Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program

Overview

The primary purposes of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program are 1) to help raise the level of educational attainment in Indiana; 2) to increase awareness of the beneficial roles Indiana community foundations can play in their communities; and 3) to encourage and support the efforts of current and past Lilly Endowment Community Scholars to engage with each other and with Indiana business, governmental, educational, nonprofit and civic leaders to improve the quality of life in Indiana generally and in local communities throughout the state. Since the program was first offered in 1998, Lilly Endowment has remained steadfast in its belief that education at all levels is indispensable to the personal, civic, and economic well-being of Indiana’s residents and communities.

The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program is a state-wide program administered by local community foundations throughout Indiana. The Community Foundation administers the program locally in coordination with the Community Foundation Alliance (our governing body), and Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI) which provides statewide oversight of the program.

The program provides scholarships for otherwise unreimbursed full tuition, required fees, and a special allocation of up to $900 per year for required books and required equipment for four years of full-time undergraduate study leading to a baccalaureate degree at any Indiana public or private nonprofit college or university accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The Community Foundation will nominate one student to receive the scholarship.

Learn more about Lilly Endowment!

Now Accepting Applications

The deadline to apply is Wednesday, August 14 by Noon

Scholarship Eligibility

Once you have reviewed How to Apply, please review the scholarship criteria below. Once you determine eligibility, click the Apply Now button to begin your application. You can always start your application and return later to complete and submit.

Conditions for the Award

Students named as Lilly Endowment Community Scholars must:

Graduate from an accredited Indiana high school and receive a diploma no later than June 30, 2025. A high school is considered accredited for purposes of the program if it is accredited by the State Board of Education or by a national or regional accreditation agency that is recognized by the State Board of Education. Although home-schooled students are ineligible to apply for the LECS, students enrolled in accredited online high schools may be eligible. Contact your Community Foundation for more information.
Intend to pursue a full-time baccalaureate course of study at any Indiana public or private nonprofit college or university accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
Select the college or university they will attend prior to May 1, 2025.
Apprise the Community Foundation Alliance annually of their academic status while pursuing their baccalaureate degree and of their postgraduate status (education and employment) for at least ten years after graduation.
Account for and return to Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI) any amount of the allocation for required books and equipment remaining at the end of each school year.
Disclose additional scholarship offers. (When recipients receive additional scholarships, those additional scholarships will be reviewed in order to ensure that each Lilly Scholar receives the full scholarship amount(s) that are due. The amount awarded under the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program may be adjusted to avoid having a scholar’s total award package exceed the Cost of Attendance.)
Agree to the conditions outlined in the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Agreement.

Eligibility Requirements

Qualified applicants will:

Be a resident of Knox County, Indiana.
Be a graduate of an accredited Knox County or Indiana high school or academy by the end of June 2025.
Have a minimum SAT score of 1200 (ERW + M) or a minimum ACT score of 25 or rank in the top 10% of their class.
Be available for an impromptu essay on October 1, 2024, and an interview on October 23, 2024, with the scholarship committee if selected as a finalist.
Apply for the scholarship in only one county.

Selection Criteria

Applicants will be evaluated on:

First phase (60 points)

Academic performance (GPA, class ranking, consideration of difficulty of courses taken, and consistency of grades over 3 years of high school – 30 points)
Community service and volunteer activities (consideration of intensity and longevity of service, number and type of organizations serving, and leadership qualities demonstrated through service – 10 points)
Personal statement of goals (consideration of grammar, overall presentation, clarity of goal statement, and community and civic pride – 5 points)
Work experience (demonstration of consistency, teamwork, and dependability – 5 points)
School activities and honors/awards (leadership roles in activities indicating a team spirit, working well with others, commitment, and drive; academic honors and/or awards, honors from civic or volunteer work – 10 points)

Second phase (40 points) is the finalist impromptu essay and interview and includes the following:

Impromptu essay (grammar, 3 points; clarity of thought, 6 points; depth of thought, 6 points – 15 points)
Interview-(Answers questions clearly and thoroughly, answers reflect thought, uses appropriate grammar, has a professional appearance, demonstrates poise 25 points)

In the event of a tie between two candidates, each committee member will confidentially vote on the most worthy candidate, and the selection will be made by the majority vote.

Transcripts

Students should submit their transcript and test scores directly to the Community Foundation through Parchment or by submitting a request to their guidance counselor.