Over $1.3 million in scholarships are available now from the Central Indiana Community Foundation for seniors in high school, currently enrolled students and those returning to pursue their education during the 2019-20 academic year. Scholarships are vitally important for empowering students to reach their full potential.
It is estimated that by 2025, at least 60 percent of Americans will need some type of high-quality credential beyond high school. This includes anything from associate degrees, certification programs, bachelor’s degrees and graduate degrees. However, according to “A Stronger Nation,” a study by Lumina Foundation, the national average attainment of certificates and degrees is only 46.9 percent, and Indiana lags behind the rest of the country at only 41.9 percent.
While wages have been slow to increase in recent years, the cost of education has continued to rise. This has led to an increased reliance on student loans that have become both larger and far more difficult to pay off. Additionally, student loans account for the most non-housing debt in America, and loan debt can cause detrimental and long-term repercussions after graduation for individuals and the community. Yet still, a degree or certificate is imperative to earn a higher wage. Scholarships work to fill the financial gap to lessen the burden of pursuing necessary education.
Central Indiana Community Foundation, and its affiliates, The Indianapolis Foundation and Hamilton County Community Foundation, manage and award more than 50 scholarships for Central Indiana students. A common application form makes it easy to identify multiple scholarships at CICF that a student might be eligible to earn. Scholarships are community driven, established either actively from community donors or as legacy gifts, and all are awarded to high-achieving students with financial need across Central Indiana. New scholarship funds are created annually.
Applications for CICF scholarships are accepted now through Feb. 5, 2019. Interested applicants are encouraged to review the scholarships available and apply at cicf.org.
Clayton De Fur is community investment officer for Central Indiana Community Foundation.
