Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program

About this scholarship

The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program provides four years of full tuition and required fees, plus a book stipend, for Indiana students attending an eligible public or private four-year college or university in the state. Room, board, and travel are not covered, so the program is classified as partial funding despite paying full tuition. Lilly Endowment funds 147 awards each year, while Independent Colleges of Indiana administers the statewide program with community foundations serving all 92 counties. Applicants must be Indiana residents, earn a diploma from an Indiana high school accredited by the state or another recognized accreditor, and plan full-time undergraduate study in a bachelor’s program at an eligible Indiana institution. Selection criteria, required materials, and deadlines are deliberately local: each student applies through the community foundation serving the student’s home county. Some counties consider academics, service, leadership, financial circumstances, essays, and interviews, but the statewide provider does not impose one uniform scoring formula. Current 2027 county competitions have different closing dates, so no single date is stored. Students should use the official program page to identify their local foundation and follow that foundation’s application instructions rather than relying on a statewide date.

Eligibility

• Be a resident of Indiana
• Earn a diploma from an Indiana high school accredited by the state or another recognized agency
• Apply through the community foundation serving the applicant’s home county
• Meet all additional eligibility and selection criteria established by that local foundation
• Plan full-time study in a baccalaureate program
• Attend an eligible public or private four-year college or university in Indiana
• Meet the local community foundation’s application deadline