How Indiana Families Can Access Tutoring Grants
Indiana tutoring grants for school children will be available soon, here's how families can access the funds.
Qualifying families in Indiana will soon be eligible for tutoring assistance funds. These Indiana tutoring grants are to be awarded to students who are most in need. From children of low-income families to those with low proficiency rates, this initiative is utilizing $15 million in taxpayer-funded COVID relief money to get students back on track.
This plan to give parents the money directly is expected to help families take action against learning gaps and other pandemic-related learning loss struggles. In order to better aid recipients, the state has created a virtual directory of qualified tutors and virtual reading and math lessons. But just who qualifies, and how can parents apply for the Indiana tutoring grants?
In order to receive one of these Indiana tutoring grants, students must be a resident of the state. In addition, they have to be enrolled in a public school, charter school, or accredited private school. Only low-income students who qualify for the state’s free or reduced-price lunch programs are eligible and must have scored below proficiency standards for math and English for the Indiana ILEARN. This is strictly for students who enrolled in the third or fourth grade during the previous school year.
Applications will be available online as early as October first. State officials released the details on Wednesday and noted that families will need to register for an account on the Indiana tutoring grants website. The exact number of students expected to be helped with the program has not been released, but the Indiana Secretary of Education did express a wish to be able to offer more students aid.
For now, these Indiana tutoring grants are set to offer some relief to select families. Those approved will receive a $500 payment. In addition, the state is encouraging schools to provide their own $250 scholarships for tutoring services. These scholarships will then be matched by the state, providing a total of $1,000 in additional education services for struggling students.
Because the program details have just recently been released state officials have not spoken directly with districts about matching programs, but three have already committed to the initiative. The Indianapolis Public Schools, Decatur Township Schools, and Muncie Community Schools are prepared to provide tutoring funds. How many other districts will agree to the expanded Indiana tutoring grant matching program is uncertain, but many are hopeful that schools will join in.
Tutors seeking to offer their services are encouraged to apply on the Indiana Learns website. They must be available outside of traditional school hours and cannot take on more than three students at a time. In addition, they cannot charge more than $100 per hour and are required to provide at least an hour of tutoring services each week. This ensures that families are getting the most out of their Indiana tutoring grants and those helping them are not overburdened.
While each state has its own strategies and procedures for helping students overcome learning struggles, Indiana’s tutoring grants are a new approach that give families the flexibility to customize additional learning services to their schedule and needs. The success of this program is likely to influence future COVID funding uses. In addition, it may inspire other sponsored tutoring initiatives.
