The Hendricks County Community Foundation is pleased to announce the completion of a comprehensive review of its Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program (LECSP). This initiative is a testament to the HCCF’s ongoing commitment to supporting equitable educational opportunities for aspiring scholars in Hendricks County.
Since 1998, the Community Foundation has been proud to partner with Lilly Endowment Inc. to offer the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program. Over the last 26 years, HCCF has awarded 74 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarships to students from Hendricks County. This scholarship provides full tuition to an accredited public or private nonprofit college or university in Indiana and a yearly stipend for required books and equipment.
HCCF’s review of the LECSP is in part a result of its recent initiative to promote Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in the community. The Community Foundation launched a DEI Committee to review its activities, policies, and programs and promote inclusion and non-discrimination for all who live, work, and visit Hendricks County. As a part of this work, HCCF recognized the value of a balanced and equitable recipient selection process for HCCF’s scholarships. In January 2023 the Community Foundation created a Lilly Scholarship Task Force to evaluate the current process and make recommendations for changes if needed.
In prior years, the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship in Hendricks County has primarily focused on Community Service, Leadership and High School Activities with a final determination at an interview. The updated program balances Outside School Activities, School Activities, Academics, Financial Need, and Unique Circumstances outside of a student’s control. The final determination will still be based on an interview. The new program has four rounds of review:
1. Automatic scoring based on a combination of Academics and Financial Need Scores.
2. An out-of-state, higher education review of the Top 150 applicants.
3. A local, community-based committee review of the Top 30 applicants.
4. A final interview round of the Top 10 applicants.
| Criterion Prior to 2023 | Score | Criterion 2024 – Beyond | Score |
| Community Activities | 25 | Outside School Activities | 20 |
| Leadership | 20 | High School Activities | 15 |
| High School Activities | 20 | Adademics | 15 |
| Work Experience | 10 | Financial Need | 10 |
| Essays | 10 | Unique Circumstances | 10 |
| Academics | 5 | Writing | 5 |
| Letters of Recommendation | 5 | ||
| Awards & Honors | 5 |
In April, the HCCF Board of Directors approved a new and updated framework for the LECSP in Hendricks County. The new program is designed to recognize top academic talent and service to a student’s community while also acknowledging barriers that may be present.
HCCF’s Vice President of Programs Eric Hessel said, “Since 1998, the Community Foundation has consistently supported incredible young adults in their pursuit of higher education. These changes will continue that legacy of success while opening the door for a broader selection of Hendricks County seniors to earn this life-changing scholarship.” This new program, along with all of HCCF’s scholarships, will go live on August 1, 2023. To learn more about HCCF’s updated Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program and the application process, visit hendrickscountycf.org/for-our-community/scholarships/lilly-scholars.
