2016 Indiana Code
TITLE 21. HIGHER EDUCATION
ARTICLE 12. GENERAL SCHOLARSHIPS AND GRANTS
CHAPTER 6. TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY SCHOLARS PROGRAM; TUITION GRANTS
Download as PDF
<![CDATA[
IC 21-12-6
Chapter 6. Twenty-First Century Scholars Program; Tuition
Grants
IC 21-12-6-1
Twenty-first century scholars program; established
Sec. 1. The twenty-first century scholars program is established
to do the following:
(1) Reduce the number of students who withdraw from high
school before graduation.
(2) Increase the number of students who are prepared to enter
the workforce upon graduation.
(3) Increase the number of students entering postsecondary
educational institutions in Indiana.
(4) Encourage eligible students to attend postsecondary
educational institutions in Indiana by reducing the financial
burden on the eligible students and their families.
(5) Decrease drug and alcohol abuse by encouraging higher
educational pursuits.
(6) Increase individual economic vitality.
(7) Improve the overall quality of life for many Indiana
residents.
As added by P.L.2-2007, SEC.253.
IC 21-12-6-2
Twenty-first century scholars fund; administration
Sec. 2. (a) The twenty-first century scholars fund is established to
provide the financial resources necessary to award the scholarships
authorized under the program.
(b) The commission shall administer the fund.
(c) The expenses of administering the fund shall be paid from
money in the fund.
(d) The treasurer of state shall invest the money in the fund not
currently needed to meet the obligations of the fund in the same
manner as other public funds may be invested.
(e) Money in the fund at the end of a state fiscal year does not
revert to the state general fund but remains available to be used for
providing money for twenty-first century scholarships under this
chapter, or it may be transferred to another fund under this article as
directed by the commission under IC 21-12-1.2-2.
As added by P.L.2-2007, SEC.253. Amended by P.L.234-2007,
SEC.57; P.L.234-2015, SEC.12.
IC 21-12-6-3
Twenty-first century scholars program; conditions
Sec. 3. Money in the fund must be used to provide annual tuition
scholarships to qualified scholarship applicants who enroll as
full-time students at a postsecondary educational institution that
Indiana Code 2016
qualifies for participation in the program under section 4 of this
chapter, unless it is transferred to another fund under this article at
the direction of the commission under IC 21-12-1.2-2.
As added by P.L.2-2007, SEC.253. Amended by P.L.234-2015,
SEC.13.
IC 21-12-6-4
Enrollment
Sec. 4. A scholarship recipient may apply a scholarship under this
chapter to the educational costs of a postsecondary educational
institution only if the postsecondary educational institution qualifies
under this section. For a postsecondary educational institution to
qualify under this section, the postsecondary educational institution
must satisfy the following requirements:
(1) Be an approved postsecondary educational institution.
(2) Be accredited by an agency that is recognized by the
Secretary of the United States Department of Education.
(3) Operate an organized program of postsecondary education
leading to an associate or a baccalaureate degree on a campus
located in Indiana.
(4) Be approved by the commission:
(A) under rules adopted under IC 4-22-2; and
(B) in consultation with the board for proprietary education
established by IC 21-18.5-5-1, if appropriate.
As added by P.L.2-2007, SEC.253. Amended by P.L.107-2012,
SEC.21.
IC 21-12-6-5
Qualifications to participate in program
Sec. 5. (a) Unless a student qualifies under subsection (b), to
qualify to participate in the program, a student must meet the
following requirements:
(1) Be a resident of Indiana.
(2) Be:
(A) enrolled in grade 7 or 8 at a:
(i) public school; or
(ii) nonpublic school that is accredited either by the state
board of education or by a national or regional accrediting
agency whose accreditation is accepted as a school
improvement plan under IC 20-31-4-2; or
(B) otherwise qualified under the rules of the commission
that are adopted under IC 21-18.5-4-9(2) to include students
who are in grades other than grade 8 as eligible students.
(3) Be a member of a household with an annual income of not
more than the amount required for the individual to qualify for
free or reduced priced lunches under the national school lunch
program, as determined for the immediately preceding taxable
year for the household for which the student was claimed as a
Indiana Code 2016
dependent.
