As the new school year rolls around, the Jefferson County Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship went up for grabs again. Lilly Endowment Incorporated, a private foundation based in Indianapolis, offers scholarships to graduating high school seniors in Indiana. The scholarship features full tuition coverage, required fees, and a $900 book stipend for four years, not counting room, board, and travel. It’s accepted at any Indiana four-year college or university accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, meaning most Indiana schools. 

Sadly, the application deadline for the 143 scholarships offered across Indiana has already been reached, but upcoming seniors and their parents may be interested in applying next school year.

The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship has some basic requirements to be obtained. For starters, community foundations give out scholarships in Indiana’s various counties. 

To apply for the scholarship in Jefferson County, applicants must reside in the county, attend an accredited high school within the county, be in the top 10% of their graduating class, and intend to pursue a full-time baccalaureate degree from an accredited Indiana college or university. 

Those who cannot meet these requirements will not be considered.

The application process itself is also a trial for college hopefuls. For the 2023-24 school year, applications opened on July 1st; the deadline was August 16th. Within this month-and-a-half timeframe, students must submit a grade transcript with the help of their counselors, a teacher’s recommendation, a second recommendation from someone other than a teacher or parent, an activity resume, and essential details.

The scholarship requirements are stringent: only one winner and a handful of finalists will be awarded within Jefferson County. However, Jefferson County’s last scholarship winner, Mitchell Adams, assures that the application process isn’t as daunting as it seems. 

Adams elaborated on the difficulty of the application process, “It’s overwhelming at first, but with all things college related, just take it one step at a time,” Adams stated.

Those who successfully complete and submit their application will then be sorted based on a blind competitive process, of which finalists will be selected and notified. These finalists must then go through one final hurdle, a timed essay and interview at the Community Foundation Office, with deadlines of one week and two weeks, respectively. The single winner will gain the prestigious scholarship, while the finalists will receive a $1500 award.

Towards potential applicants, Adams said, “Even if you don’t get the Lilly, going through the process is very beneficial. It gives you an idea of what applying for scholarships is like and makes you get info and documents together that will be helpful later.”

This year’s Lilly finalists will be notified and scheduled for their essays and interviews on September 15th.