This story was originally published by Capital B Gary.
By Rayonna Burton-Jernigan
Capital B Gary
February 27, 2026
The gym at 21st Century Academy buzzed with chatter Friday as elementary, middle, and high school students gathered in the stands. Excitement rippled through the crowd as they waited to hear the big announcement: They could get a college degree at no cost while still in high school.
“We will not just give the money, but we will provide the wraparound support for every single one of you,” stated Kevin Teasley, founder of GEO Academies, 21st Century Academy’s parent company. “This is to help each and every one of you succeed in life.”
Under the “Scholarship+” program, a partnership between 21st Century and Indiana University Northwest, Purdue University Northwest, and Ivy Tech Community College, the Gary charter school’s students can earn postsecondary degrees and credentials — including associate and bachelor’s degrees — from any of these institutions, at no cost.
“Transportation … textbooks … it’s covered,” Teasley said, referring to additional costs that can be stressful for students and their families. “It’s all covered.”
The chancellors from the three colleges sat around Teasley as they prepared to sign the memorandum of understanding that would kick off the program.
“This is a great opportunity,” stated Arrick Jackson, chancellor of Indiana University Northwest.
Also on hand were Pete Morikis, executive director of GEO Academies Northwest Indiana, and Vanessa Allen-McCloud, president and CEO of the Urban League of Northwest Indiana. The Urban League offers multiple scholarships to local students seeking higher education.
While students at 21st Century have taken college courses for years, school leaders said the new agreements formalize and expand the model.
In the past, students opted into an accelerated track and administrators built customized schedules to help a few ambitious students earn degrees. Under Scholarship+, the pathway is integrated beginning in ninth grade and embedded into the standard high school curriculum, with formal guarantees from the three universities.
The new partnership guarantees transportation to campuses, free textbooks and counseling support, services that previously had to be arranged for students individually. School leaders said the expands access to the program beyond a selective, individualized model to broader access for all high school students.
Khaya Njumbe, a 2024 graduate of the charter school, said the Scholarship+ program could be crucial for students.
“I feel like the program really aided in my success,” he said. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in public health from Indiana University Northwest and is currently working on his master’s degree. He is the youngest student to earn a bachelor’s degree from the local university, achieving the milestone before turning 18.
“I feel like education is very one-size-fits-all, and this helps students like me, who want to think outside the box,” he said.
His success is not an outlier. So far, including Njumbe, the school has four graduates with bachelor’s degrees, and almost two dozen have already earned their associate degrees.
According to the school, more than 80% of the Class of 2026 will earn a high school diploma and/or an associate degree.
Everyone at the school, even those working with the youngest students, is excited about what this means for the 1,300 students who attend.
“It’s never too early to start talking about college preparation, “said Janelle Williams, elementary principal for grades K-5. “We can plant those seeds very early on and expose them to what could be.”
A Gary native herself, she understands the limited view that some may have, but hopes programs like this will open up opportunities for everyone.
“We have to see more beyond our neighborhoods,” she said.
Rayonna Burton-Jernigan is the Business and Economic Development reporter for Capital B Gary. More by Rayonna Burton-Jernigan
Capital B is a Black-led, nonprofit local and national news organizations reporting for Black communities across the country.
