Community Foundation Surpasses $1 Million in Scholarships to Local Students

A Total of 161 Scholarships Awarded to Students in Clark and Floyd Counties

Local students have helped the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana (CFSI) surpass a milestone it had not yet achieved in its 30+ years of philanthropy – to award more than $1,000,000 in scholarships to high school and college students in Clark and Floyd counties.

Behind a record-breaking 161 scholarships, CFSI awarded a total of $1,009,233 in support of Southern Indiana students, which includes the high school graduating class of 2023, as well as current college enrollees. It’s the most scholarship money – and number of awards – the organization has ever allocated.

Linda Speed, president and CEO of the Community Foundation said, “We are very thankful for the generosity of our fundholders, and Lilly Endowment, Inc. for continuing their contributions towards the success of future generations of students throughout Clark and Floyd counties. With increasing educational costs around the globe, these scholarships will provide an invaluable resource to help these students pursue their goals and become our community’s leaders.”

Approximately $390,000 of the total scholarship amount was awarded to four recipients of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program, which provides funding for full tuition, required fees, and a special allocation for required books and equipment for four years of undergraduate study on a full-time basis, leading to a baccalaureate degree at any Indiana public or private nonprofit college.

“The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship was life changing for me. It means so much to me and my family that all my hard work through my school career was able to pay off, and I get to take the financial burden of going to college off my plate,” said Alyssa Leezer, a 2023 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship recipient and Clarksville High School graduate. “This scholarship allows me to achieve my dreams of attending Indiana University-Bloomington and working toward a career in sports analytics. Thanks to the Lilly Scholarship, it is going to make the process much easier. I feel like I really made my family, my school, and my community proud.”

Scholarship applications from students throughout the community were reviewed and scored by International Scholarship & Tuition Services (ISTS), which has been an industry expert and a trusted educational assistance program management partner for organizations for the last 35 years.

The Community Foundation is committed to assisting students of our community in pursuing and completing higher education degrees. The program’s focus is to grow and create endowment funds to provide renewable scholarships at a level of financial impact for diverse educational needs, as well as continue to provide opportunities and share in students’ success.

To learn more about the Community Foundation, or to establish a unique scholarship for an individual, business, or family member, please visit www.CFSouthernIndiana.com/scholarships.