21st Century Scholars requirements begin in middle school, but since 2023 most families don't have to do anything to get in. Indiana now automatically enrolls students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch in 7th or 8th grade, and this year's seniors, the class of 2027, were the first auto-enrolled class. Scholars who keep their end of the deal get up to four years of paid tuition at an Indiana public college. To collect, they must finish the Scholar Success Program, graduate with a 2.5 GPA, and file the FAFSA by April 15.
The details below are from the Indiana Commission for Higher Education (CHE), which runs the program.
How students get in
- Automatic enrollment: Under HEA 1449 (2023), CHE and the Indiana Department of Education identify income-eligible students and enroll them. CHE auto-enrolled the classes of 2027 and 2028 first. Families are notified and can opt out.
- Applying: Students who aren't auto-enrolled but meet the income guidelines can enroll themselves by June 30 of 8th grade.
The effect was large: CHE reported that about 19,000 students in the class of 2027 had self-enrolled; after automatic enrollment, over 40,000 were enrolled. CHE said that in the past, fewer than half of financially eligible students had signed up.
What scholars must do
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Residency | Indiana resident; U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen |
| Scholar Pledge | Create a ScholarTrack account and complete the Scholar Success Program activities in high school |
| GPA | Graduate with at least a 2.5 cumulative GPA (4.0 scale) |
| Diploma | Graduate with at least a Core 40 diploma |
| FAFSA | File by April 15 as a senior and every year in college |
| Enrollment | Enroll full time at an eligible Indiana college within one year of graduating |
Source: Indiana Commission for Higher Education, 21st Century Scholars program requirements.
In college, scholars must keep filing the FAFSA by April 15 each year.
What it pays
| College type | 21st Century Scholars covers |
|---|---|
| Indiana public colleges | Up to 4 years of full tuition |
| Approved Indiana private colleges | An amount based on the average cost of four-year public colleges |
| Approved proprietary colleges | The equivalent of Ivy Tech Community College tuition |
Source: CHE.
What this means for you
- Check your status in ScholarTrack. Auto-enrolled students show as "Approved Pending Student Pledge" until they complete the pledge.
- Keep a 2.5 GPA and finish the Scholar Success Program each year of high school.
- File the 2027-28 FAFSA by April 15, 2027. Miss it and you can lose the award.
- Also eligible for O'Bannon? Scholars still file the FAFSA, which is also the application for the Frank O'Bannon Grant.