M.C. Community Foundation announce applications for 2026 Lilley Endowment Community Scholarship

The 2026 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship application is now available in Marshall County through the Marshall County Community Foundation.  The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program (LECSP) will provide 147 scholarships statewide, with one scholarship in Marshall County.  LECSP scholarships may be used for otherwise unreimbursed full tuition, required fees, and a special allocation of up to $900 per year.  The special allocation may cover the costs of required books and equipment for four years of undergraduate study for a full-time student leading to a baccalaureate degree at any eligible Indiana public or private nonprofit college or university.

The program, administered statewide by Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI) and locally in Marshall County through the Marshall County Community Foundation, is open to all Indiana residents who graduate from an accredited Indiana high school by 2026 and receive their diploma no later than June 30, 2026, intend to pursue a full-time baccalaureate course of study at an eligible college or university in Indiana; and meet the criteria specific to their local community foundation.

Visit www.marshallcountycf.org for complete information regarding Marshall County’s application criteria.

Students can learn more about the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship in Marshall County and apply for this scholarship by visiting www.marshallcountycf.org.  Applications must be completed and submitted by Friday, September 12, at 11:59 p.m. to be considered.

Applications will be evaluated on, but not limited to, the following criteria: Academic Performance, Community Service, Outside School Volunteer, School Service Activities, Work Experience and Leadership, School Activities including Leadership, Honors, Civic, Academic and Athletic Awards, an Application Essay and an On-site Essay and Interview for finalists. One finalist will be nominated by the Marshall County Community Foundation, and their name will be submitted to ICI for final selection of the recipients.  Scholarship recipients will be notified in December.

Lilly Endowment created LECSP for the 1997-98 school year and has supported the program every year since with tuition grants totaling more than $505 million. More than 5,400 Indiana students have received Lilly Endowment Community Scholarships since the program’s inception.

The primary purposes of LECSP 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.

The Marshall County Community Foundation is again pleased to offer LECSP for its 29^th  year in Marshall County.  “Marshall County is home to many bright and talented students who are eager to pursue higher education in Indiana. We are excited to again offer one of these gifted students the opportunity to earn free tuition for their hard work through the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship program,” said Linda Yoder, Executive Director of the Marshall County Community Foundation.