Indiana Scholarships for High School Students: 2026–27 Guide

Indiana Scholarships for High School Students: 2026–27 Guide

Indiana students looking for scholarships should not rely on a single application or wait until college admission decisions arrive.

Scholarship opportunities can come from the State of Indiana, community foundations, colleges, high schools, employers, nonprofit organizations, and other private sources. Some awards are based primarily on academic achievement. Others consider financial need, community involvement, career plans, residency, or other eligibility requirements.

The important part is knowing where to look, which deadlines apply to your graduating class, and whether an opportunity requires additional steps such as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or a ScholarTrack application.

There is also an important timing distinction for students using this 2026–27 guide.

A student already attending college during the 2026–27 academic year generally uses the 2026–27 FAFSA and 2026–27 state-aid rules. A high school senior graduating in spring 2027 and planning to begin college in fall 2027 will generally be applying for aid for the 2027–28 college year, even though much of that scholarship search happens during the 2026–27 high school year.

Do not assume that an award labeled 2026–27 automatically applies to the high school Class of 2027.

Here are the major places Indiana students should look.

Start by Understanding Scholarships vs. Grants

Scholarships and grants are both forms of financial assistance that generally do not need to be repaid when all program conditions are met, but the terms are not interchangeable.

A scholarship may be based on factors such as:

• Academic achievement
• Leadership or community involvement
• Financial need
• Career or major
• Athletic or extracurricular participation
• Residency or community connection
• Other requirements established by the scholarship provider

A grant is often tied more closely to financial need or a specific government program.

Indiana's Frank O'Bannon Grant, for example, is the state's primary need-based financial aid program. Eligibility is determined using FAFSA information, and the grant can help eligible Indiana students with tuition and regularly assessed fees at participating institutions. It is not technically a scholarship, but students searching for scholarships should understand it because ignoring need-based state aid could mean overlooking an important part of the total college-funding picture.

A good college-funding strategy looks at scholarships, grants, and other aid together, rather than treating scholarships as the only source worth pursuing.

The 21st Century Scholarship

The 21st Century Scholars program is one of Indiana's most significant college-aid programs for income-eligible students.

The Indiana Commission for Higher Education describes it as an early-college promise program that can provide eligible Hoosier students with up to four years of tuition support at eligible Indiana colleges and universities. Students also complete college- and career-readiness activities through the Scholar Success Program while in high school.

Indiana now automatically enrolls eligible seventh- and eighth-grade students into the program using state data. Automatic enrollment began with the Class of 2027 for students identified as financially eligible through state data. That means some current seniors may have been enrolled automatically even if their family does not remember completing the older enrollment process. Students should check ScholarTrack to confirm their actual status.

Current Scholars still have requirements to complete

Automatic enrollment does not mean students can ignore the program during high school.

Students should sign in to ScholarTrack and check their status, remaining Scholar Success Program activities, and other requirements.

Students should not assume that being listed as a Scholar guarantees that the scholarship will automatically appear on a future college bill. High school requirements, FAFSA filing, eligible college enrollment, and later college-level renewal requirements still matter.

If a student believes they are a 21st Century Scholar but is unsure whether everything is complete, the best next step is to review ScholarTrack and speak with the high school counselor or the Indiana Commission for Higher Education.

Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program

For Indiana high school students planning to attend a four-year Indiana college, the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program is an important opportunity to investigate.

The program provides recipients with full tuition and required fees for four years, along with a book stipend. Recipients may attend an eligible public or private four-year Indiana college or university and must pursue a bachelor's degree full-time.

What makes this scholarship different is that applications are managed locally through Indiana community foundations.

That means:

• Selection criteria can vary by county
• Application procedures can vary
• Deadlines can vary
• Students should use the community foundation serving their home county for current instructions

There is not one statewide application deadline families should assume applies everywhere. Independent Colleges of Indiana specifically advises students to contact their local community foundation for the application process and due date.

For students graduating in 2027, this is worth checking early in senior year because local scholarship calendars may begin well before spring.

Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship

Students seriously considering becoming teachers should know about the Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship.

For the 2026–27 award year, the scholarship provides up to $10,000 per year for as many as four academic years to qualifying students pursuing a path to teacher licensure. Recipients agree to teach full-time for five years at an eligible Indiana school after college or face repayment requirements described by the program.

Among the current eligibility requirements, applicants must meet at least one academic benchmark:

• Rank in the top 20% of their high school graduating class
• Have a qualifying top-20% ACT or SAT score
• Have at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale

Recipients must also meet program, enrollment, FAFSA, academic-progress, and service requirements.

