Here at the Community Foundation, we’re passionate about education. That’s why we offer over 130 scholarship opportunities to Grant County students. Thanks to generous donors, we have scholarships available to students of every age, income level, academic ability, and athletic aim. All U.S. citizens pursuing higher education at an accredited university, college, or trade school, part-time or full-time, are eligible to apply for scholarships.
Remember, funding is limited…Community Foundation scholarships are highly competitive. Awards are subject to IRS regulations, Community Foundation policy, and the criteria established by donors. Also, Community Foundation scholarships are to be used only for qualified educational expenses (as defined by the IRS- meaning tuition, fees, and books). Funds cannot be applied toward any other expenses (including room and board) that students may incur during their college career.
The Community Foundation offers numerous scholarship opportunities for adult students, current high school graduates, full-time, part-time, traditional and non-traditional students. Community Foundation Scholarships can only be used for tuition and academic fees (scholarships are not available for room and board).
| Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship |
Four Year, Full Tuition
Available to Graduating High School Seniors
2 Recipients Selected
Each Year
Nominees not selected are eligible to apply for other Community Foundation scholarships
Open Application Dates:
August 1st – September 16th
Application Currently Closed
| Community Foundation Scholarships |
130+ Different Scholarships
Available to anyone attending college next year
1 Universal Application Process for All Scholarships
Grant County students of every age, income level, academic ability, and athletic aim are eligible to apply
Open Application Dates:
November 1st – January 31st
Application Currently Open
| SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION TIMELINES | |
|---|---|
| August 1st | Lilly Application Opens |
| September 16th | Lilly Application Closes |
| October 1st | Lilly Interviews |
| November 1st | Community Foundation Application Opens |
| First Week of December | Lilly Recipients Announced |
| January 31st | Community Foundation Application Closes |
| February 1st | Community Foundation Reviews Open |
| March 21 | Community Foundation Reviews Close |
| First Week of April | Community Foundation Offers are Made to Scholarship Applicants |
| Last Week of April | Community Foundation Scholarship Profiles Sent to Fund Contacts |
| May 6th | Community Foundation Acceptance Agreement Due |
| Third Week Of July | Lilly Checks Sent to Universities |
| First Week of August | Community Foundation Checks Sent To Universities |
All scholarship applicants are required to complete the College Cost Estimator to be considered for Community Foundation scholarships. A new CCE must be completed every year an applicant applies. The CCE link is accessible through the Community Foundation’s scholarship application.
The analysis of financial resources available to help fund post-secondary education is one of the factors considered by the Community Foundation’s selection committee for all of our scholarships. To assess the financial need of applicants, we require that all applicants:
- Complete the Community Foundation’s scholarship application.
- Complete a College Costs Estimator and corresponding release form.
By completing the College Costs Estimator, you and your family will receive a customized report summarizing the results of your Estimator analysis. You and your family also will have access to the staff at the National Center for College Costs via a toll-free line and email in the months/years ahead, at no cost to you, should you need assistance dealing with college costs and financial aid issues.
CCE will mail or email reports depending upon the student’s selection.
Gathering Your Information:
The ICCE has been designed to be as quick and easy as possible and is estimated to take most users approximately 15 minutes. To expedite the completion of the Indiana College Costs Estimator, it is wise to have the following information handy before starting:
- Parent and student tax forms (1040EZ, 1040A or 1040) and/or W-2s
- Parent and student untaxed income information
- Parent and student asset information
- Parent business and/or farm records, if applicable
*Because actual federal, state, and institutional financial aid is based on the forms and information listed above, it is important you provide the same information in order to produce accurate estimates.
View a step-by-step summary of completing the College Cost Estimator
By signing the Scholarship Verification Agreement, the student is allowing the Community Foundation to verify their college enrollment and major for the offer to become an official award.
Please note: If your college choice or major has changed since you completed your scholarship application, it could mean that you no longer meet the eligibility requirements established by the donor. But, the only way we’ll know is by asking you to complete the Scholarship Acceptance Agreement on or before the deadline, May 6, 2018—the sooner, the better.
