1. The 21st Century Scholars Program
Take a Step Toward Your Future

2. My Story… Your Story Who am I? Who do you want to be?
What do you enjoy doing?
Presenters should introduce themselves, tell their personal story/background, and connect with their audience.
Who am I?
Provide some background on your own educational journey. Whenever possible, highlight the benefits of your own post-secondary education and how it has lead to your own success.
Who do you want to be?
Use this question as an opportunity to solicit participation from your middle school audience. You might want to ask them what their own career goals are and what they think it takes to have a successful career.
What do you enjoy doing?
Asking a student what they enjoy doing explores some of the activities a student participates in, but may not think of as being a potential career path. An example would be: I enjoy listening and playing music, how can I turn that into a career? Sound technician, music teacher, etc.

3. Why Go to College?
The next slide list the four reasons students should pursue a college degree. But before you move on to that slide, further engage students by asking them what they think the best reasons are for attending college.
Activity:
If you have time: Make a list of the reasons for going to college students come up with, and take time to discuss each.

4. More opportunities and choices More money Job security Model Citizen
Top Four Reasons
More opportunities and choices
More money
Job security
Model Citizen
This slide lists four reasons for pursuing a college degree. Discuss and elaborate on each of the bullet points in this slide, and whenever possible engage the students by asking them to respond to each. Here are some additional facts and statistics.
More Opportunities and choices
Nearly two-thirds of all jobs in Indiana this decade will require education beyond high school, but currently only 41% of Hoosier adults have completed education beyond high school. By 2018, 55% of jobs in Indiana will require a college degree or quality workforce certificate. Students earning a college degree will be eligible to apply for more jobs and have a competitive advantage over students who stop at a high school diploma.
Job security
As if having a better chance of finding a job and making more money weren’t enough, college graduates are more likely to hold onto their jobs once they have them. Four out of five jobs lost during the recent national recession were held by individuals with a high school diploma or less.
Better citizenship
Going to college isn’t just about job security and more money, it’s about being a better citizen. Studies show that college graduates are more likely to vote, volunteer in their community, and be engaged in causes they believe to be important.

5. Excuses, Excuses …
Despite all the reasons to go to college, people still make excuses not to go.
This slide offers another opportunity to engage your 7th and 8th grade audience. Ask students what excuses they’ve heard people make for not going to college.
Activity:
What are some of the reasons you have heard people give for not going to college?

6. College Conversation Starters
I don’t need to go to college to get a good job.
I am not a very good student; I don’t think I could make it in college.
No one in my family ever went to college.
I can’t afford college.
This slide list some of the more common excuses. Engage students in a conversation about how to respond to excuses that they may hear from themselves or others. Ask students how they would respond to each of these excuses. Once again, the presenter should feel comfortable providing his or her own perspective on each of these talking points. Below are some statistics to get you started.
Ask students:
“What if someone you know said…?”
I don’t need to go to college to get a good job.
Guess what? Times are changing! In the past, Indiana had many factory jobs, which provided high paying jobs that required no more than a high school diploma, but times have changed. Those jobs are rapidly being replaced by jobs in advanced manufacturing, education, finance, health care and STEM-(Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) related fields, all of which require college degrees.
I am not a very good student; I don’t think I could make it in college.
Just because you have not been a good student, doesn’t mean that you can’t be a good student. You have teachers, school counselors, parents, friends and family who all want to see you succeed. Take advantage of the support network around you. Also, high school offers a fresh start, and if you enroll in the 21st Century Scholars program, you will have access to support programs and service designed to help you stay on track for college and career success.
No on in my family ever went to college.
This is your chance to be the first! The vast majority of students enrolled in the 21st Century Scholars Program are first-generation college students, meaning neither of their parents earned a college degree. Nevertheless, every year, thousands of 21st Century Scholar students graduate with a college degree or certificate across the state of Indiana.
I can’t afford college.
While college is expensive, there are many different ways to pay for it, and many of them are free! Grants like the Federal Pell Grant are available to students who qualify and apply on time. In addition, students can earn scholarships based on good grades, high test scores and athletics. And of course, there is 21st Century Scholars, which can pay for up to four years of college tuition for students who enroll in the program.

