LA PORTE COUNTY, IN—The 2027 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship application is now available online at uflc.net/scholarships/lilly.

Applications must be submitted by 4:59 p.m. on September 9, 2026, to be considered.

The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program (LECSP), administered statewide by Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI) and locally in La Porte County by Unity Foundation, will provide scholarships to two La Porte County students. LECSP scholarships provide full tuition and required fees for four years of full-time undergraduate study leading to a baccalaureate degree at an eligible Indiana public or private nonprofit college or university. Scholars also receive a special allocation of up to $900 per year for required books and equipment.

To be eligible, students must:

• Be a resident of La Porte County;
• Graduate by June 30, 2027, from an accredited high school in La Porte County, unless their high school attendance makes them ineligible in the other county;
• Intend to pursue a full-time baccalaureate course of study beginning in the fall of 2027 at an eligible college or university in Indiana;
• Have an unweighted GPA of at least 3.75 at the beginning of their senior year of high school; and
• Submit a complete online application at uflc.net/scholarships/lilly by the deadline.

The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship recognizes students who have challenged themselves academically while also demonstrating leadership, service, resilience, and a genuine commitment to improving their communities.

Applications are first reviewed through a blind evaluation process by a selection committee of La Porte County volunteers, who evaluate each student’s achievements, character, aspirations and financial circumstances. Selected finalists are then invited to interview with the committee. Scores from the application and interview are combined, and Unity Foundation submits its two highest-scoring nominees to Independent Colleges of Indiana, which makes the final scholarship selections. Recipients will be notified in December 2026.

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 the 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.

Since 1998, 78 La Porte County students and their families have benefited from this generous scholarship program, representing more than $6 million in scholarship support.

“Lilly Endowment Community Scholars have distinguished themselves through academic achievement, leadership and service,” said CC Payne, Director of Operations at Unity Foundation. “We are proud to connect hardworking La Porte County students to this exceptional opportunity.”

About Unity Foundation
Since 1992, Unity Foundation of La Porte County has served donors, nonprofits and local communities. As La Porte County’s community foundation, it manages more than $60 million, administers more than 400 charitable funds, and has distributed nearly $29 million through direct grants and scholarships. Unity Foundation’s mission is to strengthen La Porte County now and forever by building permanent endowments; providing leadership; offering philanthropic vehicles for everyone; and being a catalyst for social and economic vitality. For more information, please visit uflc.net or call 219-879-0327.

About Lilly Endowment Inc.
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.

About Independent Colleges of 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 $5.5 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.