Prospective FAQs

Our office does not determine eligibility as our office only serves IUB 21st Century Scholars. Please contact the State office at 888-528-4719 to check on a student's eligibility.

Yes, We have recordings of our past info sessions you can view.  

• 5/6/20 (Scholarship Information Session)
• 5/16/20 (Student Success and Study Skills)
• 5/23/20 (Exploring Career Opportunities)
• 5/30/20 (IU Admissions and Campus Life)
• 6/6/20 (Paying for College 101 and Navigating ScholarTrack)
• 6/13/20 (Enroll/Apply for the 21st Century Scholars Program)

You can also contact the Community and School Partnerships office at cpartner@iu.edu or 812-856-5935 for information regarding future info sessions and to be added to the Canvas course page containing information specifically geared toward middle schoolers.

The Indiana 21st Century Scholarship Program is an early commitment college promise program funded by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education (CHE), offering income-eligible Hoosier students up to four years of paid tuition at an eligible Indiana two-year and/or four-year higher education institution. The goal of the early commitment promise program is to encourage low- and middle-income students and families to plan for and attend postsecondary education. The Indiana 21st Century Scholarship Program is a part of the national College Promise Campaign movement. Indiana University Bloomington is a participant in the nationwide American Talent Initiative supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies.

7th and 8th graders enrolled in an Indiana public or private school, who are residents of Indiana or have a non-citizen status are eligible to enroll provided they meet the income threshold.  They must also sign the Scholar Pledge and complete high school with a cumulative GPA of a 2.5 or higher. There is no test score requirement. The student's application must be submitted before June 30 of the end of the student’s 8th-grade year.  Students in foster care may apply after their 8th grade year. 

Once in high school, scholars will be required to complete the High School Scholar Success Program by June 30th of the senior year and maintain the Scholar Pledge. The student must also complete the FAFSA by the end of their senior year. The income threshold will still apply.

First-dollar scholarship program. This means that your scholarship is applied first upon arrival at IUB before any other financial aid grant is considered.

NO, unfortunately, it is too late to enroll after the 8th grade. The Indiana Commission for Higher Education (CHE) requires all eligible scholars to enroll in middle school.

ScholarTrack is an online service for students who have filed a FAFSA as residents of the state of Indiana. The ScholarTrack site allows you to:

• See any issues with your FAFSA that could prevent you from receiving state aid so that you can make necessary changes.
• View your state grant award amount.
• View your state grant history.
• View your grant application, which includes information from your FAFSA, your diploma type, your 21st Century Scholar status, National Guard status, and school of choice.
• Update your school of choice. Please make sure the school you are attending is listed as we will only send your grant information to that school.
• Update your Scholar Success Program (SSP) requirements

Please contact the State 888-528-4719 and be sure to change your email address to your IU email.

The High School Scholar Success Program helps income-eligible students plan, prepare and pay for college completion and career success. All scholars must complete several activities during high school including creating a graduation plan, taking a career interests assessment, visiting a college campus, and submitting your college application.

The IU 21st Century Scholars Program invites all high school scholars to either speak with your high school counselor or sign up for FREE virtual college advising at CollegePoint.info. CollegePoint advisors will use text message, phone, e-mail, Skype and Google Hangouts to help you apply to and enroll at Indiana University Bloomington.

There are two ways to apply to Indiana University Bloomington (select one): The Apply IU application or the Common Application . The early action (non-binding) deadline is November 1st and the regular deadline is February 1st. 21st Century Scholars are waived from the application fee. Be sure to complete your FAFSA by April 15th and include IUB. Once your FAFSA is submitted and processed, you can contact Student Central (scu@iu.edu; 812-855-6500) in regards to your financial aid package.

The acceptance rate for 21st Century Scholars applying to Indiana University Bloomington is approximately 49%. In total, Indiana University Bloomington offered 1,859 admits out of 3,739 applications from 21st Century Scholars in the Class of 2023 (IU University Institutional Research and Reporting (UIRR), 2019). Scholars denied admission to IUB are highly encouraged to apply for the IU Hoosier Link program where you can transfer the following academic year after one semester at Ivy Tech Bloomington.

