With the start of second semester many of our seniors are planning to go to college.

College needs money; most high schoolers don’t have the money to go to college. This could lead to student debt if you don’t get a scholarship. Lucky for us, there is practically a scholarship for almost everyone and everything.

Let’s start with the one you most likely have heard about. It is all the Impact teachers seem to be able to talk about — the 21st Century Scholarship.

 To receive this scholarship you have to retain a certain grade point average and have applied when you were in 8th grade. All low-income 7th and 8th graders are eligible to enroll provided they meet the income threshold (under $45,000 for a family of four) and sign a pledge to complete high school with a cumulative GPA 2.5 or higher. There is no test score requirement.

Students must apply by June 30th of their 8th-grade year. You must meet these requirements all through the rest of their schooling.This scholarship covers the full cost of tuition for a maximum of 30 credit hours per year. This does not include room and board and is only eligible in public Indiana colleges.

Now we can move onto other Indiana scholarships. Here are a few:

Sponsored by COPS Monitoring, the Electronic Security Association (ESA) Youth Scholarship Program awards a first-place prize of $7,500 and second-place prize of $2,500. An additional 17 state-level scholarships of $1,000 are provided by participating chapters, including Indiana. Since 1996, funding has been provided based on academic achievement, service, and extracurricular participation. Applications, including a typed, 1,000-word essay, must arrive before March 24th.

Eligibility: Be graduating high school seniors between 15 and 20 years old and have a parent or guardian employed full-time by police, fire, or sheriff’s departments. Display academic excellence with a minimum GPA of 3.0. Intend to matriculate at accredited colleges the upcoming Fall

The Greater Evansville Chapter of the American Advertising Federation (AAF) has bestowed a $5,000 scholarship annually for the past four decades. Local high school seniors residing in Indiana’s Vanderburgh, Warrick, Posey, Gibson, and Pike counties or select Illinois and Kentucky regions could apply. Until March 23rd, applications can be submitted to Princeton, Indiana, with a one-page essay describing candidates’ media aspirations.

Started in 1998, the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program is an Indianapolis-based philanthropic effort to improve Indiana’s educational attainment rate. The Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI) administers the full-tuition scholarships with a $900 allowance to cover textbooks and supplies. Over 30 schools participate in the program, including Indiana Tech, Valparaiso, Notre Dame, DePauw, and Butler. Applications are generally due in late August.

Eligibility: Permanently reside in one of Indiana’s 92 counties. Rank in the upper 20 percent of their high school graduating class. Pursue full-time baccalaureate study at in-state, HLC-accredited schools. Exhibit extracurricular, work, or volunteer experience

Established in 1901, Tri Kappa is a philanthropic organization with 8,250 members across Indiana working to raise $1.5 million yearly for charity, culture, and education. The Hammond Chapter has five distinct scholarships open to local students through March 30. For example, the Key Scholarship helps non-traditional students who have experienced an interruption in education for at least five years. The Fine Arts Scholarship focuses on undergrads studying dance, drama, visual art, or music.

Eligibility: Be United States citizens living in Hammond, Indiana

The Indiana Commission for Higher Education (CHE) manages the William A. Crawford Minority Teacher Scholarship to diversify the leadership in Hoosier State classrooms. African American and Hispanic students declaring elementary, secondary, or special education majors/minors could receive the $4,000 award. Qualified applicants will be considered until the September 4th deadline. Also consider the Earline S. Rogers Student Teaching Stipend for Minorities.

Eligibility: Enroll as full-time undergraduates at eligible Indiana institutions. Pursue an accredited course of study for teaching licensure. Agree to teach for at least three years at in-state, K-12 schools.  Maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 throughout.