(4) Agree, in writing, together with the student's custodial
parents or guardian, that the student will:
(A) graduate from a secondary school located in Indiana that
meets the admission criteria of an eligible institution;
(B) not illegally use controlled substances (as defined in
IC 35-48-1-9);
(C) not commit a crime or an infraction described in
IC 9-30-5;
(D) not commit any other crime or delinquent act (as
described in IC 31-37-1-2 or IC 31-37-2-2 through
IC 31-37-2-5 (or IC 31-6-4-1(a)(1) through IC 31-6-4-1(a)(5)
before their repeal));
(E) timely apply, when the eligible student is a senior in high
school:
(i) for admission to an eligible institution; and
(ii) for any federal and state student financial assistance
available to the eligible student to attend an eligible
institution;
(F) achieve a cumulative grade point average upon
graduation of:
(i) at least 2.0, if the student graduates from high school
before July 1, 2014; and
(ii) at least 2.5, if the student graduates from high school
after June 30, 2014;
on a 4.0 grading scale (or its equivalent if another grading
scale is used) for courses taken during grades 9, 10, 11, and
12; and
(G) complete an academic success program required under
the rules adopted by the commission, if the student initially
enrolls in high school after June 30, 2013.
(b) A student qualifies to participate in the program if the student:
(1) before or during grade 7 or grade 8, is placed by or with the
consent of the department of child services, by a court order, or
by a child placing agency in:
(A) a foster family home;
(B) the home of a relative or other unlicensed caretaker;
(C) a child caring institution; or
(D) a group home;
(2) meets the requirements in subsection (a)(1) through (a)(2);
and
(3) agrees in writing, together with the student's caseworker (as
defined in IC 31-9-2-11) or legal guardian, to the conditions set
forth in subsection (a)(4).
(c) The commission may require that an applicant apply
electronically to participate in the program using an online Internet
application on the commission's web site.
As added by P.L.2-2007, SEC.253. Amended by P.L.168-2007,
Indiana Code 2016
SEC.7; P.L.229-2007, SEC.16; P.L.3-2008, SEC.131; P.L.169-2011,
SEC.6; P.L.107-2012, SEC.22; P.L.281-2013, SEC.16;
P.L.165-2016, SEC.10.
IC 21-12-6-6
Twenty-first century scholars program scholarship; eligibility
Sec. 6. (a) A student may apply to the commission for a
scholarship. To qualify for a scholarship, the student must meet the
following requirements:
(1) Be an eligible student who qualified to participate in the
program under section 5 of this chapter.
(2) Be a resident of Indiana.
(3) Be a graduate from a secondary school located in Indiana
that meets the admission criteria of an eligible institution and
have achieved a cumulative grade point average in high school
of:
(A) at least 2.0 on a 4.0 grading scale, if the student is
expected to graduate from high school before July 1, 2014;
and
(B) at least 2.5 on a 4.0 grading scale, if the student is
expected to graduate from high school after June 30, 2014.
(4) Have applied to attend and be accepted to attend as a
full-time student an eligible institution.
(5) Certify in writing that before the student's graduation from
high school the student:
(A) did not illegally use controlled substances (as defined in
IC 35-48-1-9);
(B) did not illegally consume alcoholic beverages;
(C) did not commit any other crime or a delinquent act (as
described in IC 31-37-1-2 or IC 31-37-2-2 through
IC 31-37-2-5 (or IC 31-6-4-1(a)(1) through IC 31-6-4-1(a)(5)
before their repeal));
(D) timely filed an application for other types of financial
assistance available to the student from the state or federal
government; and
(E) completed an academic success program required under
the rules adopted by the commission.
(6) Submit to the commission all the information and evidence
required by the commission to determine eligibility as a
scholarship applicant.
(7) This subdivision applies only to applicants who initially
enroll in the program under section 5 of this chapter or
IC 21-12-6.5-2 after June 30, 2011. For purposes of this
chapter, applicants who are enrolled in the program before July
1, 2011, will not have an income or financial resources test
applied to them when they subsequently apply for a scholarship.
