On Sept. 1, Indiana University President Michael A. McRobbie announced that IU students, including those attending any of Indiana University’s five regional campuses will be able to qualify for incentive grants.
“These new university incentive grants will reduce the impact of tuition increases over this biennium for all Hoosier undergraduate students who demonstrate a commitment to degree completion and academic achievement,” McRobbie said in a press release.
Although there are still a few details that need to be finalized before the incentive grants are implemented, McRobbie announced that the awards will range from $200 to $300 depending on the campus.
They will be given only to full-time students enrolled in 12 credit hours or more for both spring and fall semesters and have successfully completed the 2009 to 2010 academic year with a 3.0 or higher grade point average.
Students attending IU Bloomington and Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis can receive $300, while the regional campus students can be eligible for $200.
These rewards will be given to students automatically, there will not be an application process, and will be awarded to the students bursar accounts for use in the 2010-2011 academic year. For students graduating in June 2010, the credit will be awarded in the spring semester of that year. These rewards will not be included with the student’s financial aid and are awarded separately.
“This new performance credit program helps us achieve two of our long-standing goals: ensuring that Indiana University remains affordable for Hoosier students and improving our graduation and retention rates by giving students additional help and incentives to help them lower their costs in these tough economic times,” McRobbie said.
The incentive awards are a part of McRobbie’s “Degrees of Excellence” initiative, which he first announced during his inaugural address two years ago.
The “Degrees of Excellence” initiative is a university wide, $10 million effort to help promote successful degree completion and greater incentive for students to perform at a higher level.
Students need to keep in mind that according to federal regulations all resources a student receives must be included in their financial aid package and that a student cannot receive financial aid in excess of the students cost of attendance.
“The money is helpful for students who don’t have money to pay for school and could help them strive for a higher GPA with the rebate,” Tricia Barnes, criminal justice freshman, said.
McRobbie said a majority of in-state students would have qualified for the grant last year and he said he hopes even more Hoosiers will earn a “B” average this year.
By JUSTIN RAY and
AHLAEN SIMIC
Staff Writers
jusray@ius.edu
asimic@ius.edu
