Jack Kent Cooke College Scholarship Program
Offered by Jack Kent Cooke Foundation · Free to apply
Up to $55,000 a year for four years, plus personal advising and later access to graduate school funding, goes to seniors who pair top grades with real financial need. The bar is high: a 3.75 unweighted GPA, test scores from the SAT, ACT, AP, or IB, two academic teacher recommendations, a counselor report and transcript, and family income considered up to about $95,000, though the median recipient family earns closer to $45,000. Citizenship is not a factor, but applicants must have attended four years of high school in the US and enroll the fall after graduation, since gap years are not allowed. Applications open August 19 and close November 11. Review runs through the winter and scholars are announced in the spring; the award renews each year with a cumulative 3.0 GPA and a demanding course load.
How hard is the Jack Kent Cooke College Scholarship Program to win?
A large applicant pool chases this award. Apply if the student is a genuinely strong fit, but build the plan around better-odds awards first.
- Estimated odds
- roughly 1 in 2,000 applicants
- Modelled applicant field
- ~3,500 students
- Payoff per hour of work
- $5 / hr
What drives the odds here
Odds on a scholarship are mostly a question of how many students can enter. Each rule below changes the size of that field.
- More rivalsOpen nationwide, so the field is large
- Fewer rivalsAn essay is required, which filters out casual applicants
- Fewer rivalsRecommendation letters are required, a step many applicants skip
- Fewer rivalsAn official transcript is required
- Fewer rivalsAn income ceiling applies
- Fewer rivalsOpen to a single grade level only
- Fewer rivalsRequires at least a 3.75 GPA
- More rivalsA large award draws far more applicants
How Solyo estimates this: We model the applicant field from how narrow the eligibility rules are, then divide the awards available by that field. Requirements such as essays and recommendation letters improve a serious applicant’s odds, because most browsers never complete them. These are estimates derived from each award's published structure, not reported acceptance rates, which almost no scholarship provider discloses. Treat them as a way to rank where the hours go, not as a guarantee.
Who can apply for the Jack Kent Cooke College Scholarship Program?
These are the eligibility rules Solyo verified against the official award page, translated into plain English. Your student must meet each one.
- Open to high school seniors
- GPA of 3.75 or higher (unweighted)
- Household income of $125,000 or less
- Must attend all four years of high school in the U.S., a U.S. territory, or a U.S. military base, and reside in the U.S.
- Must plan to enroll in an accredited four-year college the fall after graduation; gap years are not permitted
- Standardized test scores required (SAT, ACT, AP, or IB); no minimum score is set
- Requires two academic teacher recommendations (one from an 11th grade core-subject teacher), a counselor recommendation, transcripts, and a school report
- Homeschooled students are eligible; recommendations should come from non-parent educators
- Family income up to roughly $95,000 is considered, but typical recipients come from families with much lower income (median near $45,000)
What the application takes
- Essay required. The prompt centers on overcoming adversity.
- 1 letter of recommendation. Ask teachers or counselors early; good letters take time.
- Transcript required. Request it from the school registrar ahead of the deadline.
Deadline and application cycle
The current deadline is November 11, 2026. This award runs on an annual cycle, with deadlines around November 11 each year. Applications open August 19.
- Applications open
- August 19, 2026
- Application closes
- November 11, 2026
- Semifinalist and finalist review
- Winter
- Cooke Scholars announced
- Spring
Does your student actually qualify?
See if your student qualifies in 30 seconds. Solyo checks 20+ criteria against their real profile: GPA, state, grade level, intended major, and more, across every award in this directory at once.
Common questions about the Jack Kent Cooke College Scholarship Program
How much is the Jack Kent Cooke College Scholarship Program worth?
The Jack Kent Cooke College Scholarship Program awards up to $55,000/yr x 4 years and is renewable in later years.
When is the Jack Kent Cooke College Scholarship Program deadline?
The current deadline is November 11, 2026. This award runs on an annual cycle, with deadlines around November 11 each year. Applications open August 19.
When do Jack Kent Cooke College Scholarship Program applications open?
Applications open August 19, and close November 11, 2026.
Who is eligible for the Jack Kent Cooke College Scholarship Program?
Key requirements: Open to high school seniors; GPA of 3.75 or higher (unweighted); Household income of $125,000 or less.
Does the Jack Kent Cooke College Scholarship Program require an essay?
Yes. The application requires an essay, 1 recommendation, and a transcript. Expect to spend about 8 hours on it.
How hard is it to win the Jack Kent Cooke College Scholarship Program?
Solyo estimates the odds at roughly 1 in 2,000 applicants, against a modelled field of ~3,500 students. The pool stays that size because an essay is required, which filters out casual applicants and recommendation letters are required, a step many applicants skip. At 8 hrs of work, that is about $5 of expected value per hour. This is an estimate from award structure, not a published acceptance rate.
Is the Jack Kent Cooke College Scholarship Program free to apply?
Yes. The Jack Kent Cooke College Scholarship Program is free to apply. Legitimate scholarships never charge an application fee, and Solyo verifies every listed award against its official page.
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Lists this award appears on
Award details are curated by Solyo and verified against the official scholarship page. Deadlines and requirements can change between cycles, so always confirm on the provider's site before applying.