FAQs

ELIGIBILITY QUESTIONS

Key Dates and DEADLINES

GETTING READY TO APPLY

WORKING THROUGH THE NOMINATION PROCESS

RECOMMENDATIONS AND RELATED ISSUES

FINANCIAL INFORMATION FORMS AND RELATED QUESTIONS

SELECTION QUESTIONS

ELIGIBILITY QUESTIONS

Am I eligible for a Graduate Arts Award?

Jack Kent Cooke Scholars possess exceptional academic records and demonstrate unmet financial need. At a minimum, each candidate for the Graduate Arts Award must have:

  • Senior standing or have graduated from an accredited four-year US college or university with the past five years (since spring 2008).
  • A cumulative undergraduate grade-point average of 3.20 or better on a scale of 4.0 (or the equivalent).
  • Demonstrated unmet financial need.
  • A bachelor's degree by the start of the fall 2013 semester. 
  • Plans to begin their first graduate degree program in the performing arts, visual arts, or creative writing at an accredited college or university in the fall of 2013.
  • Cannot have been previously nominated for the Graduate Arts Award.   

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Must I be a US citizen to be eligible?

US citizenship is not required. Candidates, however, must have attended and be nominated by an accredited undergraduate institution in the United States.

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Are there age restrictions for applicants?

No. This program has no age restrictions.

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Am I eligible if I am already enrolled in graduate school?

No. Only individuals who have not already enrolled in graduate school or earned a graduate degree are eligible.

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What fields of study are eligible for funding?

The Graduate Arts Award is for students who plan to pursue a career as a practicing artist in their field.  Eligible field of study include:

  • Fine Arts
  • Performance or Studio Art
  • Music (including vocal, instrumental, composition, or conducting)
  • Dance
  • Drama and Theater Arts
  • Creative Writing
  • Television and Film

Fields that are NOT eligible include (but are not limited to):

  • Art Education
  • Art History
  • Arts Administration
  • Architecture
  • Interior or Industrial Design
  • Curating

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APPLICATION DEADLINES AND KEY DATES

What is a two-phase application?

For the first time this year, the Graduate Arts Award will have a two-phase application process. 

Phase One application requirements will include:

  • Portfolio with descriptions and a summary
  • Short application including demographics, GPA, and other basic information
  • Financial information comprising of the last three years’ AGI for yourself and for your parent(s) if you are under 30 years of age. 

If you are selected as a semifinalist based on your Phase One application, you will be invited to submit additional information in Phase Two of the application process. 

Phase Two application requirements will include:

Continuation of student application

  • Student Financial Form, including a copy of 2011 Federal Tax Return
  • Parent Financial Form, including a copy of 2011 Federal Tax Return (required for applicants under 30 years of age)
  • Student Aid Report (SAR) from the 2012-13 FAFSA
  • Two letters of recommendation
  • Nomination from your Faculty Representative

As you are preparing your Phase One application, we strongly encourage you to begin gathering the required materials for Phase Two so that you will be prepared to submit your Phase Two application quickly should you be invited to do so. 

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Do students apply directly to the Foundation in Phase One?

Yes, applications for Phase One will be submitted directly to the Foundation through our online application portal.  Faculty Representatives do not need to review or nominate applications for Phase One. 

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What is the Faculty Representative's role in Phase One?

In Phase One, the Faculty Representative is primarily responsible for outreach to students who may wish to apply for the Graduate Arts Award, but is also encouraged to advise students who are applying on compiling their portfolio and effectively completing the Phase One application.  We recommend that students seek out their Faculty Representative during Phase One to (1) ensure that their campus has an appointed representative, and (2) to seek advice on completing their application and portfolio. 

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When will students and Faculty Representatives be notified regarding the Phase One results and who is eligible for Phase Two?

Phase One selection will be completed by the Foundation in late December.  Students will receive notification of the status of their applications in early January, and Faculty Representatives will receive notification regarding all the applicants on their campus at the same time. 

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What are the application deadlines?

Your institution may designate an internal deadline several weeks prior to the Foundation's deadline. Contact the designated Faculty Representative at your school to inquire about the internal campus deadline for your school.

The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation deadline for the Phase One application, including portfolio, is November 28, 2012 (closes at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time).

Should you be invited to continue on to Phase Two of the application, the deadline for the application as well as all required documentation AND the nomination from your Faculty Representative is February 28, 2013 (closes at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time).

What are the key dates in the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Graduate Arts Award application and selection process?

October 2012
Application materials are made available on the Foundation's Website in early October.

November 28, 2012
Phase One application deadline.  Includes portfolio and short application. 

