Ivy Tech to assist employees of special needs company in pursuing degree

Staff Reports

INDIANAPOLIS — Ivy Tech Community College and Damar Services, Inc., have announced a new partnership to support degree and certificate completion. Through its Achieve Your Degree program, Ivy Tech will provide guidance and financial assistance to any Damar employee interested in earning a degree or certificate from Ivy Tech.

The program allows Damar employees to avoid up-front out-of-pocket tuition expenses when they utilize the company’s Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) benefit. In addition, Ivy Tech will assist the company’s employees with the college and financial aid application process, and will defer billing until the end of the semester, ensuring students take advantage of any financial aid opportunities for which they qualify. Onsite application assistance and academic advising are provided by Ivy Tech faculty and staff in order to accommodate busy work schedules and ensure appropriate course schedules.

Damar employs nearly 1,000 Hoosiers in and around Indianapolis. The Achieve Your Degree program is open to all employees; they can begin taking classes during the fall 2017 semester. Ivy Tech offers more than 150 degree and certificate options, including many in healthcare, IT and business administration.

According to the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, 737,000 Hoosiers have some college experience, but have not completed a degree. Lumina Foundation has set a goal of increasing the proportion of Americans with high-quality degrees, certificates and other credentials to 60 percent by 2025.

“Ivy Tech is partnering with organizations like Damar that are seeking to make a difference in their community,” said Kathleen Lee, chancellor of Ivy Tech Community College Indianapolis.

For more information about the Achieve Your Degree program, visit ivytech.edu/achieveyourdegree.