NO. Your intended college major is a "non-factor" in your application to Indiana University Bloomington except for programs in the IU Jacobs School of Music (where an audition is required).

YES. 21st Century Scholars in high school can receive a fee waiver on the SAT/ACT examinations. Please contact your high school counselor to receive a fee waiver form. Scholars can receive a fee waiver on the SAT/ACT exams up to four times throughout their high school years.

At Indiana University Bloomington, we offer two programs where you can earn college credits at IU prior to enrollment: 1) IU Intensive Freshman Seminars (IFS) and 2) IU Advance College Project (ACP). The IU IFS is a two-week program typically between August 1st and August 15th where incoming IU 21st Century Scholars can enroll in college-level courses designed only for IU freshmen. The IU IFS office provides full scholarships for all incoming IU 21st Century Scholars interested in partaking in the program. Alternatively, the IU ACP is a program for high school juniors and seniors interested in jumpstarting their college career during high school. Students take college-level courses at their high school taught by IU faculty members. To take advantage of this opportunity, please contact your high school’s guidance office.

There are five requirements that all scholars have to meet each year: 1) Earn 30 credits per academic year with a minimum grade of D- or higher for each course, 2) Full-time status (minimum 12 credits per semester), 3) File your FAFSA on-time each year (by April 15th), 4) Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), and 5) Be a good citizen, 6) For scholars who enrolled in the Fall of 2019 and after, you must complete the College Scholar Success Program.

Check your Scholar Track and/or contact the State first. Most likely, it could be that your final data, which is your HS GPA, diploma and SSP requirements, has not been reported yet. If you confirm this on Scholar Track or with the State, once the State receives your final data, they will confirm your 21CS status with IU's Financial Aid Office/Student Central. Note that your financial aid package may be finalized closer to the start of the semester.

The IUB 21st Century Tuition Scholarship covers:

• 100% tuition and mandatory fees (e.g., activity, repair and rehabilitation fee, transportation, technology, and health)
• Common Application Fee
• IU Intent to Enroll Admissions Fee
• IU Housing Application Fee
• Fall/Spring Study Abroad with IU affiliated programs
• IU Intensive Freshman Seminar (IFS) tuition fee (if applicable) for incoming scholars

Contact Residential Programs and Services (812 855-1764; askrps@iu.edu) regarding the application fee waiver and about receiving a refund.

The IUB 21st Century Scholarship does NOT cover:

• placement test fees
• IUB summer tuition and mandatory fee
• on-campus room/board
• academic program or department fee
• first-year orientation fee
• fraternity/sorority fee (if applicable)
• "non-IU" study abroad program
• Hoosier Link fee
• online course fees and/or other miscellaneous fees associated with your department
• laptop or course materials

However, if any of these are charged to your Bursar account, the fee(s) may be automatically subtracted once your financial aid posts to your Bursar account which is around the time classes start each semester or if a student is awarded a refund, those funds can be used to offset these costs. You can also utilize student loans if needed.  Also, you can find special educational discounts for laptops and other items on the IU Knowledge Base page here.

YES, as an IU 21st Century Scholar, you can utilize your 21st Century Scholarship to pay for tuition for any "IU approved" or "IU co-sponsored" study abroad program during the fall/spring semester. *Please note that your IU 21st Century Scholarship cannot be applied for the summer semester. However, you can apply to receive a partial scholarship for the summer semester through the IU OVPDEI Overseas Studies and Scholarship Program.

It is not uncommon for students to see their financial aid noted in Student Center toward the end of July or closer to the start of classes.  For questions regarding a timeline of when your financial aid package should appear, please follow up with Student Central ( scu@iu.edu; 812-855-6500).

Is your award appearing on ScholarTrack?

No. ScholarTrack will list the reason for this. Please make sure you have indicated the correct school choice. It will need to be changed in ScholarTrack and on your current FAFSA.

Yes. Do you have To Do List items?

No. Please double check by going to one.iu.edu.
Yes. Your to-do list items will need to be processed and completed before aid can post. Processing can take up to three weeks. Please monitor your e-mail account for updates.

