Resources for Serving Middle School Students

Becoming a 21^st Century Scholar
In 7th and 8th grade, Indiana students become eligible to join the 21st Century Scholars program. Per the passage of House Enrolled Act (HEA) 1449-2023, current 7th and 8th grade Hoosier students who are financially eligible for Free and Reduced Price Lunch will be automatically enrolled in the 21st Century Scholars Program, meaning their parents or guardians no longer need to complete an application for their students to participate.

Not sure if a 7th or 8th grade student was enrolled in the 21^st Century Scholars program? Parents/guardians can create a Parent ScholarTrack account to check! If a student has not been enrolled, this is also how a parent would submit an application on the child’s behalf. Applications for the 21st Century Scholars Program must be submitted by June 30 of the student’s 8th grade year. More information here.

Start the 21^st Century Scholarship conversation…
With the Outreach Coordinator! Ivon Perez from the Commission for Higher Education supports St. Joseph County for all things 21^st Century and financial aid. Families, students, education staff and community partners can reach out to her via phone or email to discuss further. Outreach Coordinator page link

At school! Middle school counselors should also be able to check ScholarTrack to see if a student was auto-enrolled, applied, or has an approved application on file. (Counselors with ScholarTrack questions should reach out to Ivon Perez for troubleshooting).

Understanding the Scholarship
The 21st Century Scholarship is administered by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education – this is a state-funded scholarship! Once a student is enrolled, it’s important for each family to learn about the scholarship requirements and help students create their own personal ScholarTrack account (this is different from a parent account!). Use the resources below to complete these steps.

Once a student is enrolled in the program, and both student and parent accounts are set up, they are in great shape until freshman year begins! Check out the resources for high school students to see what happens next for 21^st Century scholars.

Looking for 21^st Century resources in Spanish? Most documents are available in English or Spanish on Learn More Indiana’s Resource Hub!

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