Scholar support program expands to IU Indianapolis, helps first-gen underrepresented students

Indiana University Indianapolis announced this week it will bring the Groups Scholars Program to its campus next year. The program provides academic, financial and social support to first-generation and underrepresented college students to help them obtain a bachelor’s degree.

Scholars live on campus during the summer for six weeks, where they take courses, navigate the campus and connect with classmates prior to their freshman year.

Eric Williams was accepted into IU Bloomington’s Groups Program in 1999. He went on to earn three degrees from IU: a bachelor's, a master’s and a Ph.D. He held numerous positions with the university, including as a graduate assistant and an academic advisor.

Now, he will spearhead the expansion of the Groups Scholars Program at IU Indianapolis as the senior executive director of the Educational Equity Programs.

“I carry that responsibility to make sure that we create something here at Indiana University Indianapolis that rings true to the legacy of that program,” he said.

The Groups Scholars Program began at IU Bloomington in 1968 to increase the attendance of first-generation students and students with socioeconomic obstacles. The program has expanded over the years to IU’s regional campuses, including IU Kokomo, IU South Bend and IU Southeast.

“The inaugural year of IU Indianapolis is the perfect time to launch the Groups Scholars Program in the capital city,” IU Indianapolis chancellor Latha Ramchand said in a statement. “Students will always be our north star, and with the Groups program on campus, or what I call Groups in the city, we have another way to become a lifeline for our students.”

Around 65% of Bloomington’s Groups Scholars are also 21st Century Scholars, according to its website.

The success program offers academic advising and tutoring services, and after completing the summer session, scholars receive a one-time $2,000 stipend.

Williams said Groups can also serve as a student’s “support away from home.”

“Sometimes we’re the only people that they can go to when they encounter challenges and hurdles,” he said in a statement. “We’re their biggest advocate and cheerleader, and the shoulder to lean on when they need somebody to cry with, and all of those things make a difference. I look at this program with a tremendous amount of pride, because it speaks to our commitment to student success.”

The Groups Program at IU Indianapolis will begin in summer of 2025 with about 100 scholars.

Contact WFYI Morning Edition newscaster and reporter Abriana Herron at aherron@wfyi.org.