Community Foundation updates scholarship criteria and adds semi-finalist round.
The Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County (CFBMC) has opened applications for the 2019 Monroe County Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program. Interested high school seniors have until Sunday, August 26 to submit their applications to be considered for the scholarship program. Monroe County’s two Lilly Scholarship recipients will be announced in December.
New this year, the Community Foundation Board of Directors approved changing the scholarship criteria to remove the requirement that Monroe County applicants be U.S. citizens. The number of years students must attend high school in Monroe County was also reduced from four to three consecutive years.
“As a community, we benefit greatly from the diverse backgrounds and experiences of individuals and families who have chosen to make Monroe County their home,” said President and CEO Tina Peterson. “We believe that the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program should be reflective of that diversity and offer many young people the opportunity to compete for this prestigious award. The changes to our criteria are very simply meant to more clearly align with the realities of who we are as a community.”
Lilly Endowment Community Scholars are awarded four-year, full tuition scholarships to pursue baccalaureate degrees at colleges or universities in Indiana. The scholarship also includes up to $900 annually for required textbooks and equipment. In selecting recipients for the Monroe County Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship, consideration is given to student activities and achievements, community and civic service, academic performance, and leadership potential. Finalists for the scholarship will be identified in October, and the two 2019 Lilly Endowment Community Scholars for Monroe County will be named in December 2018.
“To ensure that every eligible student has the opportunity to apply, we want students and families in Monroe County to be aware that the timeline for the Lilly Scholar program is earlier than many other scholarship programs,” said Program Director Marcus Whited. “We encourage students to review the Lilly Scholarship application online this week and reach out early to teachers, school staff, and others for the required recommendations.”
Lilly Scholarship Eligibility Requirements:
- Applicant must be a resident of Monroe County.
- Applicant must attend an accredited Monroe County high school and/or the Indiana Academy for at least three consecutive years.
- Applicant must graduate by June of 2019 from one of these eligible schools: Bloomington High School North, Bloomington High School South, Edgewood High School, Academy of Science and Entrepreneurship, Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics & Humanities, Bloomington Graduation School, and Lighthouse Christian Academy.
- Applicant must have a cumulative GPA of 3.70 or above (on a weighted four-point scale) through the end of their junior year.
- Applicant plans to pursue a full-time baccalaureate course of study at an Indiana college or university beginning in the Fall of 2019.
In addition to criteria changes, the Community Foundation Board of Directors also approved a new semi-finalist round for 2019. Applications will be blindly reviewed and independently scored by members of a Lilly Scholarship committee at each Monroe County high school to identify semi-finalists. The number of semi-finalists will be reflective of each school’s senior class size.
The Community Foundation Scholarship Selection Committee will evaluate the scored semi-finalists applications from each school. This committee, which is made up of members of the community and former Monroe County Lilly Scholars, blindly reviews and scores applications from the semi-finalists to select ten finalists. In October, each finalist will be interviewed, and their interview scores will be combined with scoring from the written application. The finalist’s rankings, along with the committee’s recommendations for scholarship recipients, will be submitted to Independent Colleges of Indiana, Inc. Independent Colleges of Indiana will affirm the scholarship recipients for Monroe County prior to announcement in December.
“The Community Foundation is honored to work with Independent Colleges of Indiana to award this scholarship each year,” added Peterson. “The Lilly Community Scholarship Program has allowed 60 Monroe County Lilly Scholars to pursue education opportunities in Indiana. Our hope is that this opportunity increases the odds that talented young people stay here, in Indiana, to become the citizens and leaders we need to ensure a bright, prosperous future for our communities.”
Since 1998, the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program has assisted more than 4,400 Indiana high school graduates statewide with more than $372 million in tuition to pursue baccalaureate degrees at Indiana colleges and universities. The program is administered by Independent Colleges of Indiana and community foundations in each of Indiana’s 92 counties.
For more information on the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program or other scholarships administered by CFBMC, visit https://cfbmc.org/lasting-impact/apply-for-a-scholarship/ or contact Marcus Whited, Program Director at 812-333-9016 or [email protected].
About Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County:
Created by individuals, families, and businesses who share a passion for Monroe County and a vision for its future, the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County has granted $27 million to more than 400 local nonprofit organizations since its incorporation in 1990. With a growing $32 million endowment, the Foundation makes a difference by connecting caring people, important causes, and community resources.