The 2023 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship application is now available in Randolph County through the Community Foundation of Randolph County. The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program (LECSP) will provide 143 scholarships statewide and one scholarship in Randolph 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 Randolph County through the Community Foundation of Randolph County, is open to all Indiana residents who:
- graduate from an accredited Indiana high school by 2023 and receive their diploma no later than June 30, 2023;
- intend to pursue a full-time baccalaureate course of study at an eligible college or university in Indiana; and
- in Randolph County additional criteria include 1) GPA of 3.7 or higher
Eligible students can get a link to the scholarship application from their respective high school guidance counselor. Applications must be completed and submitted by Tuesday, September 6th at 4:00 pm. to be considered.
Applications will be evaluated on, but not limited to, the following criteria: 1) academic success; 2) written essays; 3) work history; and 3) community service. One finalist will be nominated by the Community Foundation of Randolph County, and their name will be submitted to ICI for final selection of the recipient. Scholarship recipients will be notified in December.
Lilly Endowment created LECSP in 1997 and has supported the program every year since with tuition grants totaling more than $424 million. Nearly 5,000 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.
The Community Foundation of Randolph County is again pleased to offer LECSP for its 25th year in Randolph County. “The LECSP Scholarship opportunity has provided Randolph County students over $3 million dollars in scholarships since the program began in 1997.,” said Lisa Jennings, Executive Director of the Community Foundation.
In addition to the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship, The Community Foundation administers scholarships to support post-secondary education. Community-minded donors established the more than 65 scholarship funds and set the criteria for the awards. Scholarships are awarded to students participating in a variety of activities, with a wide range of grade-point averages, from schools across Randolph County. Awards vary by scholarship. Applications for all other scholarships will be made available later this year. For more information visit www.randolphcountyfoundation.org.
The Community Foundation of Randolph County, Inc. encourages philanthropy by managing a permanent community endowment built by donations from individuals, businesses, and corporations. Using earnings on the endowment, The Foundation distributes grants to nonprofit organizations, including scholarships to support post-secondary education.
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 30 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.