The 2026 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship application is now available in Howard County through the Community Foundation of Howard County. The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program (LECSP) will provide 147 scholarships statewide and two in Howard 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 Howard County through the Community Foundation of Howard County, 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.cfhoward.org for complete information regarding Howard County’s application criteria.
Students can learn more about the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship in Howard County and apply for this scholarship by visiting www.cfhoward.org and searching for the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship under the “Students” tab. Applications must be completed and submitted by Sunday, Aug. 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. Two finalists will be nominated by the Community Foundation of Howard County, 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 Community Foundation of Howard County is again pleased to offer LECSP for its 29th year in Howard 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 Amy Pate, Chair of the Community Foundation of Howard County Board of Directors. “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.”