VIDEO: The Indiana Volunteer Firefighters Association and Ivy Tech are giving Hoosiers the chance to get a two-year degree at no charge.
Earlier this year, House Bill 1064 established that a public safety officer may be eligible for a scholarship for educational costs. The bill didn’t pass so Ivy Tech stepped in.
The community college says that as long as a candidate is enrolled as a degree seeking student and holds good standing with a volunteer fire department, they can receive a two-year degree for free.
This applies to future and current Ivy Tech students, but those students must maintain satisfactory academic progress.
“It is to address the shortage of volunteer firefighters across the state," said Steve Anderson, former president of Indiana Volunteer Firefighters Association. "Actually, nationwide the number of volunteers has been decreasing. So this is going to be a huge recruitment tool but it’s also available for the retainment of the current members as well.”