Four Local High School Seniors Awarded Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship

Scholarship Provides Full Tuition to Any College or University in Indiana

NEW ALBANY, Ind. – Four graduating seniors in Clark and Floyd counties have been named the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana’s Lilly Endowment Community Scholars.

Two students residing in each local county were selected to receive the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship, which provides full tuition, required fees, and a special allocation of up to $900 per year for required books and equipment for undergraduate study on a full-time basis leading to a baccalaureate degree at any accredited Indiana public or private college or university.

This year’s Lilly Endowment Community Scholars include:

Clark County (based on student residence):

Floyd County (based on student residence):

“I would like to send congratulations to all of the finalists, as well as a special thank you to Lilly Endowment Inc., which has been incredibly supportive of our foundation and this community,” said Linda Speed, President and CEO of the Community Foundation. “Because of the generosity of this scholarship program, we are able to award these life-changing scholarships to deserving applicants in Clark and Floyd counties, who will go on to pursue their education and achieve their goals.”

The Community Foundation of Southern Indiana administers the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship program locally each year. Students from any accredited high school in Indiana were invited to apply, but they must reside in Clark or Floyd counties. Scholarship applications 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.

Each semi-finalist was individually interviewed by CFSI’s Scholarship Interview Committee, which is comprised of an independent committee of civic volunteers. According to Crystal Melcher, Vice President of Community Philanthropy for CFSI, a total of 12 semi-finalists were determined from the 161 applicants this year.

Four finalists were submitted to ISTS for final approval of the recommendations made by the Scholarship Committee.

Lilly Endowment created the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program for the 1997-98 school year. Since then, grant funding in excess of $490 million has supported more than 5,300 Indiana students who have received scholarships through the program. This year, 147 full-ride scholarships were awarded statewide.

About CFSI

The Community Foundation of Southern Indiana was founded in 1991 as the region’s partner, resource, and steward in philanthropy. The Foundation manages $159 million in charitable assets and nearly 300 individual funds – each of which supports the unique charitable intent of the donor who established the fund. Annually, the Foundation awards millions in grants and scholarships and is a National Standards certified community foundation. For more information about the Community Foundation, contact 812-948-4662 or visit www.cfsouthernindiana.com.

Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. Although the gifts of stock remain a financial bedrock of the Endowment, it is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with the founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion. Although the Endowment funds programs throughout the United States, especially in the field of religion, it maintains a special commitment to its founders’ hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana.

Since 1997, Independent Colleges of Indiana has administered the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program statewide with funding provided by Lilly Endowment. Founded in 1948, ICI serves as the collective voice for the state’s 29 private, nonprofit colleges and universities. ICI institutions employ over 22,000 Hoosiers and generate a total local economic impact of over $5 billion annually. Students at ICI colleges have Indiana’s highest four-year, on-time graduation rates, and ICI institutions produce 30 percent of Indiana’s bachelor’s degrees while enrolling 20 percent of its undergraduates. 

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