INDIANAPOLIS --- Less and less Marion County high schoolers are going to college and those numbers are even lower for low-income and students of color. A new grant is hoping to reverse the trend.
The Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation [rmff.org] awarded grants totaling $7.5 million to five Marion County public school corporation.
It’s a part of the foundation’s College Matters: Reversing the Trend initiative to help address the challenges students and their families face to get to college.
These Marion County public school corporations received the grants:
- Franklin Township Community School Corporation [ftcsc.org] – $1.5 million
- Indianapolis Public Schools [myips.org] – $1.5 million
- MSD of Warren Township [warren.k12.in.us] – $1.47 million
- MSD of Wayne Township [district.wayne.k12.in.us] – $1.5 million
- Victory College Prep [victorycollegeprep.org] – $1.5 million
WRTV talked to Victory College Prep who will use the grant to sustain four years of college admission growth.
Their grant proposal included their six strategies, one of them being preparing students academically and socially for academic success that starts as early as seventh grade.
"I've been taking college classes since my ninth grade with like dual credit classes,” said Senior Ja'Kaiya Allen.
Allen wants to be an OBGYN nurse when she grows up.
She’s a licensed Certified nursing assistant (CNA) and continues to take classes in high school to get prepared for her career path.
“I'm getting used to it and it's good to get an early start while I'm in high school already,” Allen explained.
The Indianapolis charter school’s goal is to help students plan out their future when they leave, including an opportunity to go to college.
"For the students that we serve 80% or more of them being Black and Latinx, 100% being eligible for free and reduce lunch or goal that they may or may not have had prior to their time here,” said the school’s principal Chelsea Easter.
The Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation said since 2015, Indianapolis and Indiana has seen a downward trend in college enrollment. Only 48% of Marion County’s 2022 high school graduates enrolled in college.
"We have seen over the last decade, the number of students who are interested in applying for enrolling in college really decline,” said Kami Nielsen the foundation’s Senior Program Officer.
Marion County students are even likely to enroll in college than their peers.
Among 2022 high school graduates, 44% of Black students and 37% of Hispanic and Latino students enrolled, compared with 69% of their Asian peers and 53% of their white peers.
While 39% of 2022 high school graduates from low-income households enrolled in college, compared to 55% of higher-income graduates.
"College really does matter for an individual, it leads to their financial system stability, long term, improved quality of life outcomes, better health, and better civic engagement,” Nielsen said.
Victory Prep College and Career Readiness Senior Advisor Gabrielle Nave works to help every one of her students achieve this.
She sits down with students to draft resumes, fill out job and college applications, and find the path that’s right for them.
She's excited about how this grant will further support those efforts.
“It’s definitely going to give us the opportunity to take them on my college visits, get them excited for career opportunities," Nave said.
"We have a fire Internship program, and the students get to actually leave every other Friday. We’re hoping that by November the students will be going out every day Friday and get more career experience geared towards what they actually want to do.”
The charter school also said they plan to use the funding to start financial literacy classes for students and families that will help them with filling out FASFA, managing scholarship money and saving for the future.
Each school corporation received $20,000 grants earlier this year to create four-year plans to increase college enrollment.
They were invited to submit proposals for funding to implement those plans.
With the new funding they will all begin implementing their plans during this school year and will continue their efforts through the 2027–2028 school year and develop long-term sustainability plans.
WATCH | Franklin college freshmen move in as enrollment approaches 1,000 students
