SHELBY COUNTY — Ivy Tech Community College students in Shelby County will soon complete 20,000 volunteer service hours as part of a unique community scholarship program that pays students’ tuition to raise the county’s educational attainment and workforce readiness.
Advantage Shelby County requires each student to perform 10 hours of community service each semester as one of the scholarship’s eligibility requirements.
Since the program began in 2016, students have completed more than 19,700 hours and are slated to reach 20,000 early this summer. Almost 25% of the spring graduates in Shelby County (40 students) took advantage of the scholarship this year.
Students begin their volunteer service hours the summer prior to starting their college degree at Ivy Tech Community College and then complete 10 additional hours each fall and spring while enrolled.
Advantage Shelby County is a collaboration between city and county governments and Ivy Tech Community College. The program provides scholarship funding to qualified Shelby County students to pay tuition costs not covered by state, federal, or institutional aid. The college attainment level in Shelby County has increased by 10% since the fall of 2016.
