The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation announces its largest-ever cohort of Undergraduate Transfer Scholars

LANSDOWNE, Va., May 12, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation today named 100 high-achieving community college students as recipients of the prestigious Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. The highly competitive national scholarship provides transfer students with up to $55,000 a year to complete their bachelor's degrees.

In the 2020-21 academic year, four-year colleges and universities saw nearly 200,000 fewer transfer enrollment applications nationwide, reflecting the pandemic's disruptive effect on students and their plans for college. Despite that decline, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation welcomed its largest class of Scholars to date, highlighting the talent and achievement of hundreds of community college students across the country. In light of growing financial hardship for so many families, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation also increased the maximum award amount by an extra $15,000 to ensure students can focus on their studies while enrolled.

"Today, almost half of all college students begin their academic career at a community college. We know our community colleges are full of high-achieving students, and we're committed to playing our part to ensure those students succeed," said Seppy Basili, executive director of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. "Congratulations to a cohort of students who have persisted in the midst of such unprecedented disruptions in our lives. We welcome you into our community and look forward to learning alongside you."

New Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholars will receive comprehensive educational advising to guide them through the process of transitioning to a four-year college and preparing for their careers. Along with financial support, Scholars will additionally receive opportunities for internships, study abroad, and graduate school funding, as well as connection to a thriving network of over nearly 3,000 Cooke Scholars and Alumni.

This year, more than 1,200 students from 332 community colleges applied to receive the Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. The Foundation evaluated each submission based on students' academic ability and achievement, financial need, persistence, and leadership.

A list of this year's Cooke Transfer Scholars is here.

The Cooke Foundation is dedicated to advancing the education of exceptionally promising students who have financial need. Since 2000, the Foundation has awarded $230 million in scholarships to nearly 3,000 students from 8th grade through graduate school, along with comprehensive counseling and other support services. The Foundation has also provided $125 million in grants to organizations that serve such students. www.jkcf.org

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SOURCE Jack Kent Cooke Foundation