

Sterling College will soon have a new space to hold classes and demonstrations. Just before the start of the fall semester, students in the School of the New American Farmstead…

Trustee Marian Burros Presented Award from Wellesley

Trustee Marian Burros has won an Alumnae Achievement Award from her alma mater, Wellesley College. The award, says Wellesley, “Recognizes alumnae who have brought honor to themselves and to Wellesley…

Eight Points of Connection Between Waldorf Schools and Sterling College

Sterling College is often a good fit for students who are searching for a college experience that builds upon their Waldorf experience. There is a lot of similarity between the…

If you are motivated by ecological thinking and action, sustainability, and social justice, you are already a great fit for Sterling.

Admission to Sterling College opens the door to a transformative and affordable education, valuable work experience, and an eclectic, diverse and socially conscious community.

Applying for Financial Aid

Ready to Apply?

Meet our Admission & Financial Aid Staff & Faculty

Moxie Mehegan

Jimmy Clark

Amalia Harris

Barb Stuart

Need more information?

We are here to help! Just let us know what you need.

Sterling College Students to Build Their Own Outside Classroom

Trustee Marian Burros Presented Award from Wellesley

Eight Points of Connection Between Waldorf Schools and Sterling College

Admissions and Aid

If you are motivated by ecological thinking and action, sustainability, and social justice, you are already a great fit for Sterling.

Admission to Sterling College opens the door to a transformative and affordable education, valuable work experience, and an eclectic, diverse and socially conscious community.

Applying for Financial Aid

Ready to Apply?

Share It!

Meet our Admission & Financial Aid Staff & Faculty

Moxie Mehegan

Jimmy Clark

Amalia Harris

Barb Stuart

Need more information?

We are here to help! Just let us know what you need.

Sterling College Students to Build Their Own Outside Classroom

Trustee Marian Burros Presented Award from Wellesley

Eight Points of Connection Between Waldorf Schools and Sterling College