The Best Scholarships for Students in Indiana for 2024

Whether you’re rooting for the Fighting Irish or getting your brackets broken by the Boilermakers, we know you’ve got your eye on a college in Indiana. But how do you go about applying for financial aid to attend? Scholarships, grants, and other financial aid play a big part in the tuition game. (See our full financial aid guide here.)

With renowned universities like Purdue, Indiana University Bloomington, and the University of Notre Dame, it should come as no surprise that the Hoosier State is a popular destination for getting a college education. However, education in Indiana doesn’t come cheap and students generally can’t afford to pay out of pocket.

For example, at Purdue University, a world-renowned research institution, in-state students can expect to pay just under $10,000* USD while out-of-state students need to dish out an average of $28,794*. Another public institution, Indiana University Bloomington, costs $10,534* for in-state students and $34.846* for non-residents.

For private Indiana universities, students can expect to pay a much higher tuition rate. The University of Notre Dame, for example, costs $53,391* per year for both residents and non-residents.

Despite high prices, paying for school isn’t a hopeless task, and it’s not necessary to drown in student debt, either. Scholarships in Indiana are a great way to get free money for school and fund your education.

Benefits of Scholarships & How to Apply

The first and most obvious benefit of scholarships is that they don’t need to be paid back…ever! Winning a scholarship is like receiving free money…and who wouldn’t want that?

Plus, there are scholarships for people of all shapes, sizes, and backgrounds. Whether you’re a transfer student, a photography buff, or studying for a career in ecology, there’s a scholarship for you.

The best place to start is Going Merry! We match you with the scholarships you qualify for to save you time and effort. The next step is to speak with your high school guidance office or college financial aid office. They’ll have plenty of info on local scholarships and awards that you qualify for.

If you’re short on time and want to apply for a few easy scholarships in the meantime, we’ve written a list of scholarships without essays to help you out.

Check out this list of Indiana scholarships, hosted on Going Merry. You can apply for all of them, right on our website! Just sign up here.

Awesome Scholarships in Indiana

1. Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship

The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program is designed to raise the level of educational attainment in Indiana, leverage further the ability of Indiana’s community foundations, enhance the quality of life of the state’s residents, and encourage and support the efforts of current and past Lilly Endowment Community Scholars. It’s also to engage with Indiana business, governmental, educational, nonprofit, and civic leaders to improve the quality of life in Indiana generally and in local communities throughout the state.

Amount: Up to $45,000

Provider: Porter County Community Foundation

Who Can Apply: High School Seniors, College Students

Requirements: (a) Residency in Porter County Indiana, (b) Available for an interview by the interview committee, (c) Accepted at an accredited public or private college or university in Indiana and begin a full-time, four-year baccalaureate course of study beginning in the upcoming fall, (d) Applied to at least one Indiana college or university, (e) Entering college for the first time, (f) A graduate of an accredited Indiana High School, (g) ACT Score Report, (h) FAFSA SAR, (i) Two letters of recommendation, (j) SAT Score Report, (k) Transcript.

2. Community Foundation of Crawford County Universal Scholarship Application

The Community Foundation of Crawford County (CFCC) is a non-profit organization that builds permanent resources to meet current and future community needs. One aspect of the mission is to provide scholarships for area students. Under the leadership of the Community Foundation of Crawford County (CFCC) Board of Directors, the CFCC has provided well over $8 million in Grants/Scholarships/Project funding to benefit Crawford County. Therefore, we welcome you to apply for the Community Foundation of Crawford County Universal Scholarship.

Amount: Up to $5,000

Provider: Community Foundation of Crawford County

Who Can Apply: High School Seniors

Requirements: (a) Residency in Crawford County, Indiana, (b) FAFSA SAR, (c) Letter of recommendation, (d) Transcript.

3. INvested Scholarship

Indiana Secondary Market for Education Loans, Inc. (“INvestEd”) is offering participants a chance to win one of five (5) $1,000 scholarships in the “$1,000 INvestEd Scholarship Giveaway“.

Amount: Up to $1,000

Provider: INvested

Who Can Apply: High school Junior, High School Senior, Trade/Vocational School Students, Community College Students, Undergraduate Students, Graduate Students, and Doctorate Students

Requirements: (a) Residency in Indiana, (b) Currently enrolled or planning to enroll in Indiana, (c) U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident

4. Loogootee School Scholarship

The mission of Loogootee Community Schools, in partnership with our community, is to provide an innovative and technological foundation that will prepare each child for the future. We work to build every student’s talent to reach the highest potential through rigorous curriculum, enhanced one-to-one technology, and flexible instruction that meets the needs of all learners today to become tomorrow’s leaders. Apply for the Loogootee School Scholarship today!

Amount: Varies

Provider: Loogootee High School

Who Can Apply: High School Seniors

Requirements: (a) Attended Loogootee High School, (b) Resume, (c) Transcript.

5. Horatio Alger Association Scholarship

The Horatio Alger Association offers 51 scholarships across the country, 50 state scholarships plus one for the District of Columbia. The Horatio Alger Association Scholarship focuses on talented students who have overcome academic or other obstacles during their lifetime.

