A Scholarship for Transfer Students

The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship honors excellence by supporting outstanding community college students with financial need to transfer to and complete their bachelor’s degrees at the nation’s top four-year colleges and universities.

This scholarship makes it possible for the nation’s top community college students to complete their bachelor’s degrees by transferring to a selective four-year college or university. The Foundation provides up to $40,000 per year to each of approximately 85 deserving students selected annually, making it the largest private scholarship for two-year and community college transfer students in the country.

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 he or she may receive.

Selection Process and Criteria

The selection process for these awards is rigorous and highly competitive with approximately 85 scholarships awarded each year out of thousands  of applicants. A review panel of distinguished university admissions professionals and faculty judge the applicants using criteria including:

• Achievement and academic ability
• Financial need
• Persistence
• Leadership
• Service to others

Minimum Eligibility Requirements

• Be a current student at an accredited U.S. community college or two-year institution with sophomore status by December 31, 2015, or a recent graduate (since spring 2011).
• Plan to enroll full time in a baccalaureate program at an accredited college or university in fall 2016.
• Have a cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 3.5 or better on a scale of 4.0 (or the equivalent).
• Demonstrate significant unmet financial need. We will consider applicants with family income up to $95,000. However, we anticipate that a majority of scholarship recipients will be eligible to receive a Pell grant.
• Have not previously enrolled at or attended a four-year institution.

Interested? For more information.