The Jack Kent Cooke scholarship is named after such a personality who was literally a wise man with noble thoughts- Mr Jack Kent Cooke (1912-1997). He had a progressive thought the society, especially for the backward children. Canadian man Mr Cooke was fond of higher studies and other life-focused facilities at an early age. Unfortunately, he got his educational career collapsed so early. However, Jack Kent Cooke scholarship especially believes in his dreams for the children and their progressive advantages.
Jack Kent Cooke Foundation aims to be the backbone of the children who need money. Particularly the organization tries to help such children who are eager to study and belong to a financially needy families. Inspired by Mr Cooke, the organization was established in 2000. Since then, they have done a number of great activities. The Foundation has already provided almost $250 million to nearly 3,200 students, which is truly a landmark for them. In fact, they have already granted almost $125 million to such Foundations who also do the same.
Table of Contents
Eligibility for Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship:
A number of children have met with the Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship. The organizations think the students need inspiration and advice that may help them to grow. So, besides financial guidance, the Foundation also provides schooling and comprehensive academic advice to students who meet their eligibility criteria. However, the candidates must meet some basic requirements to match the criteria.
- Senior standing: Plan for graduation from any high school in the United States in spring 2023.
- Fall College Enrolment: Intention to enter an accredited four-year college beginning in fall 2023.
- Grade Point Average: Earn a minor, increasing unweighted GPA of 3.5 or more.
- Demonstrate Unmet Financial Requirement: Applicants will be considered with a family annual gross income of up to $95,000. The Foundation will conduct overall monetary feedback, which will include all income and assets of the student and the parents.
Eligible courses in scholarship:
Jack Kent Cooke Foundation-sponsored scholarships are for students from 8th stander to the college or graduate level. Here the children may get significant coverage from the Cooke Foundation. The scholarships also try to go through some donations for the institutions that come forward and help needy people. The Foundation encourages students with personalized educational advice. Not only to the students but also to the schools and colleges, they provide necessary suggestions and sponsor scholarships.
However, the available courses or scholarships here are divided into some parts. Those are,
- Young Scholarship Program: The ‘Young Scholarship Program provided by the Jack Kent Cooke Scholarships is designed only for the promising and dedicated children all across the country who are actually in need.
- College Scholarship Program: The College Scholarship is mainly available for senior school leaving students. Every year Jack Kent Cooke Foundation offers scholarships to students who are just at the final stage of high school and willing to extend their education in college. Here the eligible students shall be given a chance to choose their colleges in one of the top-ranked colleges. Along with that, they will get almost financial coverage of $50,000-$55,000 every year and personalized advice, future planning support, and a good network by the Foundation itself.
- Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship Program: The ‘Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship Program is provided only to those few talented students who dream of finishing their bachelor’s from any of the top-ranked four-year colleges in the nation. The Foundation will support those brilliant but needy students with $45,000 to $55,000 per annum for three continuous years.
How much funds are provided for scholarships?
Mr Jack Kent Cooke left the maximum of his assets donating to such a Foundation that would fulfil his dream. When the Foundation started its journey, it had a lesser fund to run. But now, society has grown enough and popular that besides helping needy students, they are now able to donate even to schools and colleges.
The Cooke Foundation invested nearly $5 million in five public Historically Black Colleges and Universities in 2022. The Universities are- Norfolk State University, Alabama A&M University, North Carolina A&T State University, Morgan State University, and Florida A&M University. In fact, state-wide and nationally, these HBC Universities have had an outsized significance. There are almost 100 post-secondary institutions in the United States with more than $1 billion in endowments. None of them is actually HBC Universities. The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation’s Talent Development Award is a one-time $500,000 grant intended to bring suggestions to a broader scale, catalyze an organization’s duty, and extend conversations around one approach to cultivating probability.
Besides education, many young children receive the Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship and are talented with their fresh cultural brilliance. Each year with the ‘Young Artist Award’ program, Jack Kent Cooke Foundation provides a $10,000 scholarship to 20 outstanding young musicians fighting with financial need. They help to grow their artistic development and education. In addition, the Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship, with the help of another organization named ‘From the Top’, provides a platform for Young Artists to perform nationally on the hit stages. ‘From the Top’ has awarded over $1.8 million in scholarships to more than 190 talented youngsters since 2005. They have provided ultimate music lessons, new instruments, summer music program tuition, competition fees, recording devices, computers, travel costs, etc.
