21st Century Scholars — Indiana Commission for Higher Education

21st Century Scholars is an Indiana college-aid promise that begins before high school. The state program is primarily for students who meet income eligibility and can cover up to four years of tuition and regularly assessed fees at a participating institution if the student completes the required commitments. It is not a scholarship first opened after graduation: eligibility is identified in seventh or eighth grade, with automatic enrollment for students the state identifies and a family enrollment route through June 30 of eighth grade when applicable.

A family’s first step is to check the student’s status in ScholarTrack rather than relying on a memory of school enrollment. State rules include Indiana residency, citizenship or eligible status and household-income criteria, with special pathways related to foster care. The student agrees to the Scholar Pledge and must keep a record of completion. If the student does not appear enrolled, ask the school and the Indiana Commission for Higher Education which information CHE used and what correction route remains; do not assume the same enrollment option stays open after eighth grade.

The pledge continues through high school. Official requirements include graduating with a Core 40 diploma from an accredited Indiana school, earning at least a 2.5 cumulative GPA, completing annual Scholar Success Program activities and logging milestones in ScholarTrack. During senior year, apply to an eligible college, file FAFSA each year by April 15 and enroll full time within the required period. In college, renewal generally requires at least 30 credits per year. The scholarship covers tuition and regularly assessed fees; do not assume it pays for housing, books or special charges.

Public comments provide a view of individual experience, not a budget for every student. On Reddit, an Indiana alum says the scholarship helped them attend without taking on large loans and that they received money each semester; a separate 2026 discussion compares additional Purdue and IU aid and notes that campuses vary. The first account shows what the program can mean, while the second is a reminder that tuition aid is not the same as paying the full cost of attendance. Ask each college for a written package separating tuition, fees, housing, meals, books and campus support.

To see whether the student is on track, review annual tasks, the FAFSA date, GPA, logged activities and credit progress before each school year closes. Indiana auto-enrolls eligible students, but families should still confirm status in ScholarTrack and correct data errors early. If eligibility was lost because of credits, the state page describes limited ways to regain it by earning 30 credits within a 12-month window; do not assume reinstatement is immediate or retroactive. CHE can be reached at (888) 528-4719 or awards@che.in.gov; the campus aid office explains how an individual package is applied.