At least one high-achieving college-bound student in every Indiana County has the chance to earn a full-ride scholarship, thanks to the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship program.
The application period for the program is open in most counties, and ends in late August.
Eligibility requirements vary slightly per county, but the standard for Vanderburgh County is a 3.8 GPA or higher, and Warrick County is 3.7. Students must be graduating by the end of June 2024.
The scholarship covers all otherwise un-reimbursed undergraduate tuition and fees for the student, said Sidney Hardgrave with the Commuity Foundation Alliance.
“So it's a very good, prestigious scholarship to receive,” Hardgrave said. “And the requirement is that it is utilized in an Indiana college or university.”
The goal is to encourage Indiana students to stay in Indiana. To date, more than 5,000 Hoosiers have received the scholarship, totalling more than $486 million in grants since 1997.
More populous counties will have more application slots, while most counties have one open scholarship, Warrick County will have two and Vanderburgh County will have three.
Each individual county will have slightly different stipulations and requirements, but generally will reward academic excellence.
“For us, we've approached it as a merit scholarship," Hardgrave said. "So it really is an opportunity for a high achieving student to get significant financial support as they pursue their undergraduate career.”
Her organization represents nine, county-based community foundations in southwest Indiana, including Vanderburgh and Warrick County, which are facilitating the scholarships.
The Lilly Endowment is a private family endowment separate, but stemming from Eli Lilly, pharmaceutical company.
See the Vanderburgh County Site
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