Indiana State University Newsroom

Indiana State University today announced a bold institutional initiative, the Indiana State Advantage, a three-pronged guarantee to entering freshmen that is unusual if not unique for a public university.

The Indiana State Advantage, which starts in Fall 2022, is designed to attract students to ISU’s beautiful campus, where a private college learning approach complements the benefits of a public institution.

The Indiana State Advantage emphasizes ISU’s quality, breadth of opportunity, and affordability while supporting the state of Indiana’s goals around degree completion, equity, and talent.

These are the three prongs:

--Experiential Guarantee: Every first-time, full-time student on campus can apply for up to $3,000 for an educational experience outside the classroom — an internship, study abroad, research, or service.

--Tuition-free Guarantee: After aid is calculated, ISU will make up any difference in tuition costs for Pell Grant eligible students from the state of Indiana who had a high school gpa of at least 3.0 and are in good academic standing.

--Four-year Guarantee: Eligible students will be able to finish a bachelor’s degree in four years or the rest is tuition free.

A website launched today with more detail: indstate.edu/advantage. A major advertising campaign will follow.

ISU President Dr. Deborah J. Curtis said the Indiana State Advantage is not just a unique, compelling offer to incoming students but a description of the overall student experience of Sycamores.

“The Indiana State Advantage is what we do together every day to educate and graduate our wonderful students,” Curtis said. “We offer high-quality education, small class sizes, caring professors and a culture of inclusion and support. We also offer a wide breadth of academic and extracurricular options, with world-class faculty who work with undergraduates in state-of-the-art facilities.

“Opportunity, quality, and affordability — this is our value proposition to citizens of the great state of Indiana and beyond.”

There is no new spending involved in the Indiana State Advantage. ISU is reallocating existing internal aid and scholarship resources, distributing them in a way that benefits all first-time, full-time students on campus. Current students are benefiting from the same resources.

Teresa Lubbers, Indiana’s Commissioner for Higher Education, lauded the Indiana State Advantage.

“This important initiative launched by Indiana State University is warmly welcomed and supported by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education,” Lubbers said. “The Indiana State Advantage aligns with the Commission’s strategic plan and focus on completion, affordability and career relevance.”

Logo 1 – Indiana State Advantage

Logo 2 – Indiana State Advantage

Media contacts:

Mark Alesia, Director of University Communication 

(O) 812-237-3837 

(C) 812-229-8020 

mark.alesia@indstate.edu

Dianne Powell, Associate Director of University Communication

(O) 812-237-8764

(C) 812-878-2131

DianneFrances.Powell@indstate.edu