State Partners with Indiana University to Offer Free College and Career Guidance at the Indiana Latino Expo, Oct. 11-12

(INDIANAPOLIS) – Families and students in the 21st Century Scholars program can get free college and career assistance at the Indiana Latino Expo, October 11-12, according to the Indiana Commission for Higher Education. Additionally, Scholars can apply to all Indiana University (IU) campuses for free and get help completing Scholar Success Program (SSP) activities at the IU Higher Education booth.

Latino learners can connect with Spanish-speaking individuals to ask questions about financial aid opportunities, receive assistance with the college admissions process and get help filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA filing period opened October 1 and the deadline to file in order to claim financial aid is April 15, 2020.

The Commission’s latest College Equity Report revealed that students in 21st Century Scholars, Indiana’s early college promise program, are leading the way in closing achievement gaps. Eighty-six percent of Scholars enroll in college within one year of high school graduation, compared to 53 percent of Indiana’s Hispanic students and the statewide college-going average of 63 percent.

“Indiana’s ambitious goal of equipping at least 60 percent of all Hoosiers with some form of postsecondary education and training beyond high school can only be achieved if we focus on closing achievement gaps for all populations,” said Indiana Commissioner for Higher Education Teresa Lubbers. “Indiana’s Latino population has made notable gains in closing this gap, but it is imperative that we continue to support efforts aimed at improving the overall quality of life for Latinos and other communities in Indiana.”

The Equity Report also showed that almost one-third of all high school graduates in 2017 were from low-income households and that Black and Hispanic students – two of the fastest-growing racial groups in the state – are most likely to come from low-income households.

Learn more about the Commission’s 2019 College Equity Report and 21st Century Scholars program here.

This is the fourth year the Commission and IU have partnered to bring this information to the Indiana Latino Expo. The Expo will be held at the Blue Ribbon Pavilion at the Indiana State Fair and is free to attend. The IU Higher Education booth will be open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. October 11 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. October 12.