Amount: $10,000

Provider: Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans

Who Can Apply: High School Seniors

Requirements: (a) Financial need, (b) Involvement in co-curricular and community service activities, (c) United States Citizen, (d) Minimum GPA of 2.0.

6. Equitable Excellence Scholarship

Students who demonstrate ambition, drive, and the potential for success are eligible for the Equitable Excellence Scholarship. As an added bonus, the organization awards a $1,000 grant to the school of each winner.

Amount: $25,000, $10,000, and $2,500

Provider: AXA

Who Can Apply: High School Seniors

Requirements: (a) Citizen or legal resident of the United States, (b) Demonstrate work, academic, or community achievement.

7. AAF-Greater Evansville Annual Scholarship

Awarded to local students interested in pursuing a career in advertising, marketing, public relations, or graphic design, the AAF-Greater Evansville Annual Scholarship in Indiana has been helping students pay for school for four decades. Students living in Vanderburgh, Warrick, Posey, Gibson, and Pike counties can apply. Students in select Illinois and Kentucky counties are also eligible.

Amount: $5,000

Provider: American Advertising Federation

Who Can Apply: High School Seniors, College Freshmen, College Sophomores, College Juniors

Requirements: (a) Major in one of the aforementioned areas, (b) Full-time student status, (c) Minimum GPA of 3.0.

8. William A. Crawford Minority Teacher Scholarship

With the dream of diversifying leadership in Indiana classrooms, the William A. Crawford Minority Teacher Scholarship provides $4,000 to African American or Hispanic students interested in majoring or minoring in elementary, secondary, or special education.

Amount: $4,000

Provider: Indiana Commission for Higher Education

Who Can Apply: High School Seniors, College Freshmen, College Sophomores, College Juniors

Requirements: (a) Commitment to teaching in Indiana for at least three years upon graduation, (b) Full-time student status at university in Indiana, (c) Major in a relevant field, (d) Minimum GPA of 2.0, (e) Residency in Indiana.

9. ESA Youth Scholarship

The Electronic Security Association provides the ESA Youth Scholarship to the children of parents who are employed full-time by the police, fire, or sheriff’s department both national and state-wide.

Amount: Up to $7,500

Provider: Electronic Security Association

Who Can Apply: High School Seniors

Requirements: (a) Graduating senior between 15 and 20 years old, (b) Intention to attend an accredited university in the fall, (c) Minimum GPA of 3.0.

10. Indiana Sheriff’s Association Scholarship

The Indiana Sheriff’s Association Scholarship in Indiana is available to affiliates and associate members as well as dependent children and grandchildren of affiliate or associate members of the Indiana Sheriff’s Association. Recipients should be planning to major in criminal justice, corrections, homeland security, police science, emergency management, or a related field.

Amount: $500

Provider: Indiana Sheriff’s Association

Who Can Apply: High School Seniors

Requirements: (a) Graduation from an Indiana high school, (b) Full-time student status, (c) Commitment to a career in law enforcement, (d) Passing score on the SAT or ACT.

11. Holt Scholarship

The Holt Scholarship awards $1,000 per year to qualified students with the goal of inspiring the next generation of conservationists and mobilizing a diverse conservation army to broaden the stewardship ethic, conservation action, public and private investments, and support for policy changes necessary to save thousands of at-risk species in our time. 

Amount: $1,000

Provider: Indiana Wildlife Federation

Who Can Apply: College Sophomores, College Juniors, and College Seniors

Requirements: (a) majoring or minoring in a field related to resource conservation or environmental education, (b) accepted and enrolled for the Fall semester

12. Indiana FFA Association Indiana State Fair Scholarship

The Indiana FFA Association Indiana State Fair Scholarship was created to support the Indiana FFA by contributing to the Indiana FFA pavilion/country market and its activities at the State Fair. Students must be members of the National FFA to qualify.

Amount: Up to $500

Provider: Indiana FFA Association

Who Can Apply: High School Seniors, Community College Students, Undergraduate Students, and Graduate Students

Requirements: (a) Membership of the National FFA, (b) Residency in Indiana, (c) Full-time student status

* Tuition costs are accurate as of May 2018. For the most up-to-date tuition information, please check the university website.

Still need help with financial aid and college scholarships?

We get it. Financing college tuition can be quite the process, and with so many scholarships out there, how do you know which ones to apply for? Start by submitting your FAFSA form as soon as possible since this will help determine what financial aid you might qualify for.

But don’t stop at the FAFSA. Keep your head in the game, and check out these Indiana financial aid options too:

• Indiana State University
• Notre Dame
• Purdue University
• Butler University
• Ball State University

You’re now at the 20 yard line. But to really score, create a free Going Merry account today, to find independent scholarships that best suit your financial aid needs. At Going Merry, we make finding and applying for scholarships easy.

You’ll be matched with the scholarships you’re eligible for, save your favorite scholarships, and then apply for those scholarships. Get started today. Sign up here

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Brittany Mailhot

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