Graduate Scholarship

Upload all required documents into your online application according to the directions in the application. The online application, including all required supporting documents, must be submitted by January 10, 2023.

You will not be able to submit your application until all required fields are complete. Any outstanding requirements will be listed in the Review section of your application.

After you submit, you will receive a confirmation email. Once you have successfully submitted your application and your recommendation has been submitted, your application is complete.

The application requests your cumulative GPA and the GPA you earned from your Foundation-funded undergraduate institution. Both GPAs will be taken into consideration during the review process.

Please submit your official fall 2022 transcript if you are currently enrolled in school. If you are an Alum, please submit your final transcript from your undergraduate institution.

You must complete the financial section in the online application and upload your 2021 tax forms. These forms help the Foundation assess whether you have unmet financial need.

If you do not have W-2s or tax documents, please upload a letter of explanation instead.

You must submit your application online. The Foundation will not consider applications submitted by email, mail, or fax.

The application and all supporting materials must be completed and submitted online by January 10, 2023 (by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time).

If you have questions about the Cooke Graduate Scholarship, please email us at gradscholars@jkcf.org or call  (571)-799-8067. We are available between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

On the How to Apply page, click on the Apply Now link to access the online application, which will be available in mid- to late October 2022.

Do not save the link to your online application to your favorites. Instead, please always access the application through the website. Click on the “Apply Now” link on the How to Apply page to log back into your application. If that doesn’t work, please contact us at gradscholars@jkcf.org.

If you have forgotten your password, go to the login page in the online application and click on the “Forgot Password?” link to have the instructions to reset the password emailed to you.

There is no nomination process for the Graduate Scholarship. Scholars apply directly to the Cooke Foundation via the online application.

Yes, you are required to submit one recommendation. The recommendation form must be submitted online by your recommender. You may request the recommendation in your online application by clicking on the “Request” button and following the directions on that page. You are encouraged to send the request to your recommender as soon as possible. Your recommender is instructed to upload a recommendation they have already written for you for your graduate school applications. They are not required to write a new recommendation specifically for the Cooke Graduate Scholarship. Please see the Cooke International Awards at Oxford and Cambridge section if you are applying for the Cooke Oxford or Cambridge Awards. There are different recommendation requirements.

Your recommender will receive an email immediately after you send the request via the online application. The email message will provide the recommender with a link to complete the recommendation form. The recommender must click “Submit” to certify that the recommendation is complete.

Recommenders will know their job is done when they receive an email that says that the recommendation has been submitted. You will also receive a confirmation email. The status of your recommendation will then change to “Submitted” on the Graduate Scholarship Recommendation section in your application.

Your application is not considered complete until your recommendation is received.

Yes. Select the “Edit” hyperlink under the status icon. Select “Exclude,” and then you will be given an option to add a new recommender.

After the deadline, we will review applicants for the Oxford and Cambridge Awards by committee and select the two Cooke Oxford /Cambridge Scholars.

As the deadlines for Oxford and Cambridge vary, please check their website for the exact dates. Generally, the deadlines fall in late January. We expect that you will NOT have submitted your Oxford/Cambridge application until you have met with the Associate for Graduate Advisement, so please plan your meeting according to your Oxford and Cambridge deadlines. Part of the review process for the Cooke International Awards is to provide feedback to strengthen your application to the school.

Awarding of the Cooke International Awards at Oxford and Cambridge is contingent upon acceptance to the University of Oxford (Brasenose or Lincoln Colleges) or the University of Cambridge (Clare College) and thus will not be announced until the Oxford and Cambridge admission offers have been made.

If you are accepted to the University of Oxford or the University of Cambridge but not selected as a Cooke Oxford or Cooke Cambridge Scholar, then you may use the Cooke Graduate Scholarship at Oxford, Cambridge, or elsewhere. The most significant differences are that you will not be the named Cooke Oxford or Cooke Cambridge Scholar, and you are eligible for up to $150,000 total to be used for up to four years.

The award is for up to $85,000 per year for up to four years of study at Lincoln College or Brasenose College at the University of Oxford or Clare College at the University of Cambridge.

Most programs of study at the University of Oxford are eligible for these awards, but a few are not (art history and anthropology are not eligible programs at Lincoln College at the University of Oxford). There are no restrictions on the graduate programs applicants may pursue at Brasenose College at the University of Oxford or Clare College at the University of Cambridge. Please contact us if you have questions about whether your field of study is eligible (gradscholars@jkcf.org).

To be eligible for the International Award, please meet with the Associate for Graduate Advisement before December 1, 2022. You may email gradscholars@jkcf.org to schedule a meeting or attend the Graduate Scholarship office hours (see email communications about the Graduate Scholarship). At this meeting, you will discuss your plans for study at Oxford or Cambridge and have an opportunity to receive feedback on your application. For all International Award applicants, please submit your Graduate Scholarship Application after you meet with the Associate for Graduate Advisement, not before.

