Apply now for Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship

Each Cooke Scholar has access to generous financial support for two to three years, college planning support, ongoing advising, and the opportunity to connect with the thriving community of fellow Scholars.

After you find schools that meet your basic requirements, divide these schools into three categories:

• Reach Schools: You fall at or below their academic profile in terms of grades and standardized testing (if required). Because of the benefits of attending selective institutions (i.e., those with acceptance rate of 30% or less), they strongly encourage the scholars to apply to 3-4 schools in this category.
• Target Schools: You fit their academic profile in terms of grades and standardized testing (if required) and the acceptance rate is around 30%-60%. They encourage the scholars to apply to 2-3 schools in this category.
• Likely Schools: You are at or above their academic profile in terms of grades and standardized testing (if required) and the acceptance rate is 60% or higher. They encourage the scholars to apply to 2-3 schools in this category.

Eligibility Criteria 

Cooke Scholars possess exceptional academic records and demonstrate unmet financial need. At a minimum, each candidate for the Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship must:

• Be a current student at an accredited U.S. community college or two-year institution with sophomore status as of January 1, 2025, or a recent graduate (since spring 2020)
• Plan to enroll in a full-time baccalaureate program at an accredited college or university in the fall of 2025
• Have a cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 3.5 or better on a 4.0 scale (or the equivalent)
• Demonstrate unmet financial need. They will consider applicants with a maximum annual gross income of $95,000. During the selection process, the Foundation will conduct a full financial review which will take into account all income and assets of the student and the student’s parents.
• No previous enrollment or attendance at a four-year institution. Students who have attended a four-year institution in the past are not eligible for this scholarship.

Program Experience

Each award is intended to cover a significant share of the student’s educational expenses – including tuition, living expenses, books and required fees – for the final two to three years necessary to achieve a bachelor’s degree. Awards vary by individual, based on the cost of tuition as well as other grants or scholarships they may receive.

This highly competitive scholarship includes:

• The opportunity to graduate with as little debt as possible. The award, which is last dollar funding after all institutional aid, can provide as much as $55,000 per year for two to three years to complete a bachelor’s degree at any accredited four-year undergraduate institution in the U.S.
• Ability to pursue any area of study
• Personal advising about selecting a college and navigating financial aid
• Multifaceted advising about how to transition to a four-year college and maximize the student experience
• Opportunity to apply for the Internship Stipend program, Conference and Travel Stipend, and Graduate Scholarship.

For more information, visit Jack Kent Cooke Foundation.