Scholarship Spotlight: Ron Brown Scholar Program

(Image: from the website)

Ron Brown Scholar Program awards $10,000 each year for four years to economically-disadvantaged high school seniors of African descent who demonstrate a keen interest in public service, community engagement, business entrepreneurship and global citizenship. This is a great opportunity for qualifying students who have very high grades and test scores. Students chosen for these scholarships are very impressive: more than half of the Scholars end up attending Ivy League universities.

Ron Brown Scholar Program was established in honor of the late Ronald H. Brown, an attorney who worked for Senator Ted Kennedy, then as Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, and finally as Secretary of Commerce for President Bill Clinton. It was while serving in President Clinton’s cabinet that Brown perished in an airplane crash while on a mission to Eastern Europe. 

According to the website, recipients may use the renewable scholarships to attend an accredited four-year college or university of their choice within the United States. Ron Brown scholarships are not limited to any specific field or career objective and may be used to pursue any academic discipline.  Since the Program’s inception in 1996, more than 300 students have been designated as Ron Brown Scholars.

  • Must be Black/African American.
  • Must excel academically.
  • Must exhibit exceptional leadership potential.
  • Must participate in community service activities.
  • Demonstrate financial need.
  • Be a US citizen or hold a permanent resident visa card.
  • Be a current high school senior at the time of your application.  Current college students are NOT eligible to apply.

FINAL DEADLINE: usually first week of January.

https://www.ronbrown.org

NOTE: this scholarship is one of the few that requires a paper application to be MAILED! So make sure your materials, recommendations, test scores etc are all ready BEFORE Thanksgiving so that the package arrives in the RBSP office in plenty of time to be considered.

Scholarship Spotlight: Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Scholarships

Image: from website

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/

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