Indiana’s Commission for Higher Education has voted to keep Frank O’Bannon scholarship awards flat for the 2026-27 academic year, holding the state-funded financial aid program at about $168 million annually.

The decision means about 37,000 Hoosier college students who receive the need-based grant each year will see the same maximum and minimum award amounts as in the current cycle.

Commission staff said the flat-line was driven by uncertainty about federal student aid changes and the need to preserve the program’s appropriation without generating unplanned spending overages.

“We’re prioritizing predictability so students can count on the award and we don’t exceed the appropriation,” said Cody Robison, the commission’s deputy chief financial officer.

Years of shifts

The flat schedule

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