2025 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Applications Available

The OCCF will award one full-tuition scholarship in December.

(Ohio County, Ind.) - The 2025 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship application is now available in Ohio County through the Ohio County Community Foundation. The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program (LECSP) will provide 147 scholarships statewide and 1 scholarship in Ohio 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 Ohio County through the Ohio County Community Foundation, is open to all Indiana residents who:

• graduate from an accredited Indiana high school by 2025 and receive their diploma no later than June 30, 2025;
• 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 occfrisingsun.com for complete information regarding the Ohio County’s application criteria.

Students can learn more about the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship in Ohio County and apply for this scholarship by visiting occfrisingsun.com. Applicants must be a current resident of Ohio County, a current member of the 2025 graduating class of the Rising Sun High School, meet all graduation requirements and receive their diploma from Rising Sun High School by the end of June 2025. Applications must be completed and submitted by August 16, 2024 by 3:00pm to be considered.

Applications will be evaluated on, but not limited to, the following criteria: academic achievement, financial need, extra-curricular activities, community service, employment, leadership abilities and a written essay. The top five applicants will be required to perform a personal interview with the scholarship selection committee. One finalist will be nominated by the scholarship selection committee, and their name will be submitted to ICI for final selection of the recipient. 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 $490 million. More than 5,300 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. Tracy Stegemiller Program Coordinator 812-438-9401 tstegemiller@occfrisingsun.com “

The Ohio County Community Foundation is pleased to offer the LECSP for its 28th year in Ohio County. The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship has financially assisted 39 Rising Sun High School graduates to date in achieving their goal of obtaining a Bachelor’s Degree. These graduates are making a difference in our community and the communities in which they reside. We are so grateful to the Lilly Endowment for their generosity and vision for Indiana’s future.” said Jane Angst, Executive Director of the Ohio County Community Foundation.

The Ohio County Community Foundation, located at 330 Industrial Access Drive, Rising Sun, Indiana was founded in 1998. The mission of the Foundation is to build, manage and distribute a lasting source of charitable funds that impact the growing needs in Ohio County