By Kallie Sulanke—
MUNCIE, IN— Incoming high school seniors can now apply online for the 2024 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship administered by The Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County. Applicants must be residents of Delaware County, Ind., and attend an accredited high school in Delaware County.
The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship in Muncie and Delaware County awards a student who possesses leadership potential who is well-rounded and community-minded. The scholarship covers tuition and required fees for four years of full-time undergraduate study leading to a bachelor’s degree at any accredited Indiana public or private nonprofit college or university. Additionally, the scholarship provides a special allocation of up to $900 per year for required books and equipment.
Students can learn more about and apply for the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship in Muncie and Delaware County by visiting cfmdin.org/lilly. Applications must be completed by Monday, September 18, 2023. Through their applications, students will demonstrate their persistence and grit. The application requires students to respond to five essay prompts and obtain two letters of recommendation from non-family adults in their lives. Two finalists are selected for Delaware County. Independent Colleges of Indiana, Inc. (ICI), the statewide administrator for the scholarship, reviews all finalists. Recipients are announced in December.
In addition to the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship, The Community Foundation administers scholarships to support post-secondary education. Community-minded donors established the 51 scholarship funds and set the criteria for the awards. Scholarships are awarded to students participating in various activities, with a wide range of grade-point averages, from schools across Delaware County. Awards vary by scholarship. Applications for all other scholars will be made available on January 1, 2024, at cfmdin.org/students.
High school students applying for the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship in Muncie and Delaware County should contact their school counselor for more details. For help with the online scholarship software, email scholarships@cfmdin.org.
The Community Foundation of Muncie and Delaware County, Inc. encourages philanthropy, assists donors in building an enduring source of charitable assets, and exercises leadership in directing resources to enhance the quality of life for residents of Muncie and Delaware County. Since 1985, community members and businesses have helped the Foundation grow our endowment to $80 million. Using the earnings on the endowment, the Foundation distributes grants to nonprofit organizations, including scholarships to support students through post-secondary education. To date, the Foundation has awarded more than $63 million to enhance the quality of life of the residents of Muncie and Delaware County.
Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based, private philanthropic 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. The Endowment funds significant programs throughout the United States, especially in the field of religion. However, 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 Inc. 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.
