INDIANA 21ST CENTURY SCHOLARS REPORT 2021-PROGRAM IMPACT - Program Impact Summary

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Damian

Indiana’s 21st Century Scholars program, established in 1990, provides early college promise so that, regardless of life circumstances, students view college as an attainable option. The 2021 report measures program impact by tracking cohorts through college access, success, and completion, comparing Scholars with low-income non-Scholars and higher-income students. It highlights credential outcomes, enrollment scale, dual credit and AP readiness, GPA, credits earned, and on-time versus extended completion, alongside policy changes and evolving student demographics.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages30

Reading Time1 h 16 min

AccessFree to download

Program Impact

Overview and student outcomes

Outcomes by income groups

Key metrics and highlighted factors

Program timeline and milestones

Current supportive services

INDIANA’SPROMISE: A REPORT ON THE 21st CENTURY SCHOLARS P R O G R A M WWW.CHE. IN.GOV INDIANA 21ST CENTURY SCHOLARS REPORT 2021-PROGRAM IMPACT 21st Century Scholars Program Impact Since 1990, Indiana’s 21st Century Scholars program has been leading the way as a model for early college promise programs across the country. It’s Indiana’s promise to students that no matter life’s circumstances or obstacles, college is an option for them. The impact of the program in Indiana has been immense. More than 45,000 students have earned a credential or degree through the program, andover 100,000 students are enrolled currently, from seventh graders to college seniors. 21st Century Scholars are more likely to: • Be college-ready than their low-income peers (including taking and earning dual credit or Advanced Placement courses while in highschool) • Go to college than all high school graduates • Complete college than their low-income peers Outcomes for 21st Century Scholars In the report that follows, students are broken out into three groups by income level: Scholars, lowincome non-Scholars and higher-income students. This report follows students by their high school cohort, as opposed to a Scholars’ higher education cohort, which will be most noticeable when reporting completion metrics as the data do not contain students who graduated high school outside of Indiana. Data highlighted in the following pages show how the 21st Century Scholars program helps bridge the higher education achievement gap between lowincome and higher-income students. Thus, the focus of the data is around college access, success and completion: • College-going rates • Freshman year GPA • Number of credits earned as a college freshman • On-time and extended-time completion rates Another important factor is that the program has not remained unchanged over its 30-year history. Thereport will also highlight various policy changes, such as credit completion requirements, GPA and diploma requirements and the Scholar Success Program, among other changes. An additional consideration is the changing demographics of Indiana’s high school graduates over time, focusing specifically on income level but also drawing conclusions and recommendations for other demographic impacts, such as race and ethnicity, and gender as has been shown in the Commission’s Equity Reports. Current supportive services for 21st Century Scholars include the Indiana ScholarCorps program, which has hosted hundreds of 21st Century Scholars coordinators at Indiana’s college campuses over the past 10 years. Indiana also participates in the federal 2 INDIANA SCHOLARS REPORT 2021 INDIANA 21ST CENTURY SCHOLARS REPORT 2021-PROGRAM IMPACT GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) grant program, where specific high schools participate in 21st Century Scholars enrollment and other activities. Indiana will reapply for the next seven-year grant cycle in 2022-2023. (Find more about the GEAR UP and ScholarCorps programs on page 8-9.) Program timeline and milestones 1990: Program Beginnings In 1990, then-State Representative Stan Jones authored the legislation creating Indiana’s 21st Century Scholars program. Indiana’s Governor at the time, Gov. Evan Bayh, championed the bill, which received bipartisan support and was codified into Indiana law. Bayh and Jones (who later served as Indiana’s Commissioner for Higher Education between 1995 and 2009) didn’t create the program to be just a scholarship program. While the scholarship is the hallmark of 21st Century Scholars, it isn’t enough to simply pay for Hoosiers to go to college. Helping students from an early age aspire and prepare for higher learning is crucial to the program’s—and Hoosiers’success. INDIANA CREATES 21ST CENTURY SCHOLARS PROGRAM INDIANA ESTABLISHES SCHOLAR SUCCESS PROGRAM TO IMPROVE COLLEGE READINESS SCHOLARCORPS PROGRAM 1990 2011 INDIANA CREATES CRE

FAQs

What is the goal of Indiana’s 21st Century Scholars program?

The program aims to offer early college promise so that students can pursue higher education regardless of life circumstances or obstacles.

How does the report measure impact on students?

It follows students by their high school cohort and focuses on college access, success, and completion, including college-going rates, freshman-year GPA, credits earned, and completion timing.

What major policy changes does the report discuss?

The report highlights changes such as credit completion requirements, GPA and diploma requirements, and the Scholar Success Program’s required yearly activities for Scholars.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Damian