21st century scholars high school senior faqs (class of 201921st century scholars high school senior...

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21st Century Scholars High School Senior FAQs (Class of 2019) A complete list of Frequently Asked Questions and more information and resources for 21st Century Scholar Seniors— including information on completing the FAFSA—can be found on the 21st Century Scholars website: www.scholars.IN.gov/grade-12. For questions and assistance, contact [email protected] or (888) 528-4719. What steps must I, as an eligible 21st Century Scholar, take to use my Scholarship? Complete all 12 Scholar Success Program requirements and track them in ScholarTrack by June 30, 2019. Submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by April 15 of your senior year of high school. Graduate from high school with a cumulative GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale. Earn a Core 40 Diploma. Maintain Indiana residency, as determined by the permanent residence of your parent or legal guardian. Apply to and be admitted to an eligible Indiana college, university or proprietary school as a high school senior. Continue to maintain the 21st Century Scholars Pledge. Respond to any requests for additional information from the 21st Century Scholars program, the Indiana Commission for Higher Education or your college by stated deadlines. What does the 21st Century Scholarship cover? At in-state, public two-year and four-year colleges, your award covers up to 100 percent of tuition and some regularly assessed fees such as technology, student-activity and health-services fees. Your award pays part of the tuition at private or independent colleges and approved for-profit specialty or proprietary schools. (A list of colleges that accept the 21st Century Scholarship is available at www.scholars.IN.gov/eligiblecolleges.) The scholarship does not cover the cost of books, room and board, parking fees, lab fees or any other fees assessed that are not assessed to all students, and will pay up to four years of tuition assistance. Additionally, the 21st Century Scholarship must be used within eight years after the date you first enroll in college. What if the college listed as the first choice on my FAFSA is not the school I decide to attend? If you decide to attend any college other than the one listed as the first choice on your FAFSA, you must change your first choice college selection via ScholarTrack at Scholartrack.IN.gov. What is ScholarTrack? ScholarTrack is the one-stop shop for Hoosiers’ state financial aid needs. ScholarTrack guides students and families through the process of planning for, applying and maintaining their financial aid—beginning as early as middle school and continuing through college completion. For 21st Century Scholars, the new ScholarTrack will replace your existing ScholarTrack account. For current college students, ScholarTrack will replace your eStudent account. Must I enroll in college immediately after high school graduation? No. You have up to one year after high school graduation to use your scholarship. As a spring 2018 graduate, you have until the fall 2019 semester to activate your scholarship. Remember that you must file the Free Application for Federal

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Page 1: 21st Century Scholars High School Senior FAQs (Class of 201921st Century Scholars High School Senior FAQs (Class of 2019) A complete list of Frequently Asked Questions and more information

21stCenturyScholarsHighSchoolSeniorFAQs(Classof2019)

AcompletelistofFrequentlyAskedQuestionsandmoreinformationandresourcesfor21stCenturyScholarSeniors—including information on completing the FAFSA—can be found on the 21st Century Scholars website:www.scholars.IN.gov/grade-12.Forquestionsandassistance,[email protected](888)528-4719.

WhatstepsmustI,asaneligible21stCenturyScholar,taketousemyScholarship?• Completeall12ScholarSuccessProgramrequirementsandtracktheminScholarTrackbyJune30,2019.• SubmittheFreeApplicationforFederalStudentAid(FAFSA)byApril15ofyoursenioryearofhighschool.• GraduatefromhighschoolwithacumulativeGPAof2.5ona4.0scale.• EarnaCore40Diploma.• MaintainIndianaresidency,asdeterminedbythepermanentresidenceofyourparentorlegalguardian.• ApplytoandbeadmittedtoaneligibleIndianacollege,universityorproprietaryschoolasahighschoolsenior.• Continuetomaintainthe21stCenturyScholarsPledge.• Respond to any requests for additional information from the 21st Century Scholars program, the Indiana

CommissionforHigherEducationoryourcollegebystateddeadlines.

Whatdoesthe21stCenturyScholarshipcover?Atin-state,publictwo-yearandfour-yearcolleges,yourawardcoversupto100percentoftuitionandsomeregularlyassessed fees suchas technology, student-activityandhealth-services fees. Yourawardpayspartof the tuitionatprivateorindependentcollegesandapprovedfor-profitspecialtyorproprietaryschools.(Alistofcollegesthatacceptthe21stCenturyScholarshipisavailableatwww.scholars.IN.gov/eligiblecolleges.)

