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A program that gives qualifying Indiana students $1,000 grants for tutoring is reopening after abruptly closing earlier this year due to insufficient funding.
Indiana Learns began in 2022 to address COVID-related learning loss, through a unique model that gives funding directly to families to schedule English and math tutoring lessons with approved providers.
But the program depended on federal pandemic aid, and up until now, it was not clear whether the state would continue to support it after the relief money expired. In February, the program also ran out of funding sooner than expected due to heavy use, leaving some students in limbo. Since October 2022, the program has enrolled more than 25,000 students, according to a state news release Wednesday.
In the news release, the Indiana Department of Education said the program would reopen enrollment through Dec. 19, with families able to schedule tutoring sessions immediately. The department did not answer questions about how the program will be funded moving forward. According to the program’s website, its expected close date for the 2025-2026 school year is April 10, which is the date all tutoring must be completed.
The requirements for the program remain similar: Students must reside in Indiana, be in grades 3-8, and have scored below proficiency in either the math or English/language arts portions of the ILEARN. Students must also qualify for the free or reduced-price lunch program, and unlike previously, attend a school federally designated as low-performing.
Students who qualify can use their $1,000 grant to schedule in-person, online, or hybrid tutoring through an approved vendor.
The program is administered by The Mind Trust, a nonprofit charter school incubator based in Indianapolis. Representatives of the organization have previously said that students who attend sessions regularly see the greatest gains from the program.
“Indiana Learns specifically focuses on our most struggling students and provides them the opportunity to receive high-quality tutoring support, regardless of their parents’ ability to pay,” said Secretary of Education Katie Jenner in the news release. “This investment in our Hoosier families is an investment in the future of our state, and first and foremost, the future of our students. ”
Aleksandra Appleton covers Indiana education policy and writes about K-12 schools across the state. Contact her at aappleton@chalkbeat.org.
