FOC Eligibility Requirements

To qualify for the Freedom of Choice grant from the Indiana Commission for Higher Education(CHE), the following requirements must be met in addition to those listed on our state aid programs page.  To access your state account, please click on the ScholarTrack on the CHE webpage.

School Requirements

• Demonstrate financial need as determined by your FAFSA.
• Maintain satisfactory academic progress.
• Have a completed FAFSA on file by April 15 of the academic year preceding the year you plan to enroll.
• To receive the maximum award amounts, meet credit completion requirements outlined below.
  • First year: 30 credits completed
  • Second year: 60 credits completed
  • Third year: 90 credits completed
  • If you do not meet the credit completion requirements, you may still qualify for a lesser amount of the award. You must have the following number of credits completed in order to qualify:
    • First year: 24 credits
    • Second year: 48 credits
    • Third year: 72 credits

Incentive Awards with Freedom of Choice Grant

Depending on your individual circumstance, you have the opportunity to earn incentives that will boost the amount of grant money you will be awarded. Below are the incentives and how you can earn them.

• Academic/Technical Honors: Graduate from high school with an academic or technical honors diploma. First-year traditional undergraduates only.
• Grade Point Average: Earn at least a 3.0 GPA in the previous academic year. (Second-, third- and fourth-year students only.)
• Accelerated Schedule: Complete at least 39 credits in the previous academic year. Second-, third- and fourth-year students only.
• Associate Degree: Earn an associate degree before enrolling in a bachelor’s degree program.