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 of Southwest Indiana administers the program locally and Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI) 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 Perry Community Foundation will nominate one student to receive the scholarship.
Application Deadline: August 14, 2026
Scholarship Eligibility
Review all information below. Once you determine eligibility, click the
Apply Now button at the end of the page 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 diploma no later than June 30, 2027. 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 who also attend classes in-person may be eligible. Contact Community Foundation staff 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.
- Apprise the Community Foundation 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.
- Refrain from applying for scholarships awarded through the Foundation’s Community Scholarship Program upon notification of award of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship.
- 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 Indiana, a graduate of an accredited Perry County high school by the end of June 2027, and attend full senior year at the same high school.
- Have a minimum 3.7 unweighted cumulative grade point average.
- Have a minimum SAT score of 1200 (ERW + M scores) or a minimum ACT score of 25 out of 36. Super-scoring will be used.
- Be available for an interview with the scholarship committee if selected as a finalist.
- Apply for the scholarship in only one county.
Selection Criteria
Applicants will be evaluated on:
Level 1: Application
- Academic performance (including unweighted GPA and SAT/ACT scores) - 30%
- School and community activities (activities and leadership role in activities and preparing for the future) - 40%
- Essay (two essays will be evaluated on writing development and language use) - 25%
- Special circumstances (i.e. special achievements, unique experiences, personal circumstances, accomplishments, challenges overcome, family responsibilities, or other information that has had a significant impact on applicant's life. This may include family hardships, disabilities, grief, trauma, illness, financial circumstances, etc.) - 5%
Level 2: Finalist Interview
- Interview responses (each applicant will be asked the same predetermined questions) - 80%
- Overall impression (presentation of self, comfort, and poise while meeting with the group, evaluation of desire and ability to succeed, applicant’s character, leadership skills, self-confidence, social skills, thoughtfulness, maturity level, and clear articulation of answers) - 20%
Level 1 and Level 2 scores will be added. The top-scoring candidate will be recommended as the scholarship recipient.
In the event of a tie between two candidates, each committee member will confidentially vote on the worthiest candidate, and the selection will be made by the majority vote.
Transcripts
Students should submit their most recent transcript and test scores directly to the Community Foundation by submitting a request to their guidance counselor.
Application Access Code
Use this code to access the application
through your user account:
per
