Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship

The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program (LECSP) is a prestigious scholarship funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. and administered statewide by Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI) and locally in Fayette County through the Fayette Community Foundation. The program aims to support students in their pursuit of higher education, ultimately fostering a more educated and engaged community.

2025 Program Overview

The 2025 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship is open to all Fayette County residents who meet the following eligibility criteria:

  • Graduate from an accredited Indiana high school and receive their diploma no later than June 30, 2025; and
  • Intend to pursue a full-time baccalaureate course of study at an eligible college or university in Indiana.

2025 LECSP Timeline:

  • August 19th: Application Opens
  • September 3rd: Applications Due
  • September 9th: Recommendations Due
  • October 7th: Finalists Notified
  • October 15th: Meet and Greet
  • October 17th: Finalists Interviews
  • December 2024: 2025 LECSP Recipient Notified

Selection Criteria:

The Fayette Community Foundation is looking for well-rounded individuals to represent Fayette County in the 28th cohort of Lilly Endowment Community Scholars. The application process is competitive, with a scoring system that values academic achievement, community engagement, extracurricular involvement, and more. The written application accounts for 50% of the overall score, which includes the following criteria:

  • Academic Achievement (20%)
  • Volunteering and Community Engagement (15%)
  • Extracurricular Activities (5%)
  • Honors and Awards (5%)
  • Recommendations (6%)
  • Special Circumstances (5%)
  • First-Generation College Student (4%)
  • Essay Responses (40%)

The top five scorers from the application phase will be selected as Finalists and will be invited to participate in an In-Person Interview and Presentation, which will constitute the remaining 50% of the overall score.

Application Process

Students wishing to apply for the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship must complete the application through Community Force, our scholarship management software. Here are the steps to apply:

  1. Create a Community Force Account: Visit the Community Force Scholarship Portal to create your account.
  2. Complete the Application: Submit all required materials, including your personal information, academic details, extracurricular activities, and essay responses.
  3. Submit Recommendations: Ensure that your recommendation forms are submitted by the specified deadline. If the recommendation forms are not completed by the deadline, your application will not be considered. Students are responsible for ensuring the forms are submitted on time.
  4. Track Your Progress: Monitor the status of your application through the portal.

Please Note: The application for the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship opens a semester before the traditional scholarships offered by the Fayette Community Foundation. Lilly Scholars are not eligible for any other scholarships through FCF.

Apply Now

You can access the scholarship application portal to complete your application at any time during the open application period.

Please note: Our 2025 LECSP Applications are now closed. Eligible students graduating in 2026 should check back here in August!

About the LECSP

Lilly Endowment created the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program for the 1998-99 school year and has supported the program every year since. The primary purposes of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program are to:

  1. Help raise the level of educational attainment in Indiana
  2. Increase awareness of the beneficial roles Indiana community foundations can play in their communities
  3. 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.

Each Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship provides for full tuition, required fees and a special allocation of up to $900 per year for required books and equipment for four years. The scholarship is for undergraduate students studying on a full-time basis leading to a baccalaureate degree at any eligible Indiana public or private nonprofit college or university. Lilly Endowment Community Scholars may also participate in the Lilly Scholars Network (LSN), which connects both current scholars and alumni with resources and opportunities to be active leaders on their campuses and in their communities. Both the scholarship program and LSN are supported by grants from Lilly Endowment Inc. to Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI) and Indiana Humanities.

Lilly Endowment Community Scholars are recognized for their academic achievement, leadership, character, and significant involvement in their communities.

Past Recipients:

2025 Harley Morris
2024 Kaylee Hauger
2023 Garrett Templeton
2022  Madison Mullins
2021  Shayla Crawford
2020  Ryleigh Loper
2019  Alex King
2018  Sophia Atkinson
2017  Kylei Klein
2016  Sam Fain
2015  Riley Stegner
2014  Emma Ross
2013  Robby Marschand
2012  Gil Stamm
2011  Chelsy Fields
2010 Tyler Clavell & Claire Gragg Steiner
2009  David Johnson & Catherine Ross Madinger
2008  Eric King & Kindsey Myers Niehues
2007  Gail Gardiner & Jordan Pflum
2006  Jason Arnold & Austin Lucari
2005  Krista Eakins Fox & Joe Gesell
2004  Deanna Miller, Matt Day & Tyler Blakley
2003  Emily Pflum Flanigan, Emily Paris & Colin McKinney
2002  Lauren Wood, Kevin Powell & Katie Fledderman
2001  Sarah Million, Heather Stanley Kilgour & Christi Starr Holmes
2000  Andy Irrigang & Beau Gentry
1999  Ryan Lingg & Jackie Chandler Benitezr
1998  Travis Morris