Seventh, Eighth Grade Students Encouraged to Apply
(UNDATED) – Indiana seventh and eighth grade students can still apply for the 21st Century Scholars program, but the June 30 deadline is swiftly approaching. 21st Century Scholars is a statewide financial aid program that provides up to four years of undergraduate tuition and fees for eligible low-income students at Indiana colleges and universities.
To qualify, students must apply during their seventh or eighth grade year. Most students who qualify for the federal free and reduced lunch guidelines will qualify for the 21st Century Scholars program – but students can only take advantage if they apply before the June 30 deadline.
The program, led by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, prepares students for success beyond high school through a combination of academic and financial supports.
“The 21st Century Scholars program is a life-changing and nationally recognized, need-based financial aid program available to Indiana students,” Indiana Commissioner for Higher Education Teresa Lubbers said. “This program helps ensure that college is affordable at a time when it is more important than ever.”
The program yields positive results for Scholars attending college, according to the Commission for Higher Education’s 2019 College Readiness Report, which found that 86 percent of scholarship recipients attend college after high school, compared to 63 percent of students statewide.
Throughout high school, 21st Century Scholars are expected to maintain academic success by earning a 2.5 grade point average on a 4.0 scale, remain drug and alcohol free and complete a series of college-preparation activities called the Scholars Success Program.
21st Century Scholar Spotlight
Katie Huston is a 21st Century Scholar who graduated from Ball State University in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in marketing and concentration in information systems. She works for technology company Lumavate in Carmel.
“I had to work hard to get into the program I wanted at Ball State, propelled by my high school experience where I had to maintain certain academic objectives to earn the scholarship,” Huston said. “Through the 21st Century Scholarship, I was able to focus on my academics and my professional capabilities while in college through school clubs and two separate internships with Indiana companies, which allowed me to ultimately land a job in the sought-after technology climate.”
About the Indiana Commission for Higher Education
The Indiana Commission for Higher Education is a 14-member public body created in 1971 to define the missions of Indiana’s colleges and universities, plan and coordinate the state’s postsecondary education system, and ensure that Indiana’s higher education system is aligned to meet the needs of students and the state. The Commission includes representatives from each Congressional district, three at-large members, a college faculty representative and a college student representative. Learn more about the Commission’s Reaching Higher, Delivering Value strategic plan at www.in.gov/che/.
Learn More Indiana
Learn More Indiana is a partnership of state and local organizations working to help Hoosiers of all ages complete education and training beyond high school. To view a variety of college- and career-readiness resources, visit https://learnmoreindiana.org/.
