Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship

The Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship is a highly selective scholarship for the nation’s top community college students seeking to complete their bachelor’s degrees at four-year colleges or universities. Each Cooke Scholar has access to generous financial support for two to three years, college planning support, ongoing advising, and the opportunity to connect with the thriving community of fellow Scholars.

Raul Magdaleno

“As a child and young adult, I experienced many hardships, but it built my character. All this has influenced my career ambition to believe in others and help them find their purpose through education.”

Raul Magdaleno
Cooke Scholar
Raul Magdaleno

Raul Magdaleno

As a Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholar, Raul earned a bachelor’s degree in corporate communication and public affairs at Southern Methodist University while living for a time in a homeless shelter with his mother and sister. He also worked as a special assistant to the dean. In 2011, Raul founded the Magdaleno Leadership Institute, a nonprofit that helps low-income students attend college. “I started the Magdaleno Leadership Institute because I wanted to be to others what I once needed,” he says.
76% Participated in an Honors Program
Or Pursued Honors Coursework
3.94 Average
Community College GPA
73% Held Leadership Role
In a Club or Activity

Program Experience

Each award is intended to cover a significant share of the student’s educational expenses – including tuition, living expenses, books and required fees – for the final two to three years necessary to achieve a bachelor’s degree. Awards vary by individual, based on the cost of tuition as well as other grants or scholarships they may receive.

 

This highly competitive scholarship includes:
  • The opportunity to graduate with as little debt as possible. The award, which is last dollar funding after all institutional aid