Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Application Opens August 1, 2025
Published: July 21, 2025 by Johnson County Community Foundation
The 2026 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship application is now available in Johnson County through the Johnson County Community Foundation. The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program (LECSP) will provide 147 scholarships statewide and 3 of scholarships will be in Johnson 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 Johnson County through the Johnson County Community Foundation, 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 jccf.org for complete information regarding the Johnson County’s application criteria.
Students can learn more about the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship in Johnson County and apply for this scholarship by visiting www.jccf.org/scholarships. Applications must be completed and submitted by August 22 by 4pm to be considered.
Applicants will be evaluated based on volunteer community service, academic preparation and performance, leadership, and good character. The finalists will be nominated by the Johnson County Community Foundation, and their names 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 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship represents a life-changing opportunity for our local students, fostering excellence in education, leadership development, and a deep commitment to giving back to the community,” said Kim Kasting, President & CEO of JCCF.