Important 2026–27 timing

The 2026–27 application opened November 24, 2025, and closed February 28, 2026. That application period has already ended as of August 2026.

A high school senior graduating in 2027 should therefore not use the expired 2026–27 deadline as the deadline for their own graduating class. Instead, students interested in teaching should monitor the Indiana Commission for Higher Education and ScholarTrack for the next application cycle once the state publishes it.

This is a good example of why scholarship years need to be checked carefully.

Mitch Daniels Early Graduation Scholarship

A smaller group of Indiana students may qualify for the Mitch Daniels Early Graduation Scholarship.

For 2026–27, this is a one-time $4,000 scholarship for qualifying students who graduate from a publicly supported Indiana high school at least one year early. The scholarship can be used toward tuition and fees, subject to program rules.

Students must meet specific requirements, including earning at least a Core 40 diploma by the end of grade 11 and enrolling as a full-time, degree-seeking student at an eligible institution within the required timeframe.

For students who graduated early in 2026, the application deadline for the 2026–27 award is August 31, 2026.

The Commission also states that the 2027–28 application will open November 1, 2026, for qualifying 2027 early graduates.

This scholarship does not apply simply because a student finishes some graduation requirements ahead of schedule. The student must meet the full state definition and program requirements.

Other Indiana State Aid May Apply to Specific Students

Not every state financial aid program is designed for the typical high school senior, but families should still review Indiana's official state-aid directory.

Some programs are connected to specific circumstances, including certain military or public-safety relationships, teaching pathways, and other eligibility categories. The Indiana Commission for Higher Education maintains the current list of programs and eligible institutions.

For example, Indiana administers tuition and fee benefits for eligible children or spouses of certain public safety officers killed in the line of duty or meeting other qualifying circumstances. These programs have detailed statutory requirements and should be verified directly rather than assumed based on a parent's occupation alone.

The practical lesson is simple:

If your family has a military, public-safety, foster-care, teaching, or other special circumstance, ask whether there is a specific state or institutional program that applies.

College-Specific Scholarships Can Have Early Deadlines

Many of the scholarships a student ultimately receives may come directly from the college.

This is where high school seniors can make an expensive mistake: assuming they can submit a college application whenever the regular admission deadline arrives and still receive full scholarship consideration.

That is not always true.

For example, Indiana University Bloomington currently tells incoming first-year applicants to submit a complete admission application by November 1 for highest consideration for IU academic scholarships. IU's Indiana Excellence Scholarship, for example, uses the admission application and does not require a separate scholarship application for initial consideration when the November 1 deadline is met.

Purdue University also uses a November 1 Early Action deadline for students who want consideration for its full range of university-wide scholarships. Purdue automatically considers qualifying applicants for university-wide merit scholarships when the complete admission application is received by that deadline.

Ball State University currently recommends applying by December 1 for fullest scholarship consideration for fall enrollment, although individual scholarship programs may have separate deadlines.

These examples should not be treated as universal Indiana deadlines.

Every college sets its own rules.

When building a college list, students should create a separate column for:

• Admission deadline
• Scholarship-priority deadline
• Separate scholarship application, if required
• FAFSA priority date
• Honors or departmental scholarship deadline

Do not assume all five are the same date.

Look Beyond Statewide and College Scholarships

A strong scholarship search should also include local scholarships.

Learn More Indiana recommends that students talk with their school counselor, investigate local community foundations and civic groups, check college and university scholarship pages, and explore scholarship-search resources.

Local awards may come from:

• Community foundations
• High school foundations
• Local businesses
• Civic organizations
• Professional associations
• Religious or community organizations
• Employers
• Parent or guardian employers
• Local nonprofit organizations

These awards may be smaller than a full-tuition scholarship, but smaller scholarships can still help with costs such as books, supplies, transportation, housing, technology, or other education expenses, depending on the award's rules.

Students should ask their counselor where local scholarship announcements are posted. Some schools use an online scholarship database, newsletter, counseling webpage, email list, or senior class portal.

FAFSA Still Matters When Searching for Scholarships

A common misunderstanding is that the FAFSA is only for student loans.

It is not.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is used to determine eligibility for federal student aid and is also used for many state, college, and need-based scholarship programs.

For students using aid during the 2026–27 college academic year, Indiana's priority FAFSA deadline was April 15, 2026. Indiana also requires high school seniors to file the FAFSA or complete an allowable opt-out process by April 15.

The federal 2026–27 FAFSA remains available through June 30, 2027, but waiting until the federal deadline can be far too late for many state or college programs.

If a student who needs 2026–27 aid has not filed, they should not assume there is no reason to file. Submit the FAFSA if appropriate and contact the college financial aid office to ask what federal, state, or institutional aid may still be available.