7. Convinced that college is a good idea
Convinced that college is a good idea? With the 21st Century Scholars Program you CAN make your college dream and career goals a reality.
Use this slide as a transition, or as an opportunity to engage students by asking them what they have heard about the 21st Century Scholars Program

8. 21st Century Scholars helps students stay on track for college and career success.
In the previous slide, chances are many of the students responded by stating that the 21st Century Scholars Program helps pay for college. While this is true, emphasize that it’s much more than a scholarship. It’s a comprehensive program that provides support to help enrolled students plan for college in middle school and high school, and prepares them to be successful once they get to college.

9. The 21st Century Scholars Program Provides:
Tuition assistance
College and career readiness through the Scholars Success Program
Other support and services
Tuition Assistance
Tuition is simply the amount of money students must pay to take classes at the college or university they enroll in. It does not include other educational expenses like room and board (meals), books, and other supplies. The 21st Century Scholars Program will pay up to four years of tuition at an eligible public Indiana college or university, and partial tuition at an eligible Indiana private or proprietary college or university. Tuition costs vary greatly from school to school. For the school year, the maximum 21st Century Scholars award for one year is $10,388, but tuition at other schools can be cheaper (or more expensive) than that. Every year tuition prices go up too, so your tuition costs might be even more than this by the time you get to college.
College and Career Readiness through the Scholar Success Program
It takes more than money to earn a college degree and prepare for life as a professional. The Scholar Success Program was developed to provide high school 21st Century Scholars with programming and support services so they are not only more likely to attend college after graduating high school, but to be successful once they get there. Under the Scholar Success Program, 21st Century Scholars are required to complete three activities during each year of high school. Each of these activities is designed to help Scholars prepare for college and career success.
Other support and services
In order to maintain scholarship eligibility, 21st Century Scholars are required to participate in Scholar Success Programming. The 21st Century Scholars Programs is working closely with schools and community partners to connect Scholars to other programming and support services to better prepare them for college success. This includes tutoring services, mentoring services, and connecting Scholars to a summer job or paid internship opportunities, to name a few.

10. What is Expected of a 21st Century Scholar
Students enrolled in the 21st Century Scholars Program must honor the 21st Century Scholar Pledge.
The 21st Century Scholarship is not “free money.” It’s an earned Scholarship and the state of Indiana expects a lot of the students who enroll in the program. Although the 21st Century Scholars program is a scholarship program, which means that students do not have to pay back the money, there are a number of things that Scholars are required to do.
These expectations are outlined in the 21st Century Scholars Pledge, which all students must take in order to enroll in the 21st Century Scholars Program, and must honor in order to receive their 21st Century Scholarship once they graduate from high school.

11. As a Scholar, you pledge to:
Complete the Scholar Success Program, which includes activities at each grade level in high school to help you stay on track for college and career success.
Graduate from a state-accredited high school with a minimum of a Core 40 diploma and a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.
Not use illegal drugs, commit a crime or delinquent act, or consume alcohol before reaching the legal drinking age.
The above slide lists all the items of the Scholar Pledge. Please note, the order that the items are presented in this slide have been slightly altered from what is on the 21st Century Scholars website in order to match the order that the materials are presented in this presentation. The following slides will go over each element of the Scholar Pledge listed in this slide and the next in more detail.

12. The Scholar Pledge
File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by April 15 as a high school senior and each year thereafter until you graduate from college.
Apply to an eligible Indiana college as a high school senior, and enroll as a full-time student within one year of high school graduation.
Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards established by my college.
Complete 30 credit hours each year you are in college to stay on track toward earning your degree on time.
This is just the second slide listing the separate items of the pledge. You’ll have a chance to talk about each item in more detail in the following slides.

13. The Scholar Pledge
I will complete the Scholar Success Program to help me stay on track for college and career success.
This part of the pledge requires enrolled students to complete the Scholar Success Program, which the following slide provide more details on.

14. Scholar Success Program
This slide provides an overview of the Scholar Success Program broken down by grade level. Stress that students enrolled in the program are required to do three things every year from 9th grade through 12th grade in order to maintain 21st Century Scholarship eligibility.
The 21st Century Scholars program will work closely with schools and community partners to connect 21st Century Scholars to each of the required activities and tasks listed in the Scholars Success Program.
Once students are enrolled in the program, they will receive a packet, which provides definitions of each of the elements of the Scholar Success Program along with tips and resources for completing each of the required tasks. This information will also be available on the 21st Century Scholars website. Students will track their progress toward each activity through a website called ScholarTrack.

