VANDERBURGH COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR THE

2025 LILLY ENDOWMENT COMMUNITY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

(Vanderburgh County, Indiana) The 2025 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship application is now available in Vanderburgh County through the Vanderburgh Community Foundation. The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program (LECSP) will provide 147 scholarships statewide and three scholarships in Vanderburgh 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 Vanderburgh County through the Vanderburgh Community Foundation, 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 https://www.vanderburghcf.org/lilly-endowment-community-scholarship-program for complete information regarding Vanderburgh County’s application criteria.

Students can learn more about the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship in Vanderburgh County and apply for this scholarship by visiting https://www.vanderburghcf.org/lilly-endowment-community-scholarship-program. Applications must be completed and submitted by August 21, 2024 before 11:59 p.m. to be considered.

Applications will be evaluated on, but not limited to, the following criteria: Academic Ability, Community Involvement, Extracurricular Activities/Employment, Honors and Awards, Personal Statement and Goals, Application Essay, Impromptu Essay, and Interview. Six finalists will be nominated by the Vanderburgh Community Foundation, and their names will be submitted to ICI for final selection of the recipients. Scholarship recipients will be notified in December.

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.

Vanderburgh Community Foundation is again pleased to offer LECSP for its 28^th year in Vanderburgh County. “The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program provides a life-changing opportunity for local students. This scholarship opens doors for students who may not otherwise be able to attend the college of their choice and encourages students to be actively engaged in their community after graduating from college,” said Sidney Hardgrave, Regional Director of Community Engagement and Impact for the Vanderburgh Community Foundation.

Established in 1992, the Vanderburgh Community Foundation is a charitable resource devoted to our local community. We help people make meaningful gifts that improve life in Vanderburgh County today and for generations to come. One of nine county affiliates of the Community Foundation Alliance, the Community Foundation exists to help caring people give back to the causes and community they care about most.

The Community Foundation Alliance is a 501(c)(3) public charity accredited by the National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations® (National Standards) program representing operational effectiveness to foster excellence in community philanthropy. Since the inception of this program, the Community Foundation Alliance has consistently achieved National Standards accreditation. The Community Foundation Alliance provides management, administrative, and development expertise and services so that every local affiliate can focus on promoting philanthropy, building endowment, and grantmaking, making a difference in their community For Good. Forever.

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.