If you still meet all of the criteria for the scholarship(s) you’ve been offered, we will let you know via email that you’ve OFFICIALLY BEEN AWARDED A SCHOLARSHIP from the Community Foundation of Grant County. If you have not been notified by August 1st, please give us a call at 765-662-0065.
So, get these things ready:
- You’ll need to provide your Student ID number because your scholarship check will be sent directly to your college bursar’s office. The bursar’s office will place the funds into your student account to pay for “qualified educational expenses” which includes books, tuition and fees. This check will be sent to your school on or before August 1, 2018.
- To allow our donors to get to know our Community Foundation scholarship recipients a little better, we would like for each student to write a 250 word thank you letter outlining your gratitude, how this scholarship will help with your college career, and your plans for the future. We would also like you to share a little about yourself. (Remember, these letters will go to the donors who provided the scholarship you are receiving.) Writing this letter will be part of the Scholarship Acceptance Agreement which must be completed in full to be awarded a Community Foundation scholarship.
- Find a quality .jpg picture of yourself (preferably a professional head shot) that we can use to market our Community Foundation Scholarship Program. You’ll need to upload the picture when you fill out the Scholarship Acceptance Agreement, so have it on hand.
If you’ve been offered an award, you must sign the Scholarship Verification Agreement to receive your scholarship.
Paying for college is no picnic! But, thanks to our generous donors, it’s easier. They make it possible for students at every age, income level, academic ability, and athletic aim to receive Community Foundation scholarships. They understand that the gift of education is priceless. Because of their generous donations, we can say, “yes” to Grant County’s most deserving students. All U.S. citizens pursuing higher education at an accredited university, college, or trade school, part-time or full-time, who are from Grant County are eligible to apply for scholarships. Of course, funding is limited and highly competitive, not every applicant will receive a scholarship. To improve your chances, however, check out this recipe for baking up a perfect application! Check out the step-by-step process below of how a scholarship becomes a reality.
1. IRS Regulations
A scholarship is defined as a grant for qualified education expenses; tuition, fees, and books only.
The Pension Protection Act (PPA) requires us to:
(a) Approve the scholarship application questions
(b) Oversee the selection process
(c) Appoint a majority of scholarship reviewers to any family scholarship fund committees
2. Donor Criteria
Each donor establishes their own scholarship criteria at the time the fund is opened. It is the job of the Community Foundation to ensure that the pre-established criteria is met by each applicant.
Reviewers are asked to score applications based on the scholarship criteria. Each reviewer signs a recusal form verifying they are not related to applicants and they will score in a fair and unbiased manner.
3. College Costs Estimator
The National Center for College Costs delivers this tool to help determine student’s financial needs. The College Costs Estimator informs students of their estimated State and Federal Financial Aid. This allows us to award what is needed at the average state college rate without ‘overscholaring’.
4. Reviewed
A group of community volunteers review each scholarship application in a “blind” review process. Reviewers are asked to score applications based on the scholarship criteria. Each reviewer signs a recusal form verifying they are not related to applicants and they will score in a fair and unbiased manner.
5. Board of Directors
The Community Foundation’s Board of Directors examines and approves the reviewers’ top-ranked candidates based on how much funding the student needs in order to afford average tuition, fees, and books at the state college rate.
6. Offered
Once an application is reviewed by volunteers, the top-ranked candidates receive scholarship offers. Students must verify their qualifications before an award is approved.
7. Scholarship Verification Agreement
By signing the Verification Agreement, the student is allowing the Community Foundation to verify their college enrollment and major for the offer to become an official award.
8. Awarded
When the student is verified, the offer then becomes an award. If the student isn’t verified, an offer will be made to the runner-up. Awards are mailed directly to the college bursar’s office no later than the first week of August. Funds are used immediately for ‘qualified education expenses’ as defined by the IRS.
