LAFAYETTE – Three Tippecanoe County students will receive full, four-year scholarships as the 2012 Lilly Endowment Community Scholars through The Community Foundation of Greater Lafayette.

They are: Juan Del Real, McCutcheon High School; Madison Duncan, McCutcheon High School; and Krisli Vasili, West Lafayette Junior/Senior High School. In addition to full tuition to the Indiana accredited college of their choice, these students will receive a $900 yearly stipend for required books and equipment.

Counting this new group of scholars, 62 of these scholarships have been awarded in Tippecanoe County since 1998. Community foundations set their own criteria for this scholarship.  The criteria for Tippecanoe County applicants emphasizes community, school, and work activities; grades; and financial need. 

Over 65 students applied in 2012 for the three available scholarships.  Greg Kapp, President and CEO of The Community Foundation, notes, “Because the quality of the applicants was so high, the selection of the winners was challenging. We are confident the recipients will provide outstanding leadership in the years ahead.”

After the Scholarship Nomination Committee narrowed the field to 6 nominees, the finalists’ names were submitted to the Independent Colleges of Indiana, Inc. (ICI) for the selection of the recipients. ICI is a nonprofit corporation that represents 31 regionally accredited degree granting, nonprofit, private colleges and universities in the state.

The scholarships are a result of a statewide Lilly Endowment initiative to help Hoosier students reach higher levels of education. Indiana ranks among the lowest states in the nation in the percentage of residents over the age of 25 with a bachelor’s degree. There were 142 scholarships awarded statewide.

By offering the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program, Lilly Endowment hopes to increase the level of educational attainment in the state and increase awareness of the potential of Indiana’s community foundations to improve the quality of life of the state’s residents. 

The Community Foundation of Greater Lafayette, established in 1970, serves the Tippecanoe County area.  Its mission is to inspire, nurture, and practice philanthropy, stewardship, and leadership in the communities served.