Indiana shows students the money

An approach to dealing with the state brain drain AND making college/university more affordable.

Indiana aims to keep students home for college, beyond

POSTED: 3:14 p.m. EST, February 6, 2007

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana (AP) -- Indiana wants its best students to stick around for college and afterward -- and Governor Mitch Daniels proposes paying them to do so.

Daniels wants to offer $20,000 scholarships over four years. But there's a catch -- recipients who leave the state less than three years after graduation will be required to repay the money.

At least 17 states offer general merit-based scholarships, according to the Education Commission of the States. But none have post-graduation strings like those Indiana proposes.

Daniels' plan would give bright Indiana students $5,000 each year for four years to attend private or public schools in state. That sounds good to James Totton, a junior at Purdue University, where tuition, fees and room and board top $13,000 a year.

Mr. Bonzo notes that this price is already a heckuva deal. From the BigU website: room, board, and tuition will set you back $16,234.

However do those Hoosiers do it?