> Beginning-To-End Scholarships
Scholarships are not automatically renewable. But, there are some in which the donor wishes to support a student over multiple years. However, students must apply each year and continue to meet the original criteria of the scholarship in order to be considered for an additional year. Bottom line: Complete the Community Foundation application each year you plan to attend college.
> Scholarship Awards
Our goal is to help as many students as possible go to college with our scholarship awards. Each year we calculate the average cost of public school tuition/fees/books as a benchmark for award maximums (around $11,000). Additionally, students who have a 100% tuition waiver for college can still apply with us to potentially receive a maximum $1,000 scholarship to cover textbook expenses. Hundreds of students apply for scholarships with the Community Foundation of Grant County each year. We try to help as many deserving students as possible with funding for tuition/fees/books; however, room and board costs cannot be covered with our scholarship funding.
> Scholarship Minimums
In order to make a scholarship as beneficial as possible, the minimum scholarship amount the Community Foundation provides is set at $500. This could mean smaller scholarships are paired together to equal or exceed that minimum. With average textbook costs at approximately $1,000 annually, this minimum helps to fund a semester of books.
> By the Numbers
~$500,000 Scholarship dollars available annually
$28,000 Average loan debt for college grads*
$7,833 Average tuition/fees at a state university
$2,000 Average awarded scholarship amount
131 Total number of scholarship funds held at the Community Foundation
*U.S. News and World Report
Tips on Essay Writing
A good essay can make or break an application. We have found in the past that students who receive scholarships have written exceptional essays; giving reviews a glimpse of their character. Great essays include complete sentences, good punctuation, proper spelling, and an easy flow from one paragraph to the next.
When you think about it, there are many students with excellent grades, athletic accomplishments, and community service hours—essays are the only way a scholarship reviewer can get to know the real you! Reviewers expect to read well-prepared essays and students who invest time in their writing score higher every single time. So, applicants, take your time, edit, revise, and re-read for clarity. And, it’s never a bad idea to have someone else proofread your essay before you submit your application. Ask a teacher, parent, counselor, or friend to double-check your final essay to make it scholarship-worthy! Our scholarship reviewers can tell if you’ve dedicated proper time to your essays; that can mean the difference between winning big or not winning at all.
Documents Needed to Apply
When applying for Community Foundation Scholarships, it is helpful to have the following information on hand: class rank and class size (if you are a current high school senior), GPA, diploma type, transcripts, and you may be required to submit a recommendation letter(s).
Also, to complete the Indiana College Cost Estimator (a requirement when applying for Community Foundation scholarships), students will need:
- Parent and student tax forms (1040EZ, 1040A or 1040) and/or W-2s
- Parent and student untaxed income information
- Parent and student asset information
- Parent business and/or farm records, if applicable
Online Resources
| HARNESS THE POWER OF THE WEB FOR YOUR POST HIGH SCHOOL PLANS | ||
|---|---|---|
| EDX | Scholarships.com | Khan Academy |
| Chegg | College Scorecard | Big Future by the College Board |
| Cappex | Trip to College Alerts | 31 Answers to your Questions about college |
| Fast Web | StudentScholarships.org | |
| Parchment | Planet Money | |
What are the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program requirements?
Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program Requirements
• Attend an accredited Grant County High School
• On course to graduate by June 30, 2019 with a diploma from an accredited Grant County high school and plan to pursue a full-time baccalaureate course of study at an accredited public or private college or university in Indiana
• Have a minimum 3.5 grade point average (unweighted).
• Have a minimum SAT of 1280 (Combined Reading and Math) OR ACT of 27.
Do you have to complete the 2 essays in order to submit the application?
Yes, you must complete all steps to submit your application. Our system will not let you click submit until all required fields are completed.
Can the application be downloaded and completed on paper?
No, the application must be completed online and must be turned in via AwardSpring (our application platform).
Are scholarships only for high school seniors?
No, anyone attending college next year is welcome to apply.
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