PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Tuition and Fee Exemption for Children and Spouses of Public Safety Officers provides up to 100% of tuition and regularly assessed fees for up to 124 semester credit-hours at Indiana public colleges and universities at the undergraduate resident tuition rate. The maximum amount that an eligible applicant is exempt from paying for a semester hour is an amount equal to the cost of an undergraduate semester credit hour at the state educational institution in which the eligible applicant enrolls.
PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
Applicant for Public Safety Officer Requirements
- Must be an individual whose father, mother, or spouse served as a PSO and was killed in the line of duty; or
- An individual whose mother, father, or spouse:
(A) is a member of the 1977 fund;
(B) sustained a catastrophic physical personal injury in the line of duty; and
(C) qualifies for benefits under IC 36-8-8-13.3(f) or IC 36-8-8-13.5(m); or - An individual whose mother, father, or spouse:
(A) was a state police officer; and
(B) suffered a permanent and total disability from a catastrophic personal injury that
was sustained in the line of duty and permanently prevents the state police officer
from performing any gainful work. - If the individual was adopted by the PSO, the individual must have been adopted prior to the age of 18.
- If the individual qualifies for an exemption based on the service of the individual's mother or father, the individual must not be more than thirty-two (32) years of age when the individual first applies and becomes eligible for the exemption.
- The individual must be, after high school graduation, enrolled at an Eligible Indiana Institution pursuing a prescribed course of study.
- The individual must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) as determined by the institution, and complete a FAFSA annually to maintain eligibility each year
Public Safety Officer (parent or spouse of applicant) Requirements
- Must have been a legal resident of Indiana at the time of death;
- Must have been a public employee of the state or an Indiana county, township, city or town; and one of the following:
(1) A regular, paid law enforcement officer.
(2) A regular, paid firefighter.
(3) A volunteer firefighter (as defined in IC 36-8-12-2).
(4) A county police reserve officer.
(5) A city or town police reserve officer.
(6) A paramedic (as defined in IC 16-18-2-266).
(7) An emergency medical technician (as defined in IC 16-18-2-112).
(8) An advanced emergency medical technician (as defined in IC 16-18-2-6.5).
(9) A hazardous duty employee of the department of correction who:
(A) works within a prison or juvenile facility; or
(B) performs parole or emergency response operations and functions.
(10) A community corrections officer.
HOW TO APPLY
- Submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at FAFSA.gov.
- Submit the Tuition and Fee Exemption - Children or Spouse of Public Safety Officer Application and all necessary documentation online through ScholarTrack.
- Students must create a Student ScholarTrack account at ScholarTrack.IN.gov to complete the application process.
- Once logged into ScholarTrack, click “Apply for State Aid” to access the application.
- Students may also click the following link to directly access the application. You will be prompted to log into ScholarTrack: https://ScholarTrack.che.in.gov/Portal/#/application/314
- Students will be able to view their award status through their Student ScholarTrack account.
Any questions can be directed to the Commission's Financial Aid Support Center:
1-888-528-4719