New law leads to enrollment doubling for 21st Century Scholars
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Enrollment in the state’s 21st Century Scholars program has doubled thanks to a new law passed by the Indiana General Assembly this year. The Indiana Commission for Higher Education said Wednesday more than 40,000 students have been automatically enrolled in the program’s 2027 cohort, up from 20,000 in the previous 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.
To be eligible for the program, students must be an Indiana resident, be automatically enrolled or apply in 7th or 8th grade, be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen, and be a member of a family that meets income eligibility guidelines.
During the 2023 legislative session, State Rep. Earl Harris Jr., D-East Chicago, authored a bill that would automatically enroll all financially eligible students into the program. House Enrolled Act 1449 was signed into law by Gov. Eric Holcomb in May.
“This legislation will ensure higher rates of equity for Hoosier students from all walks of life and help more Indiana students achieve a higher education and all the blessings that come with it,” Harris said in a news release. “Helping students get enrolled in the 21st Century Scholars program will not just help individual students and their families, but the state as a whole by helping us build a skilled, 21st century economy.”
The commission said an estimated 20,000 additional students will be enrolled in the program for each 8th grade class going forward. Commissioner Chris Lowery said the current college-going rate for students in low-income households who are not part of the program was 30% in 2021.
“When multiplied by their on-time college completion rate of 27%, those students have roughly an 8% likelihood of graduating from high school and completing college on time,” Lowery said. “For Black students, the likelihood is 10%; for Hispanic and Latino students, it’s 17%. This is unacceptable, and in my view, it is an emergency.”
Meanwhile, 81% of 21st Century Scholars participants attended college in 2021, according to the commission’s 2023 College Readiness Report.
The move to automatically enroll students in the program was a key priority in Holcomb’s 2023 Next Level Agenda.
“Indiana’s workforce depends on a skilled talent pipeline,” Holcomb said. “For over 30 years, the 21st Century Scholarship has played a transformative role in getting more Hoosiers prepared to enroll and succeed in college. Automatically enrolling income-eligible students into this life-changing program will lead to greater levels of educational attainment, stronger communities, and a globally competitive workforce.”
The program was established in 1990 and more than 50,000 students have earned a college degree through the scholarship since its inception.