The online application for the 2026 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship, administered by Heritage Fund and Independent Colleges of Indiana, is now available.
The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program will provide two scholarships for Bartholomew County students. LECSP scholarships may be used for otherwise unreimbursed full tuition and required fees for four years of full-time undergraduate study that lead to a baccalaureate degree at any eligible Indiana public or private nonprofit college or university. Scholars also receive a special allocation of up to $900 per year to help cover costs for required course books and equipment.
Applicants must reside in Bartholomew County; be on course to graduate with a diploma from an accredited public or private Indiana high school by the end of June 2026; have at least a 3.5 GPA on a 4.0-point scale; and demonstrate significant school involvement, community service, good character and leadership skills and financial need. Finalists must be available for interviews with the selection committee. Scholarship recipients must intend to pursue a full-time baccalaureate course of study beginning in Fall 2026 at an accredited public or private college or university in Indiana.
Complete eligibility requirements and application link and instructions are available here.
Applications and all required materials must be submitted by 4 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2025.
Heritage Fund Scholarship Manager Katy Bush said it’s an honor for Heritage Fund to partner with ICI to offer this incredible opportunity to local students.
“It’s such a privilege to help identify and recognize two deserving Bartholomew County students. Our selection committee is really looking forward to getting to know this year’s senior class through the upcoming application process,” Bush said.
Lilly Endowment created LECSP in 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.
For more information, contact Bush at 812- 376-7772 or kbush@heritagefundbc.org.
