Staff Reports
INDIANAPOLIS — High-achieving high school and college students who are planning to teach in Indiana for at least five years can apply for a $7,500 scholarship per year of college (up to $30,000 total) through the Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship program.
The Indiana Commission for Higher Education is encouraging students to act quickly, as there are only 200 scholarships available and the deadline to apply is Jan. 31, 2022. Interested students should apply at ScholarTrack.IN.gov.
“Everyone has a story about a great teacher who changed their lives for the better. We need more of these change agents in Indiana’s classrooms,” said Katie Jenner, Indiana Secretary of Education. “The Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship is elevating the importance of this lifelong impact with a meaningful scholarship to help support Indiana’s best and brightest as they pursue a career in education.”
This scholarship is making a difference at building Indiana’s teacher pipeline. Nearly 90 percent of scholarship recipients from the inaugural 2017 cohort are either continuing their education or have already become licensed teachers actively making an impact for Hoosier students.
To qualify for the scholarship, students must have either graduated in the top 20 percent of their high school class or earned a score in the top 20th percentile on the SAT (1190) or ACT (26). To continue earning the scholarship in college, students must file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid each year, earn a 3.0 cumulative GPA and complete at least 30 credit hours per year. Current college students who apply must be able to use the scholarship for at least two full academic years.
The Commission will review all applications and notify applicants of their scholarship status via email by March 18, 2022.
A total of 438 students applied for the 2021-22 Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship, with applications from 229 high schools in 84 of Indiana’s 92 counties. Nearly three-quarters of applicants were Indiana high school seniors with the remainder comprised of current college students.
Maylee Barriger, a recent graduate from Hauser Jr.-Sr. High School in Hope, is one of the 2020-21 scholarship recipients. Barriger is attending IUPUC where she’s pursuing a major in elementary education with an endorsement for middle school math. Upon graduation, she wants to teach at either her former Hauser Jr.-Sr. High School or Hope Elementary.
“I was super nervous to go to college because I was not sure I could afford it,” said Barriger. “I’m really thankful for this scholarship because it’s given me the opportunity to stay at home and be close to my family, work to save money and be involved in my community in new ways I was not able to in high school.”
