College Planning Guide - 21st Century Scholars Program

Indiana’s 21st Century Scholars program provides up to four years of undergraduate tuition^* to income-eligible students at participating colleges or universities in Indiana^**, as well as step-by-step guidance and support to make sure they succeed in college and receive support to finish their degree.

How To Get The 21st Century Scholarship

To receive the 21st Century Scholarship, students must meet income eligibility requirements and sign up in 7^th or 8^th grade. Learn more about how to enroll here. After enrolling, Scholars must meet certain expectations in high school and in college to earn and maintain their scholarship.

Perform Academically

All Scholars must earn a cumulative (overall) high school grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale. Strive to do your best in every class!

Complete the Scholar Success Program

The Scholar Success Program includes activities in high school and college to keep students on track for college and career success. See below to learn more about the high school Scholar Success program, and visit the college page to learn more about the college Scholar Success Program.

Graduate with a High School Diploma

Complete your studies and graduate! Scholars must earn at least a Core 40 diploma; learn more about the diplomas Scholars can earn below.

CORE 40: Indiana’s Core 40 diploma is the academic foundation all students need to succeed in college, apprenticeship programs, military training and the workforce. Core 40 gives you more options — and more opportunities — to find a career with a real future. Learn the requirements for a Core 40 diploma here.
CORE 40 With Academic Honors: Some four-year Indiana colleges – including IU Bloomington and Purdue West Lafayette – require the Core 40 with Academic Honors. With this diploma, you may be eligible for more financial aid from the State of Indiana. Plus, some Indiana colleges offer scholarships just for students who have earned this diploma. Learn the requirements for a Core 40 diploma with Academic Honors here.
CORE 40 With Technical Honors: Some technical programs and apprenticeships require the Core 40 with Technical Honors. The Core 40 with Technical Honors can open the door to more state financial aid while making you more competitive for apprenticeships or college. Learn the requirements for a Core 40 diploma with Technical Honors here.
International Baccalaureate: The International Baccalaureate program, available at some high schools, is designed to prepare you intellectually, personally, emotionally and socially to live in a rapidly globalizing world. You can choose courses in languages, business and more. Learn the requirements for an International Baccalaureate diploma here.

Information retrieved from https://learnmoreindiana.org/scholars/about/

Login to Your ScholarTrack

Welcome to ScholarTrack, Indiana's one-stop shop for all state financial aid information! With your user account, you can (some require a full user account to complete):

Apply for state financial aid, such as the 21st Century Scholarship and the Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship
Complete your Scholar Success Program activities (both high school and college)
Check the status of your FAFSA, college credit completion, and more
See what financial aid you are being offered from the state
Submit and view appeals
Access additional college and career success resources.

If you already have a ScholarTrack account, please login.

If you have not yet created an account, please click here.

Login Here

Creating your Account - VIDEO

Frequently Asked Questions

What is ScholarTrack? ScholarTrack is a one-stop shop for guiding Hoosier students and families through the process of applying for and maintaining state-based financial aid. NOTE: 21st Century Scholars also use ScholarTrack to meet the Scholar Success Program requirement.
What is the Scholar Success Program? The Scholar Success Program helps students in high school and in college as they prepare for college and career success and stay on track to earn and maintain the 21st Century Scholarship. In high school and in college, each grade level has activities that should be completed each year. Scholars must complete the specific steps and track their progress online using ScholarTrack.
Who manages ScholarTrack? ScholarTrack is managed by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, the same state agency that administers all state financial aid programs.
Why should I use ScholarTrack? Students and families can use ScholarTrack to learn about, apply for and stay on track to earn state financial aid to pay for college. This includes middle school students who apply to the 21st Century Scholars program in 7th or 8th grade, high school seniors and current college students who must complete the FAFSA before April 15th each year, and returning adults who are interested in special financial aid opportunities for military veterans and other adult learners.

Information retrieved from https://learnmoreindiana.org/scholars/about/

Track Your Progress

Perform Academically: Scholars must earn a cumulative (overall) GPA of 2.5. Scholarship covers tuition only.

2. Submit your College Application: For help with finding a college, check out Choosing a College and the Indiana college map. Submit your application, then log in to ScholarTrack to complete the requirement.

3. Watch: “College Success 101”. Then log in to ScholarTrack to complete the requirement.

4. File Your FAFSA!!: The FAFSA will determine your eligibility for financial aid—money to help you pay for college. The easiest way to file the FAFSA is online at the FAFSA website. You must file the FAFSA no later than April 15. (FAFSA is available beginning October 1st). Once your FAFSA is completed, log in to ScholarTrack to complete the requirement.

Steps by Step Application - FAFSA

Step 1: Apply to the college and/or university you intent to attend. Find out what their their school code is. Typically is found in their financial aid website page.
Step 2: Gather your tax returns. This will make completing your FAFSA much easier. Use the IRS data retrieval tool to automatically populate your FAFSA with information from your tax return saving you time, effort and lowering your chances of errors being selected for data verification.
Step 3: Request your FSA ID: If you don't have an FSA ID, please visit StudentAid.gov/fsaid. You'll be required to have a Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID – username and password to participate in loan counseling prior to receiving your first disbursement. Entrance counseling is required of all first time borrowers.
Step 4: Plan ahead! The FAFSA must be received by April 15 to be considered for state aid. Click here to find out what you need to complete the FAFSA
Step 5: Complete your FAFSA: Remember to have everything you need before you fill out the FAFSA. Once you've completed the FAFSA, a Student Aid Report (SAR) will be generated by the U.S. Department of Education and sent over the institution you have applied for. You can use up to 10 school codes, and they will receive an electronic copy.
Step 6: Learn Before you Borrow Money: The Federal Direct Student Loan Program allows students to borrow money directly from the Federal government to pay for education related expenses. A Federal Direct Student Loan is not gift aid; the money you borrow will have to be repaid with any interest that has accrued. Borrow only much as you absolutely need.

VIDEOS

How-to-VIDEOS

FAFSA Completion Events - College Goal Sunday

At any FAFSA completion workshop I host here at Ben Davis HS, students and parents turn up with their financial documents in hand, sit down at computers, and fill out the FAFSA form. Expert help from INvested will be available as you go through the FAFSA at your own pace. Learn More...