Indiana Tech, Fort Wayne Community Schools partnership is game-changing for prospective local college students

Next week—Sept. 23 through 27—is Indiana College GO! College Application Week. College GO! is an Indiana Commission on Higher Education initiative dedicated to helping Hoosier students find the right college for them. It gives students options to research schools and visit campuses, and then guides them through the steps of preparing and applying for college.

For local high school students, especially those in Fort Wayne Community Schools (FWCS), Indiana Tech has a program in place to make higher education more attainable than ever.

Through a partnership formed earlier in 2024, Indiana Tech and Fort Wayne Community Schools launched Promise IT, a program that gives FWCS students guaranteed admission to Indiana Tech and full coverage of tuition and fees at the university for those who meet financial need qualifications. The program began with the 2024-25 academic year.

Promise IT grants all FWCS students who graduate high school with a 2.0 GPA or above guaranteed admission to Indiana Tech. To take part in the program, FWCS students simply apply to Indiana Tech, provide their high school transcript and fill out their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form.

Just as significant, FWCS students who are eligible for full federal Pell Grant and Indiana state college aid are guaranteed to have their full tuition and college fees covered under the Promise IT program. For these students, their tuition costs and fees are covered in full through a combination of federal aid, state aid and scholarship funds provided by Indiana Tech. Students who are not Pell eligible will still be guaranteed admission to Indiana Tech and will have access to other scholarship opportunities at the university to help make their college costs highly affordable.

“All of us at Indiana Tech are extremely proud to partner with Fort Wayne Community Schools on the Promise IT program,” Indiana Tech President Dr. Karl Einolf said back in February when the program was announced. “Making education more affordable, accessible, relevant and impactful is central to the mission of each of our organizations. By working together, we will help more students obtain college degrees that will position them, and our region, for greater success in the years ahead. This program is a significant win for students and families, and for our city’s employers and economy.”

To learn more about Indiana Tech and the Promise IT program and to apply today, please contact Indiana Tech Assistant Director of Admissions Erica Lay at 260.422.5561, ext. 2380, or eclay@indianatech.edu.