More than 90,000 Hoosier students have joined Indiana’s 21st Century Scholars program, more than double the enrollment for 2027 and 2028, according to the Indiana Commission on Higher Education. Photo by Getty Images.

By Casey Smith
Chronicle of Indiana’s Capital

INDIANA — A record number of Hoosier students have joined Indiana’s 21st Century Scholars program, more than doubling enrollment for the 2027 and 2028 cohorts, the Indiana Commission on Higher Education announced Thursday, Oct. 31 .

More than 90,000 students joined the program – a statewide grant program that funds low-income students’ attendance at two- and four-year schools – after a law of 2023 allowed eligible students to be automatically enrolled.

“This legislative change allowed us to even more fully realize the ideals of the 21st Century Scholars Program – the promise that if your family is low-income but you work hard in school, you can get a debt-free college education and earn a better diploma. life for you and your family,” said Rep. Earl Harris, D-East Chicago, author automatic registration legislation.

In the 2028 cohort, more than 50,000 students were initially enrolled, according to CHE. Nearly 46,000 students have also registered in the 2027 cohort.

State officials said enrollment has ranged between 16,000 and 19,000 students per cohort in previous years.

THE scholarship fundestablished in 1990, covers full tuition and fees at Indiana colleges and universities for low-income students enrolling in 8th grade. Lawmakers will need to fund scholarships in upcoming budgets.

Students who qualify for National School Lunch Program income are automatically enrolled in the 21st Century Scholars program. They must still meet subsequent conditions but can unsubscribe at any time.

Scholars had an 81% graduation rate in 2021, compared to 30% of their low-income, non-college peers, CHE noted. More than 50,000 college diplomas have been obtained by recipients since the program’s inception.

“As the 2027 and 2028 program cohorts move toward high school graduation and college enrollment, I look forward to seeing what these students do in their careers and in our state,” Harris’ statement continued. “The success of the 21st Century Scholars shows us that closing the achievement gap for low-income and minority students is possible if the state and the state Legislature are willing to do it. I look forward to working on more bipartisan, common-sense education solutions for our state.