‘Do Well by Doing Good’ scholarship program for grads attending IU Northwest
Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana and The Urban League of Northwest Indiana have united to support local high school graduates who want to earn a degree from Indiana University Northwest.
Through the partnership, graduates of any Gary-based high school are eligible to receive the “Do Well by Doing Good” scholarship, a fully funded, tuition-only scholarship for students working toward their associate or bachelor’s degree at IU Northwest.
On Wednesday, July 17, Matt Schuffert, President of Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana, presented Vanessa Allen McCloud, President and CEO of the Urban League of Northwest Indiana, with an oversized guitar-shaped check for $250,000 to fund the program.
The Urban League of Northwest Indiana will serve as the scholarship funds’ Fiscal Agent and Scholarship Manager, gifting the funds to qualified IU Northwest students.
Based on their FAFSA, scholarship recipients will have their IU Northwest tuition covered for up to four years.
According to Schuffert, “Demonstrating to young people that their potential is limitless is what the ‘Do Well by Doing Good’ scholarship program is all about and Hard Rock is proud to play a role in making it happen.”
“Research shows that a lack of finances can be a barrier to education for a large portion of first-generation and low-income college students,” McCloud said. “This generous donation from Hard Rock serves as a commitment to eliminating financial barriers for Gary students seeking to pursue their career goals.”
Scholarship Eligibility
- Must be accepted as an incoming freshman pursuing a two or four-year degree at Indiana University Northwest
- Students who graduated in 2024 from any Gary, Ind. high school (public, public charter, private, faith-based, or home-school)
- Must have a 2.5 GPA or higher and be a Core 40 graduate
- Must have completed 30 – 40 hours of community service/volunteerism
- Must complete FASFA annually
- Must maintain a 2.5 GPA annually at IU Northwest
Application Process
- Create an account: https://ulofnwi.communityforce.com/CREATEACCOUNT.ASPX
- Fill out all sections of the online application: https://ulofnwi.communityforce.com/
- Upload your resume, transcript, IU Northwest acceptance letter, and proof of community service
- Upload two letters of reference
- Submit essay on the topic listed in Community Force
- Review the application
- Submit the application