Thescholarshipdoesnotcoverthecostofbooks,roomandboard,parkingfees,labfeesoranyotherfeesassessedthatarenotassessedtoallstudents,andwillpayuptofouryearsoftuitionassistance.Additionally,the21stCenturyScholarshipmustbeusedwithineightyearsafterthedateyoufirstenrollincollege.

WhatifthecollegelistedasthefirstchoiceonmyFAFSAisnottheschoolIdecidetoattend?IfyoudecidetoattendanycollegeotherthantheonelistedasthefirstchoiceonyourFAFSA,youmustchangeyourfirstchoicecollegeselectionviaScholarTrackatScholartrack.IN.gov.

WhatisScholarTrack?ScholarTrack istheone-stopshopforHoosiers’statefinancialaidneeds.ScholarTrackguidesstudentsandfamiliesthroughtheprocessofplanningfor,applyingandmaintainingtheirfinancialaid—beginningasearlyasmiddleschoolandcontinuingthroughcollegecompletion.For21stCenturyScholars,thenewScholarTrackwillreplaceyourexistingScholarTrackaccount.Forcurrentcollegestudents,ScholarTrackwillreplaceyoureStudentaccount.

MustIenrollincollegeimmediatelyafterhighschoolgraduation?No.Youhaveuptooneyearafterhighschoolgraduationtouseyourscholarship.Asaspring2018graduate,youhaveuntilthefall2019semestertoactivateyourscholarship.RememberthatyoumustfiletheFreeApplicationforFederal

Page 2: 21st Century Scholars High School Senior FAQs (Class of 201921st Century Scholars High School Senior FAQs (Class of 2019) A complete list of Frequently Asked Questions and more information

StudentAid(FAFSA)bytheApril15,2019deadlineofyoursenioryearofhighschoolandeachsubsequentyear.Inaddition,youmustbeenrolledasafull-timestudentinordertoreceivethe21stCenturyScholarship.

WhathappensifIdecidedtoserveinthemilitary,causingmetoexceedtheone-yearrequirementtobegincollegeasafull-timestudent?Ifyouexceedtheone-yearrequirementtobegincollegeasafull-timecollegestudentduetoactive-dutyserviceinthemilitary you will need to submit an appeal. For more information about the Appeals Process, please visitwww.IN.gov/che/4500.htm.

WhatifmyhouseholdincomechangesbetweenthetimeIenrolledinthe21stCenturyScholarsprogramandthetimeIgraduatefromhighschool?Ifyouenrolledinthe21stCenturyScholarsprogramafterJune30,2011,thestatewillcompleteafinancialmeanstesteachyearthatyouareincollegetodeterminehowmuchstateaidyouareeligibletoreceive.Thetestusesstudents’annualExpectedFamilyContribution(EFC),whichisalreadyreportedeachyearontheFreeApplicationforFederalStudentAid(FAFSA)form.EveryScholarmustcompletetheFAFSAeachyeartoreceivefinancialaid,sonoadditionalsteps are necessary. Your family’s taxable and untaxed income, assets and benefits can all be considered in yourExpectedFamilyContribution.

Youcanfindyourenrollmentyearbyvisitingwww.scholars.IN.gov/keep-your-scholar-on-trackandclicking“CheckEnrollmentStatus.”Youwillneedyourname,dateofbirthandSocialSecurityNumbertolookitup.

There are online tools available that will estimate your Expected Family Contribution, such asIndianaCollegeCosts.org.The current threshold is about $24,570—which reflects the maximum annual cost ofattending Indiana’s public colleges. Studentswith Expected Family Contributions of $24,570 ormorewill not beeligibleforfinancialaidunderthe21stCenturyScholarsprogram.Scholarswhodonotdemonstratefinancialneedwillreceiveaone-timeawardofupto$2,500.

CanIreceivetheScholarshipifIearnaGEDorcompleteahomeschoolingprogram?No.IfyouearnaGEDorcompleteahomeschoolingprogramyouareNOTeligibletoreceivethescholarship.Youmustgraduatewithahighschooldiplomafromaneligible IndianahighschoolrecognizedbytheIndianaDepartmentofEducation(asagreedtointheScholarPledge).

CanIusetheScholarshipifIamenrolledincollegeasapart-timestudent?No.Youmustbeenrolledasafull-timestudentinordertousethescholarship.

IbelieveImayhavebrokentheScholarPledge.Isitmyresponsibilitytoreportthispotentialpledgeviolationtotheprogram?Yes. It is the responsibility of a Scholar student and/orhis/herparent to report potential pledge violations to theprogram, as soon as they become aware of the violation. Potential pledge violations should be reported [email protected]:

IndianaCommissionforHigherEducationATTN:StudentSupportCenter101WestOhio,Suite300Indianapolis,IN46204