ANGOLA — The Steuben County Community Foundation opened applications for the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship.
Criteria includes, but is not limited to, academic performance, after school activities, community service, work experience and an essay portion.
Eligible candidates must be a high school senior graduating by the end of June 2023, reside in Steuben County currently and for the previous three years and be set to study at a participating Indiana public or private nonprofit college or university.
The scholarship provides funding 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.
All application materials, including references and additional forms, will be submitted through the online application portal by Sep. 7 at 11:59 p.m. to steubenfoundation.org/lilly-endowment-community-scholarship.
Three finalists will be selected by a committee of community volunteers who will work with staff at the Foundation to administer the local nomination process. The finalists will be submitted to ICI for final selection of the recipients, those awarded the scholarship will be notified in December.
Each year, the Community Foundation is impressed by the academic and community achievements of students who apply, a news release said.
“This scholarship can provide a life-changing opportunity for a student who has demonstrated hard work in their academics and strong community involvement,” said Jacqui Gentile, the Foundation’s program officer.
In 2023, the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program will provide 147 scholarships statewide and one scholarship in Steuben County. Since 1997, nearly 5000 Indiana students have received the Lilly Endowment Scholarship, totaling more than $424 million.
The scholarship’s primary purposes are to help raise the level of educational attainment in Indiana, to increase awareness of the beneficial roles Indiana community foundations can play in their communities and to encourage and support the efforts of the current and past scholars.
In addition, the scholarship looks to engage scholars 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.
Applications for all other donor established scholarships administered through the Community Foundation will be available later in the fall.