Have a lack of financial resources reasonably available to the
applicant, as defined by the commission, that, in the absence of
Indiana Code 2016
an award under this chapter, would deter the scholarship
applicant from completing the applicant's education at the
approved postsecondary educational institution that the
applicant has selected and that has accepted the applicant.
(8) Meet any other minimum criteria established by the
commission.
(b) This section applies to an individual who graduates from high
school after December 31, 2011. To be eligible for a scholarship
under this section, a student must initially attend an eligible
institution described in subsection (a)(4) not later than the fall
semester (or its equivalent, as determined by the commission) in the
year immediately following the year in which the student graduates
from high school.
As added by P.L.2-2007, SEC.253. Amended by P.L.169-2011,
SEC.7; P.L.229-2011, SEC.228; P.L.6-2012, SEC.146;
P.L.107-2012, SEC.23; P.L.234-2015, SEC.14; P.L.165-2016,
SEC.11.
IC 21-12-6-6.5
One-time award for certain students
Sec. 6.5. (a) This section applies to a student who:
(1) initially enrolls in the program after June 30, 2011;
(2) has not previously received a scholarship under this chapter;
and
(3) does not qualify for a scholarship under section 6 of this
chapter solely because the student does not meet the
requirements of section 6(a)(7) of this chapter.
(b) The commission shall establish a program to award a one-time
tuition scholarship to students who are ineligible for a scholarship
under section 6 of this chapter solely because the student fails to
meet the financial assistance requirements imposed by section
6(a)(7) of this chapter. The amount of the tuition scholarship shall be
determined by the commission. The tuition scholarship may not
exceed two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500). The total of all
tuition scholarships awarded under this section in a state fiscal year
may not exceed the amount available for distribution from the fund
for scholarships under this chapter after awarding scholarships to all
students who qualify under section 6 or 7 of this chapter for a
scholarship.
(c) A tuition scholarship under this section may be used under the
terms prescribed by the commission only for the purposes for which
a tuition scholarship granted under section 6 or 7 of this chapter may
be used.
(d) A student who meets the criteria described in subsection (a) in
any year is not eligible for a scholarship under section 6 or 7 of this
chapter in any subsequent year.
As added by P.L.169-2011, SEC.8.
Indiana Code 2016
IC 21-12-6-7
Scholarship renewal; applying credits; extenuating circumstances
Sec. 7. (a) Subject to IC 21-12-13-2, a scholarship awarded under
section 6 of this chapter or this section may be renewed. To qualify
for a scholarship renewal, a scholarship recipient must do the
following:
(1) Submit to the commission a renewal application that
contains all the information and evidence required by the
commission to determine eligibility for the scholarship renewal.
(2) Continue to be enrolled as full-time student in good standing
at an eligible institution.
(3) This subdivision applies only to applicants who initially
enroll in the program under section 5 of this chapter or
IC 21-12-6.5-2 after June 30, 2011. For purposes of this
chapter, applicants who are enrolled in the program before July
1, 2011, will not have an income or financial resources test
applied to them when they subsequently apply to renew a
scholarship. Continue to have a lack of financial resources
reasonably available to the applicant, as defined by the
commission, that, in the absence of an award under this chapter,
would deter the scholarship applicant from completing the
applicant's education at the approved postsecondary educational
institution that the applicant has selected and that has accepted
the applicant.
(4) Maintain satisfactory academic progress, as determined by
the eligible institution.
(5) If the student initially enrolls in an eligible institution for an
academic year beginning after August 31, 2013, the student
successfully completes:
(A) at least thirty (30) credit hours or the equivalent by the
end of the student's first academic year;
(B) at least sixty (60) credit hours or the equivalent by the
end of the student's second academic year; and
(C) at least ninety (90) credit hours or the equivalent by the
end of the student's third academic year.
A student's academic years used to determine if the student
meets the requirements of this subdivision are not required to be
successive calendar years. A recipient who fails to meet the
credit hour requirement for a particular academic year becomes
ineligible for an award during the next academic year. The
recipient may become eligible for an award in subsequent
academic years if that recipient meets the aggregate credit hour
requirements commensurate with the recipient's academic
standing. In addition, the commission may allow a student who
is otherwise ineligible under this subdivision for an award
during the next academic year to maintain eligibility for an
award if the student submits a petition to the commission and
the commission makes a determination that extenuating
Indiana Code 2016
circumstances (as determined by the commission) prevented the
student from meeting the requirements of this subdivision. This
subdivision expires June 30, 2017.