After meeting with the Associate for Graduate Advisement, apply for the Cooke International Awards online through the Cooke Graduate Scholarship application. Complete all sections of the application.

The Cooke International Awards at Oxford and Cambridge are part of the Cooke Graduate Scholarship. You will see in the online application for the Graduate Scholarship that you must submit supplemental information to be considered for the Oxford or Cambridge awards. The two application processes go hand-in-hand. If you are not selected as an Oxford Scholar or Cambridge Scholar, your application will still be considered for the Cooke Graduate Scholarship.

You are asked to submit all application materials required by Oxford and Cambridge, including your personal/research statement, CV, writing samples, and recommendations.

No. The deadline for submitting materials for the Oxford and Cambridge Awards is the same as the deadline for completing the Cooke Graduate Scholarship application – January 10, 2023.

If you are applying to Oxford or Cambridge, please ignore the recommendation section of the Cooke Graduate Scholarship online application. We ask that instead you submit your Oxford or Cambridge recommendations as a supplemental form in the Cooke International Awards section of the online application. If you do not have access to your recommendations, your recommenders can send them to us directly at gradscholars@jkcf.org.

If you have your Oxford/Cambridge recommendations, please submit them in the Cooke International Awards section of the online application. If your recommenders have not provided you with a copy of your recommendations, please ask the recommenders to email the letters to gradscholars@jkcf.org.

If you are applying for the Oxford or Cambridge Award, you do not submit the recommendation via the “Request” section of the Graduate Scholarship application. Instead, you may upload your Oxford/Cambridge recommendations to the Oxford/Cambridge section, or your recommenders may email them directly to us. Your application cannot be submitted since the “Request” section of the online application will not be 100% complete. Please email us by the deadline to let us know that your application is complete, and we will “force” it through to the next stage.

The selected Cooke Oxford/Cambridge Scholars receive all of the benefits of the Graduate Scholarship plus additional benefits, including individual guidance from a college advisor at Oxford or Cambridge, guaranteed living arrangements near Lincoln College or Brasenose College, Oxford or Clare College, Cambridge, and additional financial support.

Yes, please indicate in your application to the University of Oxford that you are applying to Lincoln College and/or Brasenose College. In your application to the University of Cambridge, please select that you are applying to Clare College.

If Lincoln College (or Brasenose College) is not an option on your Oxford application, please select your top choice college at Oxford. If you do not have a preference, choose: “I do not have a preference.”

If your program at Oxford or Cambridge is less than four years in length, you may also pursue an additional graduate degree (at a different institution) for one to three years depending on the time remaining and length of your proposed degree program. Please be sure to request both graduate degrees in your Graduate Scholarship application. If you do not, the award will end after your first degree.

If you are interested in pursuing a graduate degree at the Universities of Oxford or Cambridge, please take a look at admissions criteria on their websites to compare your eligibility to your chosen graduate program’s eligibility requirements (each program differs and has different deadlines). In general, a cumulative GPA of 3.70 or above would make you a competitive candidate for admission to Oxford or Cambridge. Both have a myriad of program options to consider:

• Oxford – http://www.ox.ac.uk/admissions/graduate/courses/courses-a-z-listing.
• Cambridge – http://www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk/courses

No. Scholars must apply before they begin graduate school.

As long as your graduate-level courses were less than the equivalent of a semester of full-time study, you may still be eligible to apply. Please contact us (gradscholars@jkcf.org) to determine your eligibility if you have already taken graduate-level courses.

Generally, students with graduate-level certificates are ineligible. If you have not received a graduate degree or completed significant graduate-level coursework (less than a full semester), you may still be eligible to apply. Please contact us (gradscholars@jkcf.org) to determine your eligibility.

Yes, students in blended undergraduate/graduate programs are eligible. You should apply for the scholarship before beginning the graduate coursework portion of your degree program. For example, if your graduate coursework starts in fall 2023 or spring 2024, you should apply by the January 2023 deadline. If there is no clear delineation between your undergraduate and graduate coursework, please contact the Foundation (gradscholars@jkcf.org) to determine your eligibility and when to apply.

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

This award is for students who will begin graduate study in fall 2023. If your program begins in spring 2023, please contact us (gradscholars@jkcf.org) to discuss eligibility. If your program begins in summer 2023 and you are required to start then, you may request funding for the summer 2023 term.

You must apply before beginning the first graduate degree program, but the award can be used for the second degree only if that is how you wish to allocate the funds. For example, if you plan to pursue an M.P.P and then a J.D., you must apply before beginning your M.P.P program, but you can still  use the graduate scholarship for the J.D. program only if you wish.

Yes. If you plan to pursue more than one graduate degree, please include all proposed graduate degree programs, including joint degrees. Additional degrees may not be added after the scholarship has been awarded.