NO, but we strongly recommend loans over working full-time. We would suggest that students work a part-time job on campus (no more than 20 hours) to keep the student's course work a priority. It is important to maintain a high GPA to maximize career opportunities after you earn your degree. If scholars are struggling to meet basic needs, food, rent, etc., and they are already working part-time, we would highly recommend a scholar utilize any federal loans available to them.

The federal government requires colleges/universities who award Title IV (4) funding to verify information on the student’s FAFSA. If you are selected, you are required to provide documentation to verify the information recorded in your FAFSA. It is not uncommon for scholars to be flagged for verification every year. Your financial aid will not be processed until all documentation has been received. To ensure you receive all of the aid you’re eligible for the upcoming semester, please submit the requested documentation as soon as possible. Student Central will contact you through your One To Do List if you’re selected for verification. Documentation can include tax transcripts, tax forms, W-2s, a letter from the IRS or your tax preparer or employer, etc. It will be uploaded to the Secure Contact Form.

Reach out to our office and Student Central (scu@iu.edu; 812-855-6500) regarding your eligibility to file a dependency status appeal.

It is strongly advised that scholars select a standard option (with or without air, double occupancy-roommate[s]) housing and meal plan.  If scholars select an “enhanced” option, they more than likely will go over their financial aid amount and will need to pay out of pocket. Check this link for the RPS housing breakdown costs. For more information or if you have any other questions regarding this, go to the RPS website and/or follow up with RPS (812-855-1764; askrps@iu.edu).

It is a supplemental scholarship that may be offered to 21st Century Scholars who enroll at IUB their freshman year and remain in continuous enrollment at IUB. Transfer students, including freshman transfers, are not eligible. It can be used towards the costs of a standard double occupancy campus dorm with or without air conditioning, a standard meal plan and other indirect costs such as textbooks, course fees, etc. (See more info on the Covenant on the IU Office of Scholarships website.)

The Covenant will be automatically applied if you qualify.  Students receive the Covenant based on Expected Family Contribution (EFC) from the FAFSA. The Covenant is based on financial need. About 85 percent of our scholars receive the Covenant. To maintain the Covenant, students must be enrolled full-time on the IU Bloomington campus for 8 consecutive semesters. Please note that you must file a FAFSA application every year by April 15th to maintain your tuition scholarship and Covenant.

Here is the formula that Student Central uses to calculate your Covenant amount.

Cost of Attendance – Expected Family Contribution (EFC) – Gift Aid (any aid that does not need to be paid back i.e. scholarships, awards, waivers, grants) = Covenant

Contact Student Central (scu@iu.edu; 812-855-6500) for more information.

If you do not receive the covenant, you may receive other federal funding options, like Pell Grant or the Supplemental Grant (only for students with an EFC of 0), and/or scholarships from other IUB programs or external scholarships. Also, we encourage all scholars to join IU G.I.V.E. Back program. Through community service and voluntary action, students can receive a refund check of $500.00 each semester for their on-campus housing and on-campus meal plans.

Yes, contact the State 888-528-4719 and the Office of Admissions812-855-0661 regarding this. You may need to complete an appeal for eligibility. Reach out to our office for further assistance.

You will need to contact Student Central regarding a request for a professional judgment for your FAFSA EFC. You will prove with documentation that the income increase was a one-time thing. The State can only change your 21CS award if Student Central proves your request.

Great question! We offer many programs and services at the IU 21st Century Scholars Program. A few are: IU 21st Century Scholars Leadership Corps, IU G.I.V.E. Back Program, FREE IU 21st Century Scholars private tutoring services, FREE healthy snacks in study tables, FREE annual conference to "Indiana 21st Century Scholars Next Steps College Conference," IU 21st Century Scholars weekly e-newsletter, IU MSLD Faculty-Student Mentorship Program, IU MSLD FASE Mentorship Program, IU 21st Century Scholars senior graduation recognition dinner with IU president/vice presidents, FREE membership to Indiana 21st Century Scholars Alumni Network, FREE Indiana 21st Century Scholars Alumni-Scholars Virtual Mentoring Program, IU OVPDEI study abroad scholarships, professional development workshops, site visits to Fortune 500 companies, as well as FREE pizza/wings during midterm and finals weeks.