(6) Beginning in an academic year beginning after August 31,
2017, the student successfully completes:
(A) at least thirty (30) credit hours or the equivalent during
the last academic year in which the student received state
financial aid; or
(B) at least thirty (30) credit hours or the equivalent during
the last academic year in which the student was enrolled in
postsecondary education.
(7) Continue to meet any other minimum criteria established by
the commission.
(b) In determining eligibility under subsection (a)(6), the
commission shall apply all the following types of credits regardless
of whether the credits were completed during the last academic year
described in subsection (a)(6)(A) or (a)(6)(B):
(1) Credits earned from dual credit, advanced placement, and
international baccalaureate courses.
(2) College credits earned during high school.
(3) Credits earned exceeding thirty (30) credit hours during a
previous academic year in which a student received state
financial aid.
(c) The commission may allow a student who is otherwise
ineligible under subsection (a)(6) for an award during the next
academic year to maintain eligibility for an award if the student
submits a petition to the commission and the commission makes a
determination that extenuating circumstances (as determined by the
commission) prevented the student from meeting the requirements
under subsection (a)(6).
As added by P.L.2-2007, SEC.253. Amended by P.L.169-2011,
SEC.9; P.L.229-2011, SEC.229; P.L.281-2013, SEC.17;
P.L.165-2016, SEC.12.
IC 21-12-6-8
Scholarship renewal; term
Sec. 8. A scholarship may be renewed under this chapter for a
total scholarship award that does not exceed the number of academic
terms that constitutes four (4) undergraduate academic years.
As added by P.L.2-2007, SEC.253. Amended by P.L.281-2013,
SEC.18.
IC 21-12-6-9
Scholarship disqualification
Sec. 9. If an eligible student, a scholarship applicant, or a
scholarship recipient violates an agreement entered into under this
chapter, the eligible student, scholarship applicant, or scholarship
recipient is disqualified from further consideration as a scholarship
Indiana Code 2016
recipient under this chapter.
As added by P.L.2-2007, SEC.253.
IC 21-12-6-10
Amount of scholarship
Sec. 10. (a) This section applies to a student who qualifies for a
scholarship under section 6 or 7 of this chapter, if the student
initially enrolls in the program before July 1, 2011.
(b) The amount of a scholarship is equal to the lowest of the
following amounts:
(1) If the scholarship applicant attends an eligible institution
that is a state educational institution and:
(A) receives no other financial assistance specifically
designated for educational costs, a full tuition scholarship to
the state educational institution; or
(B) receives other financial assistance specifically
designated for educational costs, the balance required to
attend the state educational institution, not to exceed the
amount described in clause (A).
(2) If the scholarship applicant attends an eligible institution
that is private and:
(A) receives no other financial assistance specifically
designated for educational costs, an average of the full
tuition scholarship amounts of all state educational
institutions not including Ivy Tech Community College; or
(B) receives other financial assistance specifically
designated for educational costs, the balance required to
attend the college or university not to exceed the amount
described in clause (A).
(3) If the scholarship applicant attends an eligible institution
that is a postsecondary credit bearing proprietary educational
institution and:
(A) receives no other financial assistance specifically
designated for educational costs, the lesser of:
(i) the full tuition scholarship amounts of Ivy Tech
Community College; or
(ii) the actual tuition and regularly assessed fees of the
eligible institution; or
(B) receives other financial assistance specifically
designated for educational costs, the balance required to
attend the eligible institution, not to exceed the amount
described in clause (A).
As added by P.L.2-2007, SEC.253. Amended by P.L.169-2011,
SEC.10; P.L.107-2012, SEC.24.
IC 21-12-6-10.3
Calculation of scholarship amounts
Sec. 10.3. (a) This section applies to a student who qualifies for
Indiana Code 2016
a scholarship under section 6 or 7 of this chapter, if the student
initially enrolls in the program after June 30, 2011. Applicants who
are enrolled in the program before July 1, 2011, will not have an
income or financial resources test applied to them under this section
when they subsequently apply for a scholarship or apply to renew a
scholarship.