15. The Scholar Pledge
I will graduate with at least a Core 40 Diploma from a high school accredited by the Indiana Department of Education.
Preparation for college starts with strong academics. That is why all 21st Century Scholars are required to graduate with at least a Core 40 diploma, but it is only the minimum requirement. Scholars should work closely with their school counselor to determine which diploma is best for them.
Here are some possible points to make about the Core 40.
The Core 40 diploma is the required basic diploma for all students. Indiana law requires all students to meet the Core 40 standard to be considered for admission to an Indiana four-year college or university.
Many four-year institutions require a Core 40 with Academic Honors diploma for admission. This diploma requires additional math, world language, and AP or dual credit courses, and is the best choice for college preparation. Earning the academic honors diploma may also qualify students for additional financial aid for college, in addition to their 21st Century Scholarship.
The Core 40 with Technical Honors diploma combines Core 40 requirements with technical training to acquire strong vocational and technical skills. This diploma prepares students for college, technical school, apprenticeships or work in an area of technology.
You will work with your high school counselor to create a graduation plan and to select you diploma type in 9th grade.

16. The Scholar Pledge
I will achieve a cumulative high school GPA of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.
Beginning with the high school graduating class of 2015, all 21st Century Scholars must achieve a 2.5 GPA or higher on a 4.0 scale in order to receive their Scholarship.
Students should know that MANY colleges and universities require a higher GPA for admissions. Scholars should strive for the best grades possible in all of their classes. A higher GPA results in more choices of where they can go to school, better preparation once they get there and often more financial aid through merit-based scholarships.

17. The Scholar Pledge
I will apply for admission to an eligible Indiana college, university or proprietary institution as a high school senior.
All 21st Century Scholar seniors are required to apply for college admission during their senior year of high school in order to maintain Scholarship eligibility.

18. The Scholar Pledge
I will apply on time for state and federal student financial aid by April 15 of my senior year of high school.
To meet this requirement, all 21st Century Scholar seniors are required to complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) by April 15 of their senior year in order to receive their Scholarship. The 21st Century Scholars Program works closely with community and school partners to connect 21st Century Scholars with workshops and resources to help them complete the FAFSA during their senior year.

19. The Scholar Pledge
I will not use illegal drugs or alcohol, or commit a crime or delinquent act.
All 21st Century Scholars are required to honor a pledge of good citizenship.
The state of Indiana invests a significant amount of money and resources supporting 21st Century Scholars from the time the enroll until the time they graduate from college—all with the aim helping Scholars earn a college degree.
With this investment comes an important requirement that students enrolled in the program take a pledge to abide by the law and be model citizens. Scholars must honor the pledge of good citizenship from the moment they enroll in the program to the day they graduate from college. 21st Century Scholars who violate this or any other part of the pledge will lose their Scholarship.

20. Completing the Application
In the next few slides we’ll cover eligibility requirements as well as how to apply for the 21st Century Scholars program.

21. Who is Eligible?
To enroll in the 21st Century Scholars program, you must:
Be a resident of Indiana as an applicant and as a scholarship recipient (determined by the residency of your parent or legal guardian);
Be a US citizen or an eligible non-citizen;
Be enrolled in the 7th or 8th grade at a charter school, freeway school or other Indiana school accredited by the Indiana Department of Education;
Agree to fulfill the 21st Century Scholars Pledge;
Meet income eligibility requirements.
This slide lists the eligibility requirements for the program. Student or parents who have question should be directed to the 21st Century Scholars Website, the 21st Century Scholars address, and the 21st Century Scholars helpline listed on the last slide of this presentation.
The income guidelines are equivalent to the guidelines for the Federal Free & Reduced Lunch Program, but students do not need to actually be enrolled in F&RL in order to sign up for the 21st Century Scholars Program. The presenter should provide this information to the students during the presentation using his or her discretion.

22. What Information Do I Need to Apply?
Student’s Social Security Number, date of birth and address;
Parent or guardian’s Social Security Number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, if applicable;
2016 gross income amounts for all members of the household. If applying after December 31, 2017, you will use 2017 tax information.
A valid address.
This slide simply lists the items that a student and his or her parent(s) need to gather before applying.

