Becoming a Hoosier
Wherever you are in your educational journey, as 21st Century Scholar interested in attending the Bloomington campus of Indiana University the first thing you should do is familiarize yourself with the Office of Admissions website. Along with information on academic programs and degrees available through IU, student life, and student support, you will also find an overview of IU’s admissions standards (high school diploma requirements, academic preparation, standardized test scores), as well with admissions procedures and applications for both high school and transfer students. Wherever you are in your educational journey, it is never too soon to start planning for your application to IU. The sooner you understand what IU has to offer and what its admission standards and deadlines are, the sooner you can start positioning yourself to be a strong admissions candidate.
It’s important to remember that you must meet the same admissions standards and application deadlines as any other student applying to IU, but 21st Century Scholars do receive some benefits from the university to help them through the admission process, which is listed below.
For 21st Century Scholars coming out of high school, Indiana University waives the $100 application fee. However the application fee is not waived for 21st Century Scholars who are transferring from another college or university. High school students will have a chance to indicate that they are 21st Century Scholars when they complete the online admissions application. As long as they do so, they will not be asked to pay the $100 application fee required of most students. If you come to a prompt asking you to pay the $100 application fee to have your application submitted, do not pay it! Instead contact the Office of Admissions and inform them of the issue.
Provided you have submitted all materials necessary for you application (high school transcripts, standardized test scores, etc.), it typically takes two or three weeks to learn if you have been admitted to the university or not. Students, who have been admitted, will be notified through OneStart, which is an online portal to Indiana University that will be established once you apply. To accept their spot in the university, most students must complete Intent to Enroll Form, and pay a $100 enrollment deposit. However, 21st Century Scholars are not required to pay the enrollment deposit and only need to complete the Intent to enroll form online.
Once you have been admitted to Indiana University and completed your Intent to Enroll Form, your next step is to complete your housing application. Unless they meet specific exemptions, all freshmen are required to live on campus during their first year. The good news is that as a 21st Century Scholar, you do not have to pay the $300 housing application fee upfront. Instead, $100 is waived outright, and the other $200 of the application fee is deferred to your fall Bursar bill, where financial aid could potentially cover it if you have the need. All the information you need to understand your housing options and the application process are available on the Residential Programs and Services (RPS) website. Please make sure you have a good understanding of your housing options and the cost associated with each before you apply for housing. Also, take some time to understand how the different costs associated with housing and meal plan choices work with your financial aid, and the 21st Century Scholarship Covenant (if you are eligible to receive it.) The housing application can only be completed online. The Office of Admissions shares the list of 21st Century Scholars with RPS so that they can identify you in their system. As a 21st Century Scholar, you will not be asked to pay the $300 housing application fee. If you are asked to pay the fee before your application has been submitted, it means RPS does not have you in their system as a 21st Century Scholar. Should this occur, do not pay the application fee. Instead, contact the IUB 21st Century Scholars Office who will verify your status in the program and work with RPS to have you entered in their system as a 21st Century Scholar.
After you have submitted your housing application, your next step is to sign up for orientation. All incoming freshman and transfer student are required to participate in Orientation. Orientation is your first step in getting off to a good start and is required for all new students, with separate programs for transfer students and first-time freshman. Summer orientation programs are two days long and will take place starting in mid June and running through late July. A corresponding parent program is offered for your parents/guardians. They, too, are invited to take part in this experience as you become an Indiana University Hoosier. Orientation is run through the Office of First Year Experience Programs. Before you apply for register for Orientation take some time to review their website, which has information on program components, travel information, accommodations, and fee information. Please note: the orientation fees are not waived for 21st Century Scholars, but the fees can be charged to your fall Bursars bill.
In order to activate your 21st Century Scholarship, you and your parents must complete and sign an affirmation form and mail into the state 21st Century Scholars Office in Indianapolis. The affirmation form must be received by the state office by March 10 of your senior year in high school, or you will lose your Scholarship. In addition, students and their parents or legal guardians must complete and submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FASFA) by March 10 of their senior year in high school and make any corrections/updates to the FASFA by the correction deadline in order to get any state financial aid, including the 21st Century Scholarship. Your Regional 21st Century Scholars Office will meet with you in your high school to complete a Senior Exit Interview will you will learn more about both completing the affirmation and the FASFA. In addition, in order to transfer your 21st Century Scholarship to IU Bloomington, you must include IU Bloomington’s school code on your FASFA (001809), and make IU Bloomington your top school choice on SSACI eStudent.
As long as you have met all requirements to activate your 21st Century Scholarship, the state of Indiana will pay 100% of your tuition and mandatory fees for up to 8 semesters at Indiana University. However, tuition makes up less than half the estimated costs of attending IU Bloomington. Other expenses include room and board, books and supplies, transportation expenses, and personal expenses. To help 21st Century Scholars with expenses outside tuition and mandatory fees, Indiana University created the 21st Century Scholarship Covenant Program.
Please note: to be eligible for the Covenant, you enroll at IUB the fall after graduating from high school, and you must do everything necessary to receive the 21st Century Scholarship. Transfer students and students who do not maintain continuous enrollment at IU Bloomington cannot receive Covenant funds. Eligible 21st Century Scholars do not have to apply for the Covenant, but are automatically considered for it as long as they meet the requirements mentioned above.
As an example, the information below lists the estimated cost of attending IU Bloomington for the 2011-2012 school year, which will help you understand how the Covenant is calculated.
Expense Cost
Room and Board $8,520
Books and Supplies $824
Transportation $834
Personal $2,448
Subtotal $12,626
Tuition and Fees $9,524
Total $22,150
As you can see, the total estimated cost for the 2011-2012 school year for an Indiana resident is $22,150. Of that, $9,524 is covered by the 21st Century Scholarship. That leaves a total of $12,626 that can be covered by the Covenant. However, most scholars do not receive the full amount. The amount of your Covenant depends on what other aid you qualify for AND your family’s need as determined by the FAFSA. When you and your parents complete the FAFSA, your estimated family contribution (EFC) is determined. This is the amount of money that the Federal Government has determined that you and your family should be able to put toward your education for the year without taking out any type of loan. To show you how this works, please see the two examples listed in Table 2 below.
Covenant Award Examples
Maximum Covenant Award Other Aid EFC Covenant Total
Student A $12,626 $1,000 Scholarship $0 $11,626
Student B $12,626 None $10,000 $2,626
Please note that the Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA) uses the estimated cost of attendance when calculating aid, which uses an average cost for room & board, books, and other expenses. Students who make a room and/or meal plan choice that exceeds this average will find that they have unmet expenses, even if they have a $0 EFC. Likewise, students who add “extras” to their Bursar bill during registration may find that they have unmet expenses, including charges for sports and theater tickets or having unpaid parking fines. Since these expenses are not part of the standard student budget, they are not accounted for in the 21st Century Covenant award.
At the beginning of the spring and fall semesters, the OFSA will put any Covenant money you may be eligible for toward charges on your Bursar’s bill, including room and board, orientation fees, etc. Any remaining Covenant funds will be refunded to you. Please note: books cannot be charged to your Bursar’s account. You must pay for your books directly using your own funds. If you are eligible for Covenant money to pay for books, you will be reimbursed through your refund check at the beginning of each semester. Ultimately, it is the OFSA that determines the amount of your 21st Century Scholars Covenant Award. This handout is just a tool to help you understand how the funds are disbursed. If you want details about your specific award, you need to stop by the Office of Student Financial Assistance at 208 Franklin Hall, call them at 812-855-0321, or email blfinaid@indiana.edu.