Merit Based Scholarships

Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship

The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship is a four-year, full-tuition scholarship that allows the recipients to attend an Indiana college or university of their choice, and is a result of a statewide Lilly Endowment initiative to help Hoosier students reach higher levels of education.

Who is eligible to apply for the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship?

• Kosciusko County residents who are a current high school senior and will receive their diploma from an accredited Indiana high school no later than June 30.
• Must be intending to pursue a full-time baccalaureate course of study at an accredited public or private nonprofit college or university in Indiana.
• Must be pursuing an academic and/or technical honors diploma at the end of their junior year of high school.
• Must have a GPA of 3.8 of higher on a 4-point scale or 10.3 or higher on a 12-point scale at the end of their junior year of high school.

In Kosciusko County, the Community Foundation recommends two recipients of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship to Independent Colleges of Indiana for final selection.

Rick and April Sasso Family Scholarship Fund

This fund was established by Rick and April Sasso to provide graduates of Warsaw Community High School with up to the full amount of tuition for one year of study at any Indiana accredited nonprofit college or university. Past recipients will be given the opportunity to renew the scholarship each year for up to four years of undergraduate study. Rick Sasso is a graduate of Warsaw Community High School. He is an orthopaedic surgeon specializing in spinal surgery and is the President of Indiana Spine Group. Together, Rick and April, have generously supported many charitable causes in Indiana, including projects in Warsaw and Winona Lake.

Who is eligible to apply for the Rick and April Sasso Family Scholarship Fund? 

• High school senior who will graduate from Warsaw Community High School and receive a diploma no later than June 30.
• Must be intending to pursue a full-time baccalaureate course of study at an accredited public or private nonprofit college or university in Indiana.
• Must be pursuing an academic and/or technical honors diploma at the end of their junior year of high school.
• Must have a GPA of 3.8 of higher on a 4-point scale or 10.3 or higher on a 12-point scale at the end of their junior year of high school.

Review & Selection Process 

Both scholarships utilize a “blind” review process, meaning selection committee members do not have access to applicant names or other identifiers when evaluating applications. Consideration by both committees is given to academic performance, extracurricular activities, community service, work experience, essay responses, and recommendations.

The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship committee uses a weighted evaluation form giving highest consideration to the community service, extracurricular activities, and work experience reported by the applicant.