A year ago, 12th grader Deven Bounds would have had to spend $1,000 or more of his own money on tools for his construction apprenticeship at Grant Regional Career Center in Marion, Indiana.
But new career scholarship accounts the state legislature created this spring have slashed costs for Bounds and students across Indiana in career training programs.
Bounds and 13 classmates at the ABC Construction Prep Academy are among 1,000 students statewide landing the new $5,000 scholarships from the state that pay for career training and extra expenses like tool belts, hammers, squares, and eye guards — all of which used to be out-of-pocket costs for students but the scholarships now cover.
“I feel like I would still be able to get stuff done (without the scholarship), but I definitely think it helps me with better tools,” Bounds said.
The state will spend about $5 million this school year on scholarships for the first 1,000 10th, 11th and 12th graders to win them, then $10 million next year for 2,000 students.