21st Century Scholars program doubles enrollment
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
Indiana has more than doubled the number of students enrolled in the 21st Century Scholars program, putting thousands more young people on the path to college.
Why it matters: Indiana needs more college-educated adults to keep up with the workforce demands of the kinds of high-wage jobs the state wants to attract and retain.
- 21st Century Scholars has proven successful at increasing the college-going rate for kids from low-income families, a key strategy for increasing the state's overall educational attainment.
Driving the news: The Indiana Commission for Higher Education announced the most recent enrollment numbers last week, reflecting for the first time a change in state law that automatically enrolls all eligible students.
By the numbers: Roughly 80,000 students are in each graduating class statewide.
- 46,000 students in the 2027 cohort were automatically enrolled in 21st Century Scholars.
- 50,000 students in the 2028 cohort were automatically enrolled.
- Previously, cohorts ranged from 16,000 to 19,000 students.
How it works: Low-income students are automatically enrolled at the end of their eighth grade year.
- If they complete the program, the state covers tuition at a public college or university.
What they're saying: "The college-going rate for students from low-income households who are not part of the 21st Century Scholars program is 30%," Chris Lowery, Indiana commissioner for higher education, said. "When multiplied by their on-time college completion rate of 27%, those students have a roughly 8% likelihood of graduating from high school and completing college on time. This is unacceptable."
- The commission's 2024 data shows that 81% of scholars attended college in 2022.