Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship

Since 1998, the LaGrange County Community Foundation has been a proud partner of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program, which has provided 44 students from LaGrange County with the financial means to complete a post-secondary education.

Through the Community Foundation, Lilly Endowment will award one full-tuition scholarship to a LaGrange County senior, along with a special allocation of up to $900 for books and required equipment (room and board not included). Students who will begin classes in the fall of 2026 may attend any accredited Indiana college.

The Community Foundation’s Lilly Scholarship Advisory Committee reviews applications and invites five students to participate in finalist interviews in October. Following personal interviews, the committee nominates its finalist and submits the selection to Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI) for final approval.

The recipient of LaGrange County’s Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship will be announced in December.

As a complement to the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship, the Community Foundation is honored to award nominees not selected as the LECS recipient with the Lambright Leadership Scholarship of $4,000 ($1,000 for four years).

Scholarship Eligibility:

A resident of LaGrange County
Accredited LaGrange County high school graduating senior (graduating from Lakeland, Prairie Heights or Westview)
Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.75
Planning to enroll in an accredited Indiana college in the fall of 2026
Must enroll in a four-year college degree program

Important Dates:

July 28, 2025: Scholarship application opens
Sept. 15, 2025: Application deadline (all applications must be submitted by 4 p.m.)
Oct. 7, 2025: Top five finalists announced
Oct. 14, 2025: Finalist Workshop and Impromptu Essay
Oct. 21, 2025: Finalist Interviews and Digital Presentation
Early December 2025: Scholarship recipient announced

The workshop and personal interviews will be held during business hours at the LaGrange County Community Foundation. Finalists must complete an impromptu essay at the workshop, and prepare a 5-7 minute digital presentation about themselves to share during their interview.