Posey County Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program Grant

The Posey County Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program aims to enhance educational attainment in Indiana by providing scholarships for full tuition and fees for eligible students. Administered locally by community foundations, it supports those graduating from accredited Indiana high schools and encourages students to engage with their communities. Scholars receive financial assistance for books and equipment, fostering academic success and collaboration with local leaders, thereby improving overall quality of life in Indiana.

Overview
The primary purposes of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program are
to help raise the level of educational attainment in Indiana; to increase awareness of the beneficial roles Indiana community foundations can play in their communities; and 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.

Eligibility

Students named as Lilly Endowment Community Scholars must:
Graduate from an accredited Indiana high school and receive a diploma no later than June 30, 2026. 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 before May 1.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 AgreementQualified applicants will:
Be a resident of Indiana.Be a graduate of an accredited Posey County high school or academy by June 2026, and begin as a full-time college student in the Fall of 2026.Demonstrate high academic achievement in completed course work with at least a 3.75 cumulative grade point average (unweighted 4.0 scale).Have either a minimum SAT (ERW + M) score of 1200 or a minimum ACT score of 25.Have completed the college prep curriculum in high school upon graduation.Demonstrate commitment to school activities, community service, and/or employment.Be available for an interview with the scholarship committee, if selected as a finalist.Apply for the scholarship in only one county.