BLOOMINGTON – The Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County (CFBMC) has opened its application for the 2023 Monroe County Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program.
Lilly Endowment Community Scholars are awarded four-year, full-tuition scholarships to pursue baccalaureate degrees at colleges or universities in Indiana. The scholarship also includes up to $900 annually for required textbooks and equipment. In selecting the two recipients for the Monroe County Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship, consideration is given to student activities and achievements, community and civic service, academic performance, and leadership potential. Eligible high school seniors have until Thursday, August 11, to submit applications to be considered for the scholarship program.
In September, students selected as semifinalists will be invited to answer additional application questions and provide reference recommendations from teachers or others. Applications for the finalist round will be due by Thursday, September 22. Finalists will be identified and interviewed in October, and the two 2023 Lilly Endowment Community Scholars for Monroe County will be named in December 2022.
Eligibility Requirements:
- The applicant must be a resident of Monroe County, Indiana.
- Applicant must be currently attending or have attended an accredited Monroe County high school and/or the Indiana Academy (in Delaware County) for at least three consecutive years (including senior year) and graduate by June of 2023. Eligible schools include The Academy of Science and Entrepreneurship, Covenant Christian School, Bloomington Graduation School, Bloomington High School North, Bloomington High School South, Edgewood High School, Harmony School, Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics & Humanities, Lighthouse Christian Academy, and Seven Oaks Classical School.
- Applicants must have a cumulative GPA of 3.70 or above (on a weighted four-point scale) through the end of their junior year and plan to pursue a full-time baccalaureate course of study at an Indiana college or university beginning in the Fall of 2023.
- Applicants must be available to participate in an interview with the selection committee on an evening in October if selected as a finalist for the scholarship.
Evaluation Process:
Applications are blindly reviewed and independently scored by members of a Lilly Scholarship committee at each Monroe County high school to identify semifinalists. The number of semifinalists identified is determined by each school’s senior class size.
Next, semifinalists submit additional content and references from schools and other members of the community. The Community Foundation Scholarship Selection Committee will then evaluate the semifinalist applications. This committee, comprised of community members and former Monroe County Lilly Scholars, blindly reviews and scores applications from the semifinalists to select ten finalists. In October, each finalist will be interviewed, and their interview scores are combined with scoring from the written application. The finalists’ rankings, along with the committee’s recommendations for scholarship nominees, are then submitted to Independent Colleges of Indiana, Inc. for the final selection of scholarship recipients for Monroe County prior to the formal announcement in December.
“The opportunity afforded high school seniors by the Lilly Endowment and Independent Colleges of Indiana is unique in its focus on encouraging Indiana’s young people to choose Indiana for their post-secondary education,” said Community Foundation President and CEO Tina Peterson. “By giving students the option to attend any accredited four-year college or university across the state, it allows students to broaden their experiences but also keeps them in Indiana, increasing the likelihood they choose Indiana for the next step in their professional journey. It’s a win-win for students and for our communities.”
Lilly Endowment created the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program for the 1998-1999 school year and has supported the program every year since with tuition grants totaling in excess of $439 million. Administered statewide by Independent Colleges of Indiana, Inc. with local support from Indiana community foundations, more than 5,000 Indiana high school students have been awarded the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship since the program’s inception.
The primary purposes of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program are
- to help raise the level of educational attainment in Indiana;
- to increase awareness of the beneficial roles Indiana community foundations can play in their communities; and
- 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.
For more information on the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program or other scholarships administered by CFBMC, visit https://www.cfbmc.org/lasting-impact/apply-for-a-scholarship/ or contact Marcus Whited, Program Director, at 812-333-9016 or marcus@cfbmc.org.
About Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County:
Created by individuals, families, and businesses who share a passion for Monroe County and a vision for its future, the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County has granted $28.9 million to more than 400 local nonprofit organizations since its incorporation in 1990. With a growing $44 million endowment, the Foundation makes a difference by connecting caring people, important causes, and community resources.