Campus Deadline
Many schools set internal deadlines that are several weeks earlier than the Foundation's Phase Two deadline.  Please check with your Faculty Representative for details.

February 28, 2013
Phase Two application deadline.  Includes continuation of student application, financial forms, SAR, letters of recommendation, and nomination from your Faculty Representative.

April 2013
Nominees will receive an email with instructions regarding uploading copies of graduate school acceptance and award letters to the online application.

Mid-late May 2013
Notification of award status emailed to all applicants mid-month.

August 1-4, 2013
Jack Kent Cooke Foundation annual Scholars Weekend.

August/September 2013
First scholarship checks mailed to institutions.

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GETTING READY TO APPLY

When can I apply?

The online application will be available in October 2012.

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What can I do to get ready to apply?

The following items are required for a complete application:

1.   The following items must be completed online

  • Application 
  • Student financial information form, including AGI for last three years
  • Parent financial information forms, including AGI for last three years (required from applicants under 30 years old)
  • Recommendations

2.   The following items must be uploaded, according to the instructions in the online application.

  • Portfolio
  • Official college transcripts for ALL undergraduate coursework
  • Applicant tax forms
  • Parent tax forms (required from applicants under 30 years old)
  • Student Aid Report (SAR) from 2012-13 FAFSA

Start collecting all the supporting documentation as soon as possible, to allow you enough time to meet your school’s internal deadline.  If you do not have a 2012-13 SAR, you must file a FAFSA at least three weeks prior to the deadline in order to obtain your SAR on time.  Also, if you are under 30 years old and your parents are living abroad they may need more time to collect the required financial information. Please refer to the 2013 Applicant Guidelines for further instructions.

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Do I need to submit transcripts from all of the colleges I attended, even if it was many years ago?

Applicants must submit transcripts from all colleges attended.  An application that does not include transcripts from all colleges will be considered incomplete (the only exception is for transcripts from before 1997).

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If I studied abroad and one of my transcripts is in a language other than English, do I need to translate it?

Yes, transcripts and all supporting documents must be in English or officially translated into English.

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As part of my application, am I required to submit a portfolio, recording, or other demonstration of my abilities in the arts?

Yes, applicants are required to submit recordings, portfolios, or other demonstrations of their work.  Please see the 2013  Portfolio Guidelines for more instructions.

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If I am a practicing artist in more than one artistic field, can I submit an application or portfolio in multiple disciplines?

No, applicants are only allowed to submit one application with one accompanying portfolio.  If the fields in which you work are connected (i.e. music composition and performance) your application and portfolio may demonstrate both.  

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Will I need to submit my graduate school acceptance and financial aid award letters to the Foundation?

Nominees will receive notification in mid-April via email with instructions for submitting their graduate school acceptance letters and financial award letters.  Please be sure to add scholarships@jkcf.org to your safe senders list to ensure you do not miss any important notifications.

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WORKING THROUGH THE NOMINATION PROCESS

How do I get nominated?

If you meet the minimum eligibility requirements, please review the selection criteria in the 2013 Applicant Guidelines.  If you meet these criteria also, you should contact the designated Faculty Representative at your undergraduate college or university to inquire about the institution's internal nomination process and deadline.  Faculty Representatives verify the nominee's eligibility and academic status, and are responsible for the complete and timely submission of the online nomination by the deadline.

Applicants are requested to submit an online application which includes uploaded supporting documents. The applicant and Faculty Representative should coordinate their efforts to ensure that the complete nomination is submitted no later than February 28, 2013.  Only the Foundation's Faculty Representative at your undergraduate institution may nominate students.

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How do I determine who my Faculty Representative is?

Your Faculty Representative can be found in our Faculty Representative directory.  Using the dropdown box, please select your institution’s state and scroll through until you find your institution. 

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What should I do if my college or university has not yet appointed a Faculty Representative?

The Foundation invites accredited colleges and universities in the United States to name a Faculty Representative.  If your school has not yet appointed a representative, we recommend that you contact the president's office at your institution to urge the president to designate a representative so that you may be considered.  The president may call 1-855-509-5253 or Contact Us to appoint a representative.  You may also call 1-855-509-5253 to request assistance with the designation of a representative.

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How does the Faculty Representative verify my information and submit the nomination?

The application process is conducted online. Faculty Representatives will login to review applications of students from their institution. The Faculty Representative will then be able to designate their institution’s nominees online.

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May I submit an application directly to the Foundation, without first being nominated by my school?

Students may apply directly to the Foundation in Phase One of the application process.  If a student is invited to continue in Phase Two, then he or she must be nominated by the Foundation's Faculty Representative at their institution.

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What happens if an application is incomplete or is submitted after the deadline?

