Indiana Scholarships and Grants
Obtaining a college education takes time and effort. A lot of effort also goes into the financial planning to obtain a college education. Hence the state of Indiana offers a number of scholarships and grants to the students residing in the state. The state of Indiana offers scholarships and grants that are need based, merit based or based on the course taken by the student. Many scholarships and grants are also offered by individuals, societies and businesses.
State Student Assistance Commission of Indiana
The State Student Assistance Commission of Indiana established in 1965 provides financial assistance to the students residing in the state of Indiana. The students eligible for this assistance should demonstrate a financial need on their FAFSA forms. The FAFSA forms should be submitted error-free to the federal processor before March 10th for enrollment in the current academic year and May 15th for enrollment in the next academic year.
The eligible students must have consistently high GPAs and maintain the academic performance. Further information can be obtained at:
http://www.in.gov/ssaci/index.htm
Frank O’Bannon Grant
The Frank O’Bannon Grant was formerly known as the Indiana Higher Education Grant. The grant is funded through allocations made by the Indiana General Assembly. Freedom of Choice Award and the Higher Education Award are two scholarships awarded by this program. The award amounts cover the tuition, books and boarding expenses of the chosen applicants. The FAFSA form is used to apply for this grant.
The Twenty-first Century Scholars Program
As a supplementary to the Frank O’Bannon Grant the Twenty-first Century Scholars Program was started in 1990 to provide financial assistance to students from low income families. The scholarship award covers tuition and living expenses of the chosen applicant. The chosen applicant must maintain academic performance and the scholarship can be renewed every year up to four years.
Minority Teacher Scholarship
The Minority Teacher Scholarship was started in 1988 to increase the number of Black and Hispanic teachers in Indiana. The program is open to Asian, Black, Hispanic and Native American students enrolled in teaching programs in state colleges or universities. The program has recently been updated to include fields of Physical Therapy and Special Education.
The scholarship covers the tuition fees of the chosen applicant at any state college or university in exchange for the teaching services of the chosen applicant for two years after graduation.
Part-Time Grant Program
The Part-Time Grant Program provides financial assistance to part-time students. The program is need based and awards scholarships to students enrolled in part-time courses taking between three to twelve credit hours per semester. Complete guidelines can be obtained at the SSACI website.
Nursing Scholarship Fund Program
The Nursing Scholarship Fund Program provides financial assistance to part-time and full-time nursing students. The students applying for this scholarship must demonstrate a financial need in their FAFSA forms and also be willing to provide their nursing services for a minimum of two years after graduation in the state of Indiana.
Since most of the scholarships and grants require the FAFSA form, students must ensure that they submit it in time. Hence students need to plan ahead and early when applying for scholarships and grants offered by the state of Indiana.