In 2021, the Cooke Foundation awarded AISES (American Indian Science and Engineering Society) $500,000. Their intention was to support the retention and success of Native students pursuing STEM degrees through their guidance, career and college success, and fulfil their dreams. Since its beginning in 2000, The organization have provided over $126 million in grants to various organizations that also serve high-achieving students with financial need across the nation. The society is reputed with a ten-year legacy of supporting such organizations across Northern Virginia, Washington D.C., Metropolitan Washington, and Maryland. Here we may look at the ‘Grantee Directory’ for more specific information.
| Grantee | Grant Type | Amount | Year |
| George Mason University Foundation, Inc. | Good neighbour grant | $20,000 | 2013 |
| 826DC | Good neighbour grant | $20,000 | 2019 |
| Colleges Tracks | Good neighbour | $35,000 | 2020 |
| The Ingenuity Project | Other | $100,000 | 2020 |
| Academic Magnet High School, Charleston County School District | Other | $150,000 | 2020 |
| Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University | Other | $260,290 | 2020 |
| From The Top Inc. | Other | $515,000 | 2020 |
| Northern Virginia Community College Educational Foundation Inc. | Other | $150,000 | 2020 |
| Duke University Talent Identification Program | Other | $67,000 | 2020 |
| Johns Hopkins University Centre for Talented Youth | Other | $50,000 | 2020 |
| Trustees of Princeton University | College access and success | $25,000 | 2020 |
| George Mason University Foundation, Inc | College access and success | $150,000 | 2020 |
| North-western University Centre for Talent Development | Other | $100,000 | 2020 |
| Mississippi Public School Consortium for Educational Access | Rural talent initiative | $53,000 | 2020 |
| Scholarship Fund of Alexandria | Good neighbour grant | $33,370 | 2020 |
| Foundation of the State Arboretum | Good neighbour grant | $12,950 | 2020 |
| Loudoun Education Foundation | Good neighbour grant | $10,000 | 2020 |
| Morven Park, Inc. | Academic Enrichment | $27,000 | 2020 |
| Passion for Learning, Inc. | Good neighbour grant | $10,000 | 2021 |
| Young Artists of America at Strathmore | Good neighbour grant | $35,000 | 2021 |
| American Youth Philharmonic Orchestras | Good neighbour grant | $35,000 | 2021 |
| The School for Ethics and Global Leadership | Good neighbour grant | $24,000 | 2021 |
| Storybook Treasures | Good neighbour grant | $30,000 | 2021 |
| Centre For Inspired Teaching | Good neighbour grant | $35,000 | 2021 |
| Phi Theta Kappa | College access and success | $100,000 | 2021 |
| Better Future Forward, Inc. | College access and success | $125,000 | 2021 |
| The TEAK Fellowship | College access and success | $150,000 | 2021 |
| University of Southern California | College access and success | $50,000 | 2021 |
| Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America | College access and success | $300,000 | 2021 |
| EMERGE | College access and success | $150,000 | 2021 |
| Matriculate | College access and success | $150,000 | 2021 |
| Art Of Problem-Solving Initiative Inc. | Academic Enrichment | $200,000 | 2021 |
| Loudoun Education Foundation | Academic Enrichment | $317,750 | 2021 |
| Boys And Girls Club of Fauquier Inc. | Good neighbour grant | $35,000 | 2022 |
| Building Bridges Across the River | Good neighbour grant | $20,000 | 2022 |
| Clarke County Education Foundation | Good neighbour grant | $35,000 | 2022 |
| Collegiate Directions Incorporated | Good neighbour grant | $35,000 | 2022 |
| Dance Institute of Washington Inc. | Good neighbour grant | $35,000 | 2022 |
| Genesys Works | Good neighbour grant | $20,000 | 2022 |
| Scholarship Fund of Alexandria | Good neighbour grant | $35,000 | 2022 |
What is the Right Time to Apply for the scholarship?
There is no specific timing for the application. The Foundation provides scholarships to students from the 8th stander to the graduation level students. If you fulfil all the criteria and exist in the entertained period, you may go for the application. The authority will verify your candidature and then consider you to be shortlisted for the Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship. So, if you are just at the last edge of your high school, you can finally apply by logging into their website or contacting them.
Contact information:
The Foundation gives you enough information about how to contact them.
Phone Number- +1- 703-723-8000,
Fax Number- 01-703-723-8030
Address – 44325 Woodridge Parkway, Lansdowne, VA, 20176.
The authority also responds on some other telephone numbers and emails mentioned on their website, ‘https://www.jkcf.org/contact-us/’. The executives will cooperate with you during their official timing from Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET. They are closed on all federally observed holidays.
Conclusion:
Jack Kent Cooke Foundation is heading towards a bright future indeed. Their intention is very pious and noble and can be treated only with humility. Jack Kent Cooke scholarships stood behind such categories of people who badly needed someone to stand by them. The initiative is taking the backward society higher and the nation beyond the darkness.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q1. If I am home-schooled, am I eligible to apply?
Ans. The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation encourages your initiative to keep studying and respect your mentality. So, whether you are a school student or home-schooled is not a big deal. You are eligible for the scholarships.
Q2. Do I have to attend college in the U.S.?
Ans. You do not need to attend college in America, but you have to attend a fully accredited four-year institution to pursue a bachelor’s degree.
Q3. When is the application deadline?
Ans. The 2023 College Scholarship Program application is going to be open on August 25, 2022, and will run up to November 17, 2022.