January 9, 2009

Program offers a way to pay for college

The program makes higher education accessible for low- to moderate-income families in Indiana. New enrollees take a pledge to maintain good grades and citizenship. If they fulfill their promise, they receive four years of college tuition to a public Indiana college or the equivalent amount to attend a private college in Indiana.

Applications are available through the West Central Regional Twenty-first Century Scholars site at Purdue University and online at https://www.in.gov/ssaci/. The application deadline is June 30.

Jason Carter, Twenty-first Century Scholars regional coordinator, said approximately 200 high school seniors will pay for college in the fall through the program.

"The Twenty-first Century Scholars program started 17 years ago and has since distributed more than $85 million in scholarships," Carter said. "More than 5,000 scholars statewide have received college degrees. The level of funding and number of participants make the Twenty-first Century Scholars program one of the country's premiere early intervention initiatives."

The West Central Regional Twenty-first Century Scholars support site is part of the Student Access, Transition and Success programs (SATS) department at Purdue University. The site serves Scholars in Benton, Carroll, Clinton, Fountain, Montgomery, Tippecanoe, Warren, and White counties. 

For more information about the program, related events or to request an application, contact the Twenty-first Century Scholars staff at (765) 496-0046, tfcs@purdue.edu.

Writer: Marydell Forbes, (765) 496-7704, mforbes@purdue.edu

Source: Jason Carter (765) 494-7991, carter10@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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