Applications are completed online and must meet both the deadline set by your undergraduate institution and the deadline established by the Foundation. Incomplete applications and those submitted after the deadline will not be considered.

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What happens if an institution misses the nomination deadline?

Faculty representatives must complete and submit nominations online no later than 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, February 28, 2013. There is no grace period after the deadline has passed. Faculty representatives are responsible for submitting the online nomination(s) on or before the February 28 deadline.

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As part of my application, I see I am asked to upload documents.  What does this involve?

In the online application, you must upload your transcripts, tax documents, portfolio, SAR, and parent tax documents (if required).  Simply scan documents and convert them to one of the listed file types.  Click on the "Browse" button in the online application and select the document you wish to upload.  

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RECOMMENDATION AND RELATED ISSUES

What is needed for the required letters of recommendation?

As part of the online application, applicants must identify two people who will be asked to submit recommendations online.  One or both should be from a professor or another person who knows you and your work well.

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How will the recommenders know that it is time to submit their recommendation?

Recommenders will receive an email with instructions within 24 hours of the applicant entering the recommender's email addresses in his or her application.  The email message will provide a link and access code to the recommender submission page. It is the applicant’s responsibility to monitor the status of their recommendations and to follow up with their recommenders to be sure they have received the instructions and completed the recommendation prior to the deadline set by their institution.

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FINANCIAL INFORMATION FORMS AND RELATED QUESTIONS

How does the Foundation determine unmet financial need?

The Foundation considers artistic and creative merit first in evaluating candidates. However, to be competitive, nominees must also show unmet financial need, which has two components:

  1. Education costs that are appreciably greater than the total amount of other grants or scholarships the applicant receives.
  2. Insufficient student and family income to meet educational costs.

Factors relevant to this determination include:

  • Students receiving full funding for their proposed graduate programs will not be competitive for this scholarship, as they will have no unmet need.  
  • One strong indicator that candidates have financial need is that they received need-based aid while in college.
  • Non-US citizens may be eligible for the Foundation’s scholarships if they demonstrate unmet financial need, regardless of their eligibility for other types of federal and institutional financial aid.

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Who is required to submit their parents' financial information?

Any applicant who will be under the age of 30 as of the February 28 deadline for the Graduate Arts Award.
 

Why does the Foundation require financial information from my parents?

The Foundation requires both student and parent financial information from students who are under 30 years old.  We do so for many reasons.  One of the primary reasons is that students from low-income backgrounds are less likely to complete a graduate degree and therefore may need greater assistance than others.

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I am married but under 30 years old. Do my parents still need to complete the financial information forms regardless of whether I receive support from them? What if I have children of my own?

As long as you are under 30 years of age, your parents' financial information is required regardless of whether they actually provide support.

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What documents can I submit if my parents are living abroad and do not file US taxes?

Applicants and/or parents living abroad and not filing US tax returns for 2011 must complete the online forms to the best of their ability and upload a statement (in English or a certified translation into English) from their employer(s) listing all income and benefits for 2011.

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Will I be liable for taxes on the scholarship?

A portion of each scholarship award may be considered taxable by the US Internal Revenue Service.  Scholars are responsible for ascertaining tax liability for the scholarship and for reporting the taxable portions of their scholarship as income.  See publications 520 and 970 on the IRS Website for details.

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SELECTION QUESTIONS

Are there limits on the types of graduate degrees or universities the Foundation will consider or the areas of study Scholars may pursue?

Scholars may use the award to attend any accredited graduate school in the US or abroad to pursue a graduate or professional degree in fields the performing arts, fine arts, and creative writing.  Applicants must plan on pursuing a career as a practicing artist in their field.

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Does the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Graduate Arts Award support study in non-degree programs?

No.  Only students pursuing advanced degree programs at accredited universities are eligible for the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Graduate Arts Award.

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Are Scholars allowed to receive other grants or scholarships and still qualify for the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Graduate Arts Award?

Scholars must apply for financial aid from their graduate school each year, and most receive other forms of aid in addition to the Foundation's award.  With few restrictions, the Foundation permits Scholars to receive other awards. 

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What are the chances of being awarded a scholarship?

The Foundation expects to receive more than 200 applications and will award up to 15 Graduate Arts Awards in 2013.  Each accredited undergraduate college and university in the US may nominate up to two students each year.

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How much support does the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Graduate Arts Award provide?

Each award will fund a portion of educational costs, including tuition, room and board, books, and other required fees for the normal period of time required to complete the graduate degree program, up to three years.  The amount and duration of awards vary by student, based on the cost of attendance and the length of the program, as well as other scholarships or grants received.  The maximum available per student is $50,000 per year.  Most awards are for less than $50,000 per year.

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