IU campuses primed to hire ‘success coaches’
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Indiana University campuses are building support for historically underrepresented and first-generation students through a new grant program ahead of a surge of new students through the expanded 21st Century Scholars program.
IU campuses can hire a full-time “success coach” dedicated to making college attainable for 21st Century Scholars, thanks to a College Success Program grant from the Indiana Commission for Higher Education.
The staff member will assist students with enrollment, degree completion and post-graduate attainment, IU said. They will work to drive enrollment and encourage persistence within the demographic of students who often face several significant barriers.
Enrollment in the state’s 21st Century Scholars program has doubled after a state law expanded eligibility. The Indiana Commission for Higher Education said in August over 40,000 students have been automatically enrolled in the program’s 2027 cohort.
21st Century Scholars pays up to 100% of college tuition for income-eligible students attending public colleges in Indiana and part of the tuition at private or independent colleges.
Five IU satellite schools are also a part of the third cohort of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Student Success Equity Intensive, or SSEI. The three-year intensive project will evaluate the campuses’ practices, collect data and identify improvement areas and challenges. Strategies are estimated to be implemented by 2025.