The Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship is named after a highly-successful businessman who was a high-school dropout but had an immense respect for learning and was well-read and knowledgeable in fields as diverse as literature, politics, music, sports, and architecture. When he died, he left most of his fortune to establish the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. One of the Foundation's major goals is to identify extraordinary individuals and help them pursue the kind of formal education Cooke himself never had.
The Jack Kent Cooke Scholarships are open to seniors and recent graduates planning to attend graduate school for the first time. Up to 30 scholarships are awarded each year. Each award covers a portion of educational expenses, including tuition, living expenses, required fees, and books for the graduate degree chosen. The amount and duration of awards vary by student, based on the cost of attendance and the length of the graduate program as well as other scholarships or grants received. The maximum available per student per year of study is $50,000, and the maximum length is six years.
The Jack Kent Cooke Scholarships may be used for graduate or professional study, at any accredited university in the United States or abroad.
To be eligible for a Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship, applicants must be seniors or recent graduates who have not yet begun graduate study. Applicants must have an undergraduate grade point average of 3.50 or better. U.S. citizenship is not required.
The application includes a essay, two letters of recommendation, and information on the applicant's circumstances of financial need.
Candidates for the Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship must be nominated by the Boston College Cooke Nominating Committee. Boston College may nominate no more than two candidates. The Foundation will not accept applications directly from candidates. Interested students should contact the BC Campus Coordinator for the Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship for information.
Application materials are available from the Cooke Foundation website in early November. The Cooke Foundation application deadline is March 15. However, the deadline for submitting complete applications to the BC Cooke Nominating Committee is January 15.
To be competitive, interested students should contact the Cooke Campus Coordinator during the previous Fall semester, to begin preparing their applications.
Students interested in the Cooke Scholarships are urged to talk with the BC Cooke Campus Coordinator. If you would like additional information about these awards and the application process before talking with the Campus Coordinator, consult the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation web site.