How Scholars Are Selected

The work is done, the scholarship applications have been turned in and now the students and their parents anxiously await the results of their efforts. For those who receive the scholarship of their dreams, the news brings elation and anticipation. For those who do not, the news may leave applicants wondering why. As the administrator of numerous scholarships benefiting Spencer County, including the well-known Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship (LECS), the Spencer County Community Foundation is witness to both scenarios. Oftentimes, students and parents wonder how the Foundation arrives at finalists for the LECS.

The LECS program was created by Lilly Endowment to help raise Indiana's level of educational attainment and to increase the ability of Indiana's community foundations to enhance the quality of life for Indiana residents. The scholarship is highly sought after, in part because it provides full tuition, required fees, and a special allocation of up to $800 per year for required books and equipment for all four years of undergraduate study.

Lilly Endowment has determined the general conditions for the award, including, among others, the requirement that applicants intend to pursue full-time study in a baccalaureate degree program at an Indiana college or university. Hinton says that the LECS program allows community foundations to further define eligibility criteria, such as the Spencer County Community Foundation's requirement that applicants hold a 3.5 grade point average or higher and have completed the Core 40 college prep curriculum upon high school graduation.

Beyond these general requirements, the Foundation's board of trustees appoints a scholarship selection committee made up in equal numbers of representatives from the community and from each of the county's two school corporations. Despite the fact that the northern and southern halves of the county are equally represented on the committee, finalists are not determined by which school they attend. Rather, each application is scored based on a predetermined scale with points given for grade point average, SAT and ACT scores, involvement in community and school activities, and written essays, which are scored using the 10-point ISTEP rubric.  Applicants who rank within a predetermined percentage are selected to be interviewed by the full committee.

At the time of their interview, students are asked to write an impromptu essay on a given topic.  After completing the essay, students are asked seven questions, the same for each.  Their answers, along with the impromptu essays, are evaluated and scored on presentation, enthusiasm, maturity, self-confidence, social skills, and articulation.

Finally, the names of the two highest scoring applicants are submitted to Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI) for final review and approval. ICI, a nonprofit organization representing 31 Indiana colleges and universities, oversees statewide administration of the LECS program. The Spencer County Community Foundation notifies the two Lilly Endowment Community Scholars selected for the award by the end of April each year.