FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis will waive a $55 admission application fee for all Indianapolis Public Schools students, beginning with IPS students who graduate in spring 2015 and apply for admission in fall 2015.
The move dovetails with a plan IPS adopted May 27 to provide a free breakfast, lunch and snack of fresh fruit or vegetables to all its students.
“Waiving the application fee for all IPS students promotes access to a college education, making the process easier on students and their families,” said Nasser Paydar, executive vice chancellor and chief academic officer at IUPUI.
”This is wonderful news for IPS and an example of partnerships that work. IUPUI joins us in promoting the philosophy that post-secondary education is a platform that offers young people stronger opportunities to excel in life,” said Lewis D. Ferebee, IPS Superintendent. “It is evidenced in many ways that IUPUI is a strong supporter of Indianapolis Public Schools; waiving the application fee further illustrates their ongoing commitment to our students’ success.”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Community Eligibility Provision of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 provides funds for the free meal program. For a school to be eligible, at least 40 percent of its students must qualify for free meals. A grant covers the costs for students who don’t meet the requirements for free meals.
IUPUI waives the application fee for IPS students and students from other school systems who received free and reduced-price lunches and whose counselors submit waiver requests. Overall, about 20 percent of students applying to IUPUI have their application fees waived.
This year, nearly 80 percent of the 30,800 IPS students qualified for free meals based on their family income. About half of the students from IPS who applied to IUPUI seek the application fee waiver. Now all IPS students will receive that benefit.
“Waiving the application fee for IPS students reinforces our commitment to community schools,” said Chris Foley, director of undergraduate admissions at IUPUI. “IUPUI has a number of institutional partnerships with IPS, and this seems like a natural thing to do. We would like to see as many students from IPS take advantage of it as possible.”