23. How Do I Apply? CREATE AN ACCOUNT
Visit ScholarTrack.IN.gov to “Create an Account” and select “I am a parent or guardian.”
APPLY FOR SCHOLARS
Parents can apply to 21st Century Scholars via the ScholarTrack system. Click on “My Account” to submit an application.
TRACK PROGRESS
Parents can track student’s progress in high school and view student’s scholarship status by clicking “View/Edit Student.”
Students/parents can only apply for the program online
Students/parents can only apply for the program online. Emphasize that the online application will walk students and parents through the application process, and that once they submit their application online successfully, they will be taken to a screen verifying that the application was received and is being processed.
Suggest areas in your community, such as the local library or school computer lab, where students/parents can get online and submit an application.
21st Century Scholars Application Worksheet
For students with limited Internet access, application worksheets are available at scholars.IN.gov/resources to assist schools and community organizations in collecting information required to submit an official online application on behalf of eligible students for Indiana’s 21st Century Scholars program.
Please note: THIS INFORMATION MUST BE SUBMITTED ONLINE AT SCHOLARTRACK.IN.GOV BY JUNE 30 OF A SCHOLAR’S 8TH GRADE YEAR TO BE CONSIDERED BY THE SCHOLARS PROGRAM. The application worksheet is NOT to be mailed to the central office.
If your school or organization would like to enter online applications for the 21st Century Scholars Program on the students behalf, please distribute the application worksheet to the students at this time, with instructions that they return the applications to you for submission. If parents/guardians are present and they have received the application checklist in advance they may be ready to complete the worksheet. Give them a few moments to complete the application worksheet and turn-in to the facilitator immediately.
Processing time: Within 30 to 60 days, students who complete an enrollment application will receive an letting them know whether or not they’ve been successfully enrolled in the program or requesting additional information.
Please emphasize that all applications must be submitted by June 30 of a students 8th grade year to be considered.

24. Next Steps
Once students are enrolled in the 21st Century Scholars program, there are a few next steps to complete.

25. After Enrollment
Keep your school and contact information current
Look for communications from the 21st Century Scholars Program
Find more resources to support your college and career goals (visit LearnMoreIndiana.org)
Start thinking about college!
These are the steps a student should follow once they are enrolled in the 21st Century Scholars Program
Sign up for a ScholarTrack account
ScholarTrack is the online tool that 21st Century Scholars will use to learn about their grade-level Scholar Success Program requirements, and track their progress toward completing those requirements. The first step is to sign-up for an account. Let students know that they can get a ScholarTrack account by clicking on the “ScholarTrack” link at the top of the homepage. Presenters may consider hosting a separate ScholarTrack sign up event in a computer lab later in the school year, to help newly enrolled Scholars complete this important step. For more information, see the next slide.
Keep Your School and Contact Information Current
Emphasize to students that it is very important they keep their address, address, phone number and school information current--which they can do through ScholarTrack. The 21st Century Scholars Program will send them important information and reminders throughout their middle school and high school career, but we must where they are in order to get them this important information.
Look for Communications from the 21st Century Scholars Program
Emphasize to students that once they enroll in the program, they will receive information and resources about the program through their school and through the 21st Century Scholars Office. It is critical that they read this information, take advantage of resources and complete requirements and meet deadlines that are listed in these communications.
Start thinking about college
Finally, let Scholars know that it’s never too early to start thinking about college – what they want to do- where they want to go- and how the 21st Century Scholarship can help them get there. Encourage them to talk to their teachers, counselors, parents and 21st Century Scholars staff to see what they can do now to start planning for a bright future in high school and through college with the 21st Century Scholars Program.

26. Tracking Progress Online
ScholarTrack — online tool for managing progress
Create a personalized account
Students use ScholarTrack to confirm they’ve completed requirements
Students create a ScholarTrack online by visiting Scholars.IN.gov and selecting “Log in to ScholarTrack” at the top of the screen.
Students will select “New Student Account” and will need their date of birth and Scholar ID number to create the account. If students do not know their Scholar ID number, they can look it up with their Social Security Number. Once their accounts are created, students are ready to start tracking their Scholar Success Program activities through ScholarTrack.

27. Email Scholars@che.IN.gov Call 1-888-528-4719
Questions?
Visit Scholars.IN.gov
Call
Please encourage students to visit the 21st Century Scholars website, send an , or call the 21st Century Scholars helpline if they have questions.