INDIANAPOLIS (AP) _ A dozen Indiana colleges are sharing in nearly $2 million in state funding aimed at boosting the number of low-income college students who graduate with a degree.

The Indiana Commission for Higher Education says the $1.8 million will help the schools develop or expand programs that assist low-income students.

Programs that assist students who receive state financial aid either through the 21st Century Scholars or Frank O'Bannon Scholars programs will receive the funding.

Higher Education Commissioner Teresa Lubbers says Indiana is shifting “its focus from making sure more students enroll in college to making sure students graduate with a degree that prepares them for a good job and life.''

Indiana's low-income college students are diverse, many of whom are the first in their families to attend college.