College educations today are pretty expensive, and even more so if you’re looking at an Ivy League College. However, you just might be able to get an Ivy League education for free if you’re from Wheelock, Vermont. Thanks to a century old agreement between Dartmouth College and the town of Wheelock, residents here can go to Dartmouth tuition free… but they still have to get in first.

The a quirky scholarship all started in 1785 when the Vermont Legislature granted Dartmouth College 23,000 acres of land. The town was named Wheelock after Dartmouth founder Eleazar Wheelock.

Flickr/Ken

Wheelock was granted to Dartmouth so the college could stay afloat in its early years through collecting rent and from goods produced by the town.

Flickr/Josue Mendivil

In the 1830’s, the then-president of Dartmouth Nathan Lord offered to educate the students of Wheelock in gratitude.

Flickr/Mike Fisher

Ozias D. Mathewson, Dartmouth class of 1890, was the first to take advantage of the offer. Forty years later, it was formalized.

Between the 1890s and 2013 the scholarship has only been used nine times in almost 200 years.

Flickr/Aaron Hawkins

Wheelock is a small town in Caledonia County with 811 residents as of the latest census in 2010.

Flickr/Adam

In 2016, 10.5% of the 20,675 applicants were accepted at Dartmouth.

Flickr/Doug Kerr

According to collegefactual.com, in 2015 tuition at Dartmouth per year was $49,506. With room & board and other expenses a year could cost $67,044.

Flickr/David Wilson

The agreement between Dartmouth and Wheelock is for students from families making $100,000 per year or less and applies to those who qualify “either by birth or residence” of the town of Wheelock.

Flickr/Adam

We love that this agreement still stands after all these years.

Flickr/Ken

Flickr/Josue Mendivil

Flickr/Mike Fisher

Flickr/Aaron Hawkins

Flickr/Adam

Flickr/Doug Kerr

Flickr/David Wilson

For a look back in time, check out these 23 photos taken in Vermont during the great depression.

OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.