§ 21-12-6-5 — Qualifications to participate in program

(a) Unless a student qualifies under subsection
(b), to qualify to participate in the program, a student must meet the
following requirements:
(1) Be a resident of Indiana.
(2) Be:
(A) enrolled in grade 7 or 8 at a:
(i) public school; or
(ii) nonpublic school that is accredited either by the Indiana
state board of education or by a national or regional
accrediting agency whose accreditation is accepted as a
school improvement plan under IC 20-31-4.1-2; or
(B) otherwise qualified under the rules of the commission that
are adopted under IC 21-18.5-4-9(2) to include students who
are in grades other than grade 8 as eligible students.
(3) Be a member of a household with an annual income of not
more than the amount required for the individual to qualify for
free or reduced price lunches under the national school lunch
program, as determined for the immediately preceding taxable
year for the household for which the student was claimed as a
dependent.
(4) Agree that the student will:
(A) graduate from a secondary school located in Indiana that
meets the admission criteria of an eligible institution;
(B) not illegally use controlled substances (as defined in IC 35-48-1.1-7);
(C) not commit a crime or an infraction described in IC 9-30-5;
(D) not commit any other crime or delinquent act (as described
in IC 31-37-1-2 or IC 31-37-2-2 through IC 31-37-2-5 (or IC 31-6-4-1(a)(1) through IC 31-6-4-1(a)(5) before their repeal));
(E) timely apply, when the eligible student is a senior in high
school:
(i) for admission to an eligible institution; and
(ii) for any federal and state student financial assistance
available to the eligible student to attend an eligible
institution;
(F) achieve a cumulative grade point average upon graduation
of:
(i) at least 2.0, if the student graduates from high school
before July 1, 2014; and
(ii) at least 2.5, if the student graduates from high school after
June 30, 2014;
on a 4.0 grading scale (or its equivalent if another grading scale
is used) for courses taken during grades 9, 10, 11, and 12; and
(G) complete an academic success program required under the
rules adopted by the commission, if the student initially enrolls
in high school after June 30, 2013.
(b) A student qualifies to participate in the program if the student:
(1) before or during grade 7 or grade 8, is placed by or with the
consent of the department of child services, by a court order, or by
a child placing agency in:
(A) a foster family home;
(B) the home of a relative or other unlicensed caretaker;
(C) a child caring institution; or
(D) a group home;
(2) meets the requirements in subsection (a)(1) through (a)(2);
and
(3) agrees in writing, together with the student's caseworker (as
defined in IC 31-9-2-11) or legal guardian, to the conditions set
forth in subsection (a)(4).
(c) The commission may require that an applicant apply
electronically to participate in the program using an online Internet
application on the commission's website.
[Pre-2007 Higher Education Recodification Citation:
20-12-70-2.]

Legislative History

As added by P.L.2-2007, SEC.253. Amended by P.L.168-2007, SEC.7; P.L.229-2007, SEC.16; P.L.3-2008, SEC.131; P.L.169-2011, SEC.6; P.L.107-2012, SEC.22; P.L.281-2013, SEC.16; P.L.165-2016, SEC.10; P.L.92-2020, SEC.99; P.L.235-2023, SEC.1; P.L.1-2025, SEC.200; P.L.186-2025, SEC.118.