(b) A scholarship applicant shall be awarded the following
amount as adjusted under subsections (c) and (d):
(1) If the scholarship applicant attends an approved
postsecondary educational institution that is a state educational
institution, the full educational costs that the scholarship
applicant would otherwise be required to pay at the eligible
institution.
(2) If the scholarship applicant attends an approved
postsecondary educational institution that is private, the lesser
of the educational costs that the scholarship applicant would
otherwise be required to pay at the private eligible institution,
or the average of the educational costs of all state educational
institutions, not including Ivy Tech Community College.
(3) If the scholarship applicant attends an approved
postsecondary educational institution that is a postsecondary
credit bearing proprietary educational institution, the lesser of
the educational costs that the scholarship applicant would
otherwise be required to pay at the postsecondary credit bearing
proprietary educational institution or the educational costs of
Ivy Tech Community College.
(c) The amount of an award under subsection (b) shall be reduced
by:
(1) for an amount awarded before September 1, 2014:
(A) the amount of the Frank O'Bannon grant awarded to the
scholarship applicant; plus
(B) an additional amount based on the expected family
contribution, if necessary, as determined by the commission,
to provide scholarships within the available appropriation;
or
(2) for an amount awarded after August 31, 2014, the amount
based on the expected family contribution, if necessary, as
determined by the commission, to provide scholarships within
the available appropriation.
(d) The total of all tuition scholarships awarded under this section
in a state fiscal year may not exceed the amount available for
distribution from the fund for scholarships under this chapter. If the
total amount to be distributed from the fund in a state fiscal year
exceeds the amount available for distribution, the amount to be
distributed to each eligible applicant shall be proportionately reduced
so that the total reductions equal the amount of the excess based on
the relative financial need of each eligible applicant.
As added by P.L.169-2011, SEC.11. Amended by P.L.229-2011,
Indiana Code 2016
SEC.230; P.L.107-2012, SEC.25; P.L.281-2013, SEC.19.
IC 21-12-6-11
Repealed
(As added by P.L.2-2007, SEC.253. Amended by P.L.107-2012,
SEC.26. Repealed by P.L.281-2013, SEC.20.)
IC 21-12-6-12
Mentoring programs; development
Sec. 12. Each eligible institution shall develop specific mentoring
programs for scholarship recipients to assist the scholarship
recipients through particularized academic and social counseling.
As added by P.L.2-2007, SEC.253.
IC 21-12-6-13
Repealed
(As added by P.L.2-2007, SEC.253. Repealed by P.L.281-2013,
SEC.21.)
IC 21-12-6-14
Foster care children; caseworker to provide information
Sec. 14. (a) This section applies to a student described in section
5(b) of this chapter.
(b) A caseworker (as defined in IC 31-9-2-11) shall provide each
student to whom the caseworker is assigned information concerning
the program at the appropriate time for the student to receive the
information, shall explain the program to the student, and shall
provide the student with information concerning:
(1) Pell grants;
(2) Chafee grants;
(3) federal supplemental grants;
(4) the Free Application for Federal Student Aid;
(5) individual development accounts (as described under
IC 4-4-28); and
(6) the commission for higher education's programs under
IC 21-18.5-3-1.
(c) A student who receives information under this section shall
sign a written acknowledgment that the student received the
information. The written acknowledgment must be placed in the
student's case file.
As added by P.L.168-2007, SEC.8. Amended by P.L.100-2009,
SEC.2; P.L.39-2010, SEC.1; P.L.107-2012, SEC.27.
IC 21-12-6-15
Foster parents; caseworker to provide information
Sec. 15. A caseworker (as defined in IC 31-9-2-11) shall provide
each foster parent of a student described in section 5(b) of this
chapter to whom the caseworker is assigned information concerning
Indiana Code 2016
individual development accounts (as described under IC 4-4-28).
As added by P.L.39-2010, SEC.2.
Indiana Code 2016
]]>
Disclaimer: These codes may not be the most recent version. Indiana may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