For a high school senior planning to begin college in fall 2027, watch for the 2027–28 FAFSA and use the deadlines for that specific aid year.

Use ScholarTrack for Indiana State Aid

ScholarTrack is Indiana's online system for state financial aid.

The Indiana Commission for Higher Education describes it as a central resource for state financial aid, including the 21st Century Scholars program and other need- and merit-based aid.

Depending on the program, students may use ScholarTrack to:

• Check state financial aid information
• Review 21st Century Scholar status
• Complete or monitor Scholar requirements
• Apply for certain state programs
• Review state aid award information

A senior who has never logged in should not wait until graduation to determine whether an account or action is needed.

Build a Scholarship List That Is Actually Manageable

Students do not need to apply to hundreds of scholarships at once.

A smaller, organized list of realistic opportunities is often more useful.

Start with four groups:

State opportunities

Check 21st Century Scholars, applicable Indiana scholarship programs, grants, and special-purpose aid.

Local opportunities

Ask the school counselor and community foundation what is available to students from the school, county, or region.

College scholarships

Check every college on the student's list. Look separately at automatic merit awards, competitive scholarships, honors programs, departmental awards, and need-based opportunities.

Outside scholarships

Explore reputable organizations, employers, professional groups, national programs, and scholarship-search databases.

For each opportunity, record:

This makes it easier to prioritize real opportunities instead of repeatedly searching the internet without knowing what has already been reviewed.

Watch for Scholarship Scams

Legitimate scholarship searches should not require students to pay someone simply to access an award application.

Be cautious when a scholarship or financial aid offer:

• Guarantees that the student will win
• Demands payment to release an award
• Requests unusual banking or financial information without a clear legitimate purpose
• Uses pressure to force an immediate decision
• Claims a student has won something they never entered
• Imitates a government agency, college, or scholarship organization

When something feels questionable, verify the program through the organization's official website or ask a school counselor or college financial aid office before providing sensitive information.

A Practical Scholarship Plan for 2026–27

For students in grades 9–11, the goal is not to complete senior-only applications early. Instead:

• Build a record of academic progress and activities
• Keep a simple list of awards and service activities
• Learn which Indiana programs may apply
• Check 21st Century Scholar status when applicable
• Begin learning where local scholarships are published

For seniors during the 2026–27 school year:

1. Check ScholarTrack and 21st Century Scholar status.
2. Ask the counselor for the school's local scholarship list.
3. Find the community foundation serving your county and check Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship information.
4. Review scholarship deadlines for every college on the application list.
5. Pay special attention to fall scholarship-priority admission deadlines such as November 1 or December 1 when a college uses them.
6. File the correct FAFSA for the college year the student will attend.
7. Create a calendar for separate state, institutional, local, and private scholarship applications.
8. Confirm every deadline and eligibility rule on the official provider's website before applying.

Students do not need to qualify for every program in this guide.

The better approach is to identify the opportunities that actually match the student's graduating class, college plans, financial circumstances, academic record, career interests, and community.

Scholarships are one part of the college-cost picture. The most useful plan combines scholarship searching with FAFSA completion, state and federal aid, college financial aid offers, and a realistic comparison of what each college will actually cost.

Official Links ans Sources

Indiana State Financial Aid Programs - Indiana State Financial Aid by Program
Provides Indiana's official list of state grants, scholarships, tuition-support programs, eligibility information, and application guidance.

Indiana Commission for Higher EducationScholarTrack
Students can review Indiana state financial aid, manage 21st Century Scholar information, and access applications for certain state programs.

Independent Colleges of Indiana - Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program
Explains the statewide scholarship program and directs students to their local community foundation for county-specific application requirements and deadlines.‍‍

Indiana Commission for Higher Education - Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship
Provides current eligibility, award, application, renewal, and Indiana teaching-service requirements.‍‍

Indiana Commission for Higher Education - Mitch Daniels Early Graduation Scholarship
Provides eligibility and application information for qualifying Indiana students graduating from high school at least one year early.

Federal Student Aid, U.S. Department of Education - Federal Student Aid FAFSA
Official federal application for grants, work-study, loans, and financial information used by many state and institutional aid programs.

Disclaimer: This article provides general educational information about scholarships and financial aid for Indiana students. Scholarship availability, award amounts, eligibility rules, application requirements, FAFSA requirements, and deadlines can change by academic year, graduating class, county, college, and individual program. Confirm current requirements directly with the scholarship provider, Indiana Commission for Higher Education, school counselor, college admissions office, or college financial aid office before relying on a deadline or making a financial decision.