Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Application Now Open
The 2026 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship application is now available in Carroll County through the Carroll County Community Foundation. The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program (LECSP) will provide 147 scholarships statewide and one in Carroll 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 Carroll County through the Carroll County Community Foundation, is open to all Indiana residents who:
graduate from an accredited Indiana high school by 2026 and receive their diploma no later than June 30, 2026;
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 www.cfcarroll.org for complete information regarding Carroll County’s application criteria.
Students can learn more about the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship in Carroll County and apply for this scholarship by visiting www.cfcarroll.org and searching for the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship under the “Students” tab. Applications must be completed and submitted by Sunday, August 31 to be considered.
Applications will be evaluated on, but not limited to, the following criteria: academic achievement, activities in and out of school, potential for success, financial need, and an applicant interview. One finalist will be nominated by the Carroll County Community Foundation, and their name 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 $505 million. More than 5,400 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.
The Carroll County Community Foundation is again pleased to offer LECSP for its 29th year in Carroll County. “Recipients of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship are very carefully considered, as we look for applicants that truly exemplify the qualities and abilities of a student driven to succeed,” said Jake Adams, chair of the Carroll County Community Foundation Services Committee. “Lilly Endowment entrusts Indiana’s community foundations to administer this program. This gives our Foundation further opportunity to connect with the youth in our county who seek our support in their future educations.”
The Carroll County Community Foundation, established in 1997, is a not-for-profit charitable organization governed by a volunteer board of local citizens. The purpose of the Foundation is to serve the interests of donors, make grants, and act as a catalyst around issues of community importance in Carroll County. For details about making a charitable gift or establishing a permanent endowment fund to benefit a charitable organization or interest in Carroll County, please contact the Community Foundation at (800) 964-0508 or visit the website at www.cfcarroll.org.
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. While those gifts remain the financial bedrock of the Endowment, the Endowment 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. 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.