From the Office of Indiana State Senator Eric Bassler:
Supporting Schools Through the Pandemic
There are a number of unprecedented topics for the General Assembly to tackle this legislative session in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, but one of the biggest is funding K-12 education.
Under current law, public schools receive 85% of the per-student state funding for any student who gets at least half of their education virtually. Given the current circumstances, this would not be fair to the teachers, students and administrators in our education system who had to transition from in-class to remote learning.
To address this, State Senator Bassler co-authored Senate Bill 2, which would provide 100% of the state’s per-student funding for students at brick-and-mortar public schools who have gone to virtual instruction for part or all of the 2020-2021 academic year, so long as those students were not already learning virtually prior to COVID-19.
Bassler believes this one-year fix is an important step in supporting our schools as they navigate the ever-changing circumstances of the pandemic.
This week, SB 2 bill passed out of the Senate with bipartisan support and will now move to the House of Representatives for further consideration.
To view this bill and others being considered this legislative session, click here.
Financial Aid Options for College Students
INvestED is an Indianapolis-based non-profit established in 1980 by the Indiana General Assembly. Their mission is to educate Hoosier students and families on financial aid options and how to responsibly plan, borrow and finance their post-secondary educations, as well as options for repayment.
In Indiana, the average student debt exceeds $29,000, a problem often compounded by high interest rates and low stagnant wages in entry-level jobs. INvestED aspires for students to achieve the brightest possible future after graduation without overwhelming student debt.
To learn more about INvestED, click here.
Get Free Help with the FAFSA Form
INvestEd will host a variety of financial aid literacy and post-secondary planning events in the coming months, including events where you can receive free help with filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA is the most important document for determining eligibility for financial aid for higher education