Yes, you are eligible for the Graduate Scholarship even if you have a full ride from your graduate institution. Often, a “full ride” does not cover all costs of attendance so you may still have financial need or may need funding in a future year.

Scholars who applied for the 2023 Cooke Graduate Scholarship may be eligible to reapply for the 2024 Cooke Graduate Scholarship as long as they have not started graduate school.

No. Scholars should only apply for the scholarship if they plan to begin graduate school in fall 2023. If you need to defer your funding, you will have to reapply for the scholarship.

Please contact your educational adviser or the Associate for Graduate Advisement if you have questions about graduate school, different fields of study, or career options. They can help guide you through the graduate school search and application process. They can also put you in touch with other Scholars/Alums in your field.

No. You must apply for the Cooke Graduate Scholarship prior to beginning graduate school. For example, if you are currently in your senior year and plan to begin graduate school in fall 2023, you should apply during the 2023 award cycle (i.e., by the January 2023 deadline). However, if you plan to work or get other experience before beginning graduate school, you should apply later, the year before you begin graduate school. You can apply within three years of completing your Foundation-funded undergraduate degree.

Generally, you have three years from the time you graduate from your undergraduate degree institution to apply for the Cooke Graduate Scholarship. For the 2023 competition, Scholars who graduated in spring 2020 or later are eligible.

There is an exception to the three-year window: If you applied for, but did not receive, the 2022 Cooke Graduate Scholarship, you may be eligible to apply for the 2023 Cooke Graduate Scholarship, even if you exceed the three years of eligibility, as long as you have not/will not begin graduate school before fall 2023.

If you would like to discuss your eligibility, please contact the Foundation (gradscholars@jkcf.org).

We expect that you will be in the process of applying to graduate school, but most likely have not yet received your acceptance. You must plan to begin graduate school in fall 2023.

There is no specific GPA cut-off, but we expect that competitive Scholars will have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above. As part of a holistic review, we go beyond GPA to look for demonstrations of distinguished achievement, engagement, and leadership. In addition, we consider unmet financial need and involvement with the Cooke Foundation. In 2021, the average cumulative GPA of selected applicants was 3.73; however, GPA alone is not a deciding factor.

To be considered a Scholar in good standing, you submitted scholarship forms, bills, transcripts, and other required materials on time. Additionally, you provided substantive responses to periodic and annual surveys, assisted in recruiting future Cooke Scholars, and participated in other Cooke Foundation activities.

The number of scholarships awarded varies depending on the number of competitive applications we receive. The Foundation has not limited the number of awards it will provide. However, as this is a competitive scholarship, not all applicants are likely to receive an award.

Scholars compete against their own records, not against fellow Scholars. Putting forward your best application possible is essential to help the committee as it selects from a large group of qualified, talented Scholars.

We will inform applicants of the Cooke Foundation’s decision in March 2023. Scholars applying for the Cooke International Awards, please see the FAQs about the Cooke International Awards.

You do not compete against other Scholars but your own record. The number of scholarships awarded varies depending on the number of competitive applications received.

If you indicate plans for multiple graduate degrees on your Graduate Scholarship application, you can apply for one year of deferral after your first graduate degree.

Yes, there is an annual scholarship cap of $75,000 in any one academic year.

The award is for up to $150,000 total for up to four years of study in an approved graduate degree program. PLEASE NOTE: The maximum annual award amount is capped at $75,000. The amount of every scholarship varies, depending on the cost of attendance and other scholarships or grants received. If you are selected, the Cooke Foundation determines the amount of its award after reviewing the financial aid package from your graduate institution.

The award must be used for educational expenses that appear on the cost of attendance form. Scholars must consult with the Foundation about how they would like funds allocated each year of their graduate degree program(s).

Scholars can decide how to allocate the $150,000 (e.g., $50,000 each year of a three-year program). The actual scholarship amount, however, will be determined according to the costs of the school attended and will not exceed $150,000 in total. The award must be used within four years of the award date; any remaining funds cannot be used after the four-year mark.

No. This award must be used for a graduate or professional degree program at an accredited graduate institution in the U.S. or abroad.

Yes, Cooke Scholars may use the award to attend any accredited graduate school in the U.S. or abroad to pursue any graduate or professional degree. If you plan to study at Oxford or Cambridge Universities, please see the Cooke International Awards at Oxford and Cambridge FAQs.

If you need to defer your funding, you will have to reapply for the scholarship. Scholars should only apply for the scholarship if they plan to begin graduate school in fall 2023.

No. The Cooke Foundation may renew the scholarship annually until completion of the Scholar’s approved graduate degree(s) (up to four years) or until the $150,000 has been exhausted, whichever comes first, provided the Scholar has maintained strong academic performance, exhibited good conduct, made significant progress toward a degree, and complied with the Cooke Foundation’s administrative requirements and requests.