INDIANAPOLIS — State officials have proposed overhauling Indiana’s college financial aid system to make more money available to older adults, who are more than half of the state’s students but receive a small amount of assistance.
State Higher Education Commissioner Teresa Lubbers said millions of dollars in aid could be redirected to students 25 and older looking to finish a degree or find a second career, The Indianapolis Star reported in a story Wednesday.
State officials estimate 54 percent of Indiana’s college students are at least 25. But many of them have less access to the state’s $253 million pool of financial aid because they are in school part-time. Only about $5.3 million in aid goes to part-time students.
“More students are older than the traditional 17- to 24-year-olds,” Lubbers said. “Many are in their late 20s or early 30s. They have jobs, housing and families of their own.”
Other changes Lubbers said were under consideration are:
* Tightening the rules for 21st Century Scholars grants, which offer full-ride scholarships to needy youth who stay out of trouble and meet grade-point average standards.
* Taking grants away from traditional students who drop below full-time status during a semester or fail to meet academic expectations.
