Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Scholarships
Advancing the education of exceptionally promising students who have financial need
Programs
Enrichment and credit-bearing, accelerated programs designed for students at every age and stage of talent development.
To sign up for an upcoming JKC application workshop webinar, please sign up through our events page.
For other questions, please contact Tammie Stewart, CTD’s community outreach manager.
Tammie Stewart is happy to advise families and walk them through the application process. Fill out the form using the link below or e-mail her at tammie-stewart@northwestern.edu.
About the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation
The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation is dedicated to advancing the education of exceptionally promising students who have financial need. By offering the largest scholarships in the country, comprehensive counseling, and other support services to students from grade 7 to graduate school, the Cooke Foundation is dedicated to ensuring high-performing, low-income students have the support necessary to develop their talents and excel educationally.
In addition to its scholarship programs, the Cooke Foundation provides grants to organizations for innovative, high-impact initiatives that benefit students. By doing so, the Cooke Foundation seeks to use its resources to end the Excellence Gap—the disparity between the number of low and high income students who reach the top levels of academic performance.
CTD is proud to work with the Cooke Foundation in supporting its prestigious Young Scholars and College Scholarship Programs and in nurturing exceptional talent.
Young Scholars Program
The Young Scholars Program, a selective five-year pre-college scholarship for high-performing middle school students with financial need, is the largest scholarship of its kind in the nation. It provides individualized academic advising, financial support, and a pathway to the foundation’s $55,000 per year College Scholarship. The Cooke Foundation assigns each Young Scholar an on-staff educational adviser who works closely with the student and their family to guide them and oversee the educational opportunities the Cooke Foundation provides throughout high school. The application period is open from February 6, 2025 to April 30, 2025. Visit the Cooke Foundation’s Young Scholars page for information on opportunities for students currently in grade 7. Please register for application workshops to learn more.
College Scholarship Program
The College Scholarship Program is the largest undergraduate scholarship program available to high- achieving high school seniors with financial need who seek to attend the nation’s best four-year colleges and universities. College Scholars receive up to $40,000 per year, college planning support, ongoing advising, and the opportunity to network with the larger Cooke Scholar community. The application period is open from September to November. Visit the Cooke Foundation’s College scholars page for information on opportunities for students currently in grade 12.
Talent Development Is A Journey
Our Pathways Approach
No student is born with a set destination, and talent development takes many forms. We know that talents, passions, and goals are discovered through exploration, challenge, dedication, and mentorship. When a student finds their desired path, Center for Talent Development (CTD) is there to provide guidance and support.