PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
EARN (Employment Aid Readiness Network) Indiana is the state's work-study program. Students with financial need have access to resume-building, experiential, paid internships, while employers receive state matching funds—50% of the student's hourly rate—for hiring these students. EARN Indiana has partnered with Work and Learn Indiana to better match students and employers, and to assist employers in finding the perfect fit for their team.
STUDENT PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
To be eligible for a High School EARN internship, a student must:
- Be an Indiana resident;
- Be enrolled at an accredited secondary school;
- Meet any other criteria established by the Commission
To be eligible for a College EARN internship, a student must:
- Be an Indiana resident;
- File the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid);
- Be enrolled full-time or part-time at an eligible Indiana college or university and have an Student Aid Index (SAI) of no more than 24,570*;
- Not have a bachelor's degree prior to the term in which the student plans to work;
- Meet any other criteria established by the Commission.
*SAI is based on the student’s 2024-2025 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
EMPLOYER REQUIREMENTS
A qualified employer may be:
- An approved college or university
- A unit of state or local government
- A private, not-for-profit organization
- A for-profit company (with preference given to small businesses)
To receive matching funds, certain minimum standards must be met:
- Internship must be paid
- Internship must last at least 8 weeks
- Intern must work 12 to 20 hours a week during the academic year (12-40 hours during summer)
- Intern activities cannot be political or sectarian
- No more than 25% of intern's work can be administrative (clerical)
- No more than 50% of employer's workforce can be interns
- Federal work study funds cannot be received for the same internship
Please visit links below for additional information:
- What is Experiential Learning? Experiential Learning Defined
- MEMO: EARN Indiana and the Affordable Care Act
- MEMO: EARN Indiana and Financial Aid Impact
HOW TO APPLY
Employers and Students interested in participating in the EARN Indiana program should create an account on Work and Learn Indiana and check the "EARN Indiana" box. The Commission will verify your eligibility and once approved for the EARN program, employers can begin posting positions and students can begin applying for EARN positions.
The EARN Indiana Reimbursement System is now accessible on ScholarTrack. A user guide can be reviewed by clicking the following link:
If you have questions about EARN Indiana, please email earnindiana@che.in.gov.