Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) is a recipient of a two-year, $240,000 grant from College Matters, an initiative of the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation that seeks to increase college enrollment rates among Marion County high school seniors, especially among students from low-income households who are less likely than their higher-income peers to enroll.
As a result of the grant, IPS will be hiring a college specialist to support district-managed high schools and alternative education programs complete college applications, file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), apply for scholarships, and matriculate to college.
In addition to the college specialist, IPS will be providing transportation for college visits and sending our student services teams to various professional development around college advising and financial aid.
Beginning with the 2023-2024 school year, FAFSA completion is mandatory in Indiana. College Matters awarded grants to allow 26 Marion County public high schools within 14 school corporations and four community-based organizations to assist students and their families in meeting this new requirement.
In the spring of 2023, the Indiana General Assembly enacted new laws to address financial barriers to college enrollment, one of which was making the completion of FAFSA a high school graduation requirement. Increasing the FAFSA completion rate will allow more students to connect to the financial aid they need to make college more affordable and accessible.