Scott Giles

Scott Giles

Scott Giles is president and CEO of the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC), a public nonprofit established by the Vermont legislature to open the doors of education and training to students of all ages. VSAC is widely recognized for innovation in the development of college access and success programs, expanded support for industry-recognized credentials, facilitating employer-educator partnerships, and use of research to shape policy.

An expert on federal and state higher education finance policy, Scott has devoted his career to expanding access to education and training after high school. He received a bachelor’s degree in religious studies from St. Lawrence University and an M.A. and Ph.D. in religious studies (ethics) from the University of Virginia.

Prior to joining VSAC, Scott served as deputy chief of staff of the House Committee on Science where he was a principal staff member on the Mathematics and Science Partnerships Act, the Tech Talent Act, the Cybersecurity Research and Development Act, the National Science Foundation Authorization Act, and the Homeland Security Act.

He previously worked on the majority staff of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Scott served as the committee’s chief staff budget and appropriations negotiator and was a principal staff member on the Higher Education Amendments of 1998 and the National Science Foundation Authorization Act. Prior to that, he worked as a client lead at Cassidy & Associates and as legislative director for the Honorable Frank Horton (R-NY).

Scott served as chair of the Federal Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance and has been appointed by multiple Secretaries of Education to represent nonprofit student loan and grant providers in negotiated rulemaking. He has been interviewed by the Chronicle of Higher Education, The Economist, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal.