Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship application open for high school seniors

Deadline to apply: August 15, 20224

​The 2025 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship application is now available in Monroe County through the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County. The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program (LECSP) will provide 147 scholarships statewide and two scholarships in Monroe County. LECSP scholarships may be used for otherwise unreimbursed full tuition, required fees, and a special allocation of up to $900 per year. The special allocation may cover the costs for required books and required equipment for four years of undergraduate study on a full-time basis leading to a baccalaureate degree at any eligible Indiana public or private nonprofit college or university.

The program, administered statewide by Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI) and locally in Monroe County through the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County, is open to all Indiana residents who:

• graduate from an accredited Indiana high school by 2025 and receive their diploma no later than June 30, 2025;
• intend to pursue a full-time baccalaureate course of study at an eligible college or university in Indiana; and
• meet the criteria specific to their local community foundation. Visit www.cfbmc.org for complete information regarding Monroe County’s application criteria.

Students can learn more about the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship in Monroe County and apply for this scholarship by visiting https://cfbmc.org/lasting-impact/apply-for-a-scholarship/lilly-scholarship/. Monroe County applications must be completed and submitted by Thursday, August 15, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. to be considered.

In September, students selected as semifinalists in Monroe County will be invited to answer additional application questions and provide reference recommendations from teachers or others. Applications for the finalist round will be due by September 24, 2024. Finalists will be identified and interviewed in October, and the names of the two 2025 Lilly Endowment Community Scholars for Monroe County will be submitted to ICI for final selection of the recipients. Scholarship recipients will be notified in December 2024.

Eligibility Requirements for Monroe County’s Lilly Endowment Community Scholarships:

• Applicant must be a legal resident of Monroe County, Indiana.
• Applicant must be currently attending or have attended an accredited Monroe County high school and/or the Indiana Academy (in Delaware County) for a minimum of three consecutive years (including senior year) and graduate by June of 2025. Eligible schools include The Academy of Science and Entrepreneurship, Covenant Christian School, Bloomington Graduation School, Bloomington High School North, Bloomington High School South, Edgewood High School, Harmony School, Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics & Humanities, Lighthouse Christian Academy, and Seven Oaks Classical School.
• Applicant must have a cumulative GPA of 3.70 or above (on a weighted four-point scale) through the end of their junior year and plan to pursue a full-time baccalaureate course of study at an Indiana college or university beginning in the Fall of 2025.
• Applicants must be available to participate in an interview with the selection committee on the evening of October 21 or 22 if selected as a finalist for the scholarship.

Evaluation Process for Monroe County Lilly Endowment Community Scholarships:

There is not a rigid model for the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship. A student who demonstrates notable abilities, leadership skills, civic potential through community service, exemplary school citizenship, and outstanding academic performance will be considered for this scholarship opportunity.

Applications are blindly reviewed and independently scored by members of a Lilly Scholarship committee at each Monroe County high school to identify semifinalists. The number of semifinalists identified is determined by each school’s senior class size.

Next, semifinalists submit additional content and references from schools and other members of the community. The Community Foundation Scholarship Selection Committee then evaluates the semifinalist applications. This committee, comprised of community members and a former Monroe County Lilly Scholar, blindly reviews and scores applications from the semifinalists to select ten finalists. In October, each finalist will be interviewed, and their interview scores will be combined with scoring from the written applications. In selecting recipients for the Monroe County Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship, consideration is given to academic performance and activities, community engagement and civic service, student employment, and leadership potential.

The finalists’ rankings, along with the committee’s recommendations for scholarship nominees, are then submitted to Independent Colleges of Indiana, Inc. for final selection of scholarship recipients for Monroe County prior to the formal announcement in December.

“The Lilly Endowment and Independent Colleges of Indiana are opening doors and encouraging high school students to pursue their college dreams right here in Indiana,” said Tina Peterson, President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County. “By offering the option to attend any accredited four-year college or university in the state, Lilly Endowment Community Scholars are able to broaden their educational horizons while staying connected to their roots. This enriches their experiences and boosts the chances they’ll build their careers in Indiana. It’s a win-win for our students and our communities.”

“We encourage individuals throughout Monroe County to spread the word about this opportunity, especially considering that the application deadline occurs before most high school seniors begin their final academic year,” added Peterson. “As always, we look forward to getting to know the applicants and hope each one of them will continue their post-secondary educations in Indiana and pursue thriving careers here in the Indiana Uplands region.”

Lilly Endowment created LECSP for the 1997-98 school year and has supported the program every year since with tuition grants totaling more than $490 million. More than 5,300 Indiana students have received Lilly Endowment Community Scholarships since the program’s inception.

The primary purposes of LECSP 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.

For more information on the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program or other scholarships administered by CFBMC, visit https://www.cfbmc.org/lasting-impact/apply-for-a-scholarship/ or contact Marcus Whited, Program Director, at 812-333-9016 or [email protected].

Created by individuals, families, and businesses who share a passion for Monroe County and a vision for its future, the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County has granted $50 million to more than 400 local nonprofit organizations since its incorporation in 1990. With a growing $45 million endowment, the Foundation makes a difference by connecting caring people, important causes, and community resources.

Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based, private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. Although the gifts of stock remain a financial bedrock of the Endowment, it is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff, and location. In keeping with the founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education, and religion. The Endowment funds significant programs throughout the United States, especially in the field of religion. However, it maintains a special commitment to its founders’ hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana.

Since 1997, Independent Colleges of Indiana has administered the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program statewide with funding provided by Lilly Endowment Inc. Founded in 1948, ICI serves as the collective voice for the state’s 29 private, nonprofit colleges and universities. ICI institutions employ over 22,000 Hoosiers and generate a total local economic impact of over $5 billion annually. Students at ICI colleges have Indiana’s highest four-year, on-time graduation rates, and ICI institutions produce 30 percent of Indiana’s bachelor’s degrees while enrolling 20 percent of its undergraduates.