The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation was created by a philanthropist and funded by his estate. About 115 high school seniors receive scholarships that cover “unmet need”, meeting expenses after Pell grants and college grants. This means that some students can get scholarships up to $40,000 a year as long as they maintain a good average in college! Applications are filled out via the Common App and deadline is usually the first week of November.
From the website, among the criteria used in the selection process are:
- Exceptional academic ability and achievement: Strong academic record, academic awards and honors, and substantive assessments by educators providing confidential recommendations. They consider:
- unweighted cumulative GPA of 3.5 or above
- participation in available advanced courses
- commitment to learning
- intellectual curiosity
- Unmet financial need: We will consider applicants with family income up to $95,000. Last year’s cohort of new college scholarship recipients had a median family income of approximately $35,000.
- Persistence: Determination and perseverance in the face of challenges, ability to set and remain focused on goals and to put in the effort needed to meet those goals in the face of obstacles.
- Leadership: Ability to organize and positively influence others in school and out-of-school areas (family, religious community, sports, arts, etc.).
- Service to Others: Purposeful and meaningful commitment to others which may be evidenced by participation in volunteer/community service activities.
It is a competitive process, but if you’re not in it, you can’t win it!
https://www.jkcf.org/our-scholarships/college-scholarship-program/
