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SSACI > Grants/Scholarships - by Program > Twenty-first Century Scholars GEAR UP Scholarship Twenty-first Century Scholars GEAR UP Scholarship

The deadline to submit Summer GEAR UP applications for 2011 has passed. Applications are no longer being accepted.

A major thrust of the GEAR UP program is early intervention. Indiana is making great strides in preparing Twenty-first Century Scholars to succeed in college but their academic needs are great and many are best met by the colleges in which they enroll. Because many Scholars have not been provided with appropriate curriculum, instruction or academic support to succeed in college, they might need to take basic preparatory courses in the summer before they begin their program and degree requirements. In addition, they might need to take upper class summer courses to make sure they stay on track to graduate on-time after their freshmen year. The GEAR UP Summer Scholarship pays for summer school tuition and regularly assessed fees.

The Summer GEAR UP Scholarship may be used by any eligible Twenty-first Century Scholar student wanting to enroll in summer courses, which may be a college preparatory, pre-requisite or required class for their degree program. The Scholarship can be used only by Scholars who are high school students going to college for the first time or freshmen finishing their first year in college. It is a non-renewable scholarship that can be used for the summer sessions before the fall of first enrollment or the summer sessions after the student’s first year of college.

In order to be considered for a GEAR UP Summer Scholarship, a student must complete an application and …

• Be an Affirmed Twenty-first Century Scholar.
• Be either a high school senior entering college for the first time or a freshman in college finishing the first year and currently receiving a Twenty-first Century Scholarship.
• Have filed a 2011-2012 FAFSA on time (by March 10, 2011).
• Will correct all errors (called edits) on the FAFSA on or before the May 16, 2011 deadline.
• Enrolled full time and eligible to receive the Twenty-first Century Scholarship in the fall term following the summer course session or have received the Scholarship in the previous spring term.
• Enrolled in either summer college preparatory classes, pre-requisites or those classes that would be considered required classes for their college major.
• Approved by both the appropriate office of the college where they are enrolled and where they plan to take the courses if different.

The GEAR UP Summer Scholarship is a grant of up to $1,500 that pays for summer school tuition and regularly assessed course fees (but it does not cover other costs such as text books or room and board). Once the completed application is reviewed, an e-mail will be sent to the applicant, and to the school where the summer courses will be taken regarding the status of the application.  GEAR UP Summer Scholarship funds are paid directly to colleges after the State Student Assistance Commission of Indiana (SSACI) receives and approves the appropriate billing documents. The 2011 GEAR UP Summer Scholarship deadline is June 3, 2011.

For information on the GEAR UP Summer Scholarship program, contact:

GEAR UP Coordinator
Office of Twenty-first Century Scholars
402 W Washington St. Rm W462
Indianapolis, IN  46204
21stScholars@ssaci.in.gov