IN HB1445

Establishes the Indiana Lifelong Learning Incentive for Excellence (LIFE) scholarship program administered by the commission for higher education to provide scholarships to Indiana residents attending eligible postsecondary institutions.

Creates the LIFE scholarship fund from state appropriations and private grants, gifts, and donations, with fund expenses paid from the fund balance and unused money not reverting to the general fund at fiscal year end.

Scholarship amounts vary by institution type: full tuition plus mandatory fees for state institutions; average of four highest state university tuitions plus average mandatory fees for nonprofit private institutions; and Ivy Tech Community College tuition plus average mandatory fees for for-profit institutions.

Establishes eligibility requirements including U.S. citizenship or permanent resident status, Indiana residency, Selective Service compliance, no default on federal or state education loans, no felony drug convictions, and no incarceration.

Limits scholarship eligibility to freshman and sophomore students seeking associate or baccalaureate degrees with a cumulative 3.0 grade point average, and restricts receipt until students complete 91 quarter hours or 61 semester hours of postsecondary education.