HCCF has been granted the privilege of administering the 2023 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship (LECSP) in Hancock County. HCCF again has the opportunity to recommend two students graduating from high school to Lilly Endowment for the full four-year tuition scholarship award. HCCF implements and supervises the process for selection.
The primary purposes of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program 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.
Applications are by invitation only and go live on July 20, 2022, and close at 4:00 p.m. on September 7, 2022. To qualify for an invitation to apply, applicants must:
Be graduating by June 30, 2023, from one of the four Hancock County High Schools
Live in Hancock County
Be in the top 15% of their cohort (weighted GPA), after removing students who live outside of Hancock County.
Students with these qualifications will be identified by school guidance departments and will receive an invitation to apply from HCCF.
Applicants must plan to pursue a baccalaureate course of study, to be completed in four years, at any accredited Indiana public or private college or university. Student applications are submitted online and reviewed blindly (without name or contact information) by third-party professional readers represented by experienced out-of-county reviewers. The third-party committee selects eight finalists, two students from each Hancock County public high school, who best meet the scholarship criteria. Community service is the primary criterion for qualification. Financial need is not a consideration for the LECSP.
The eight finalists will be interviewed in late October by a volunteer committee identified by HCCF, all of whom adhere to a strict conflict of interest policy. This committee has the difficult task of selecting two students from the talented pool of eight finalists and submitting their recommendation to Lilly Endowment for approval. Pending approval, the awards will be announced in December. The eight finalists will be honored at their respective school corporation’s board meetings in November.
2022 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Recipients
HCCF is excited to add Maitlyn Griner (Mt. Vernon High School, pictured at left) and Emma Mann (New Palestine High School, pictured at right) to the prestigious list of Hancock County LESCP recipients!
Maitlyn has been a leader in the D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program, both in working with students at Mt. Vernon Middle School and serving on the national D.A.R.E. Youth Advocacy Board as the sole representative from Indiana. Through working with police officers in this program, she has become interested in pursuing a career as a forensic scientist.
When she was nine years old, Emma started Emma’s Peace Bears. The organization’s purpose is to distribute a new teddy bear to anyone of any age-fighting cancer. During her high school years, Emma has been helping in an NPHS essential skills classroom. Through this experience, she has become passionate about helping students with disabilities increase their opportunities in the world and hopes to become a special education teacher.
2022 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Finalists
Click here to read about the 2022 Lilly Scholar finalists
At a glance
The Lilly Endowment awards 143 scholarships annually across the state. The scholarship has a big emphasis on volunteerism, as well as academics.
To be eligible, students must be ranked in the top 15% of their graduating class academically, and plan to pursue a baccalaureate course of study, to be completed in four years, at any accredited Indiana public or private college or university.
