-
Target PopulationThe Nina Scholars program serves students who must meet one of the following criteria:
- Is an adult who has dependents in the family unit
- Is an adult with physical disabilities
- Adults, ages 18-25, who have experienced foster care or have been disconnected from their parents or primary caregiver and are responsible for their own financial support.
-
Financial Support
- Tuition and Fees
- Cost of Books
- Living Stipend
For up to 6 years.
The impact of the Nina Scholars program has been profound. Every aspect of my life has been enhanced by the practice of viewing challenges as opportunities to learn and grow. The way the curriculum is coupled with a supportive community of other students on similar journeys has made all the difference.
Promoting and Developing Student Success
The Nina Mason Pulliam Legacy Scholars program promotes and develops the success of students who face some of the most significant barriers in education and in life. In addition to financial support, interventions include proactive, academically focused mentoring; meetings and workshops focused on academic success, career development, and personal growth; community service; and engagement in the university through the Nina Scholars community.
-
3.0Average cumulative GPA of Nina Scholars
-
77%percentage of Nina Scholars who have graduated or are enrolled since 2001
-
37%Approximate percentage of graduates that have advanced degrees or are in a graduate program
Number of Students Served per Academic Year
We currently serve 33 scholars. The program adds eight new scholars per academic year (three slots are dedicated to Ivy Tech Nina Scholars who wish to transfer to IU Indianapolis).
Scholarship Eligibility
-
Adults with dependents
Dependents in the Household
These are adults who have dependents in their household (self not included). These adults may be first-time college students or returning students (those with previous college experience). The family unit may include relatives or other persons who may live inside or outside the applicant's household, but for whom the Internal Revenue Service has determined there is a financially dependent relationship.
-
College-age youth and adults with physical disabilities
Physical Disability
A physical disability for the purposes of this scholarship program is one that limits or impairs a person's ability to access or to be fully mobile on campus or creates a special challenge for classroom instruction, tutoring, student support services, participation in campus offerings, and other academic and extracurricular activities. This includes disabilities that substantially limit major life activities such as walking, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, writing, and working. These disabilities may be results of, but are not limited to, spinal cord injuries, brain injuries, speech impairments, visual impairments, hearing impairments, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, loss of limbs, and severe orthopedic injuries. Applicants are to provide official documentation of their physical disability from a medical or health care provider.
Adults, ages 18-25, who have experienced foster care or have been disconnected from their parents or primary caregiver and are responsible for their own financial support.
Examples of eligibility include:
- Youth who experienced foster care
- Youth who never entered the formal child welfare system but were shuffled into informal kinship care situations
- Youth disconnected from their homes/parents who became functionally homeless and survived through the generosity of friends by "couch surfing"
- Youth who experienced significant time in the system, but were ultimately returned to marginally capable parents
- Youth, who after a period of time in foster care, were adopted legally by marginally capable family members ill equipped to support a child socially or financially
Note: These criteria are in addition to an applicant attesting to citizenship, residency, and income eligibility requirements stated on the application form.
Application Deadline: March 1
Apply
-
To Access:
- Go to IU Scholarships on One.IU and enter the portal
- Complete the IU General Application
- The general application calls for a required essay. If you are only planning to apply for the Nina Scholarship, you can write a very brief statement in that box
- Search for Nina Scholars Application
- To complete the Nina Scholars Application you will need to complete an essay, provide documentation regarding your eligibility criteria, and provide names and contact information for two Letters of Recommendation
-
If you are an IU Indianapolis applicant, you may need to create a University account to sign in to the application system.
-
If you are a current student, use your IU Indianapolis login information.
-
If you have any questions or issues while applyingContact our program right away at nina@iu.edu.
Other Eligibility Requirements
- Students must:
- Apply to IU Indianapolis before applying for the scholarship
- Be working toward a first undergraduate degree with the intent to seek degree completion at the institution to which they are applying
- Be a U.S. citizen and a resident of Indiana
- Priority given to those with a household income of 80% or less of the Marion County median income based on family size
- Have previously completed no more than 24 college-level, degree-applicable credits (does not include current semester credits enrolled in at the time of application)
Refer a student
Thanks for supporting the Nina Scholars! To refer a student to Nina at IU Indianapolis, please complete the following form.
Additional Information
Contact Us
Director of Scholar Support Programs
Charlie Johnson
Nina Scholars, THRIVE, and Bowen Scholars
Contact Information
- 815 W. Michigan St.
- Indianapolis, IN 46202
- Office: (317) 278-7564
- Fax: (317) 278-2030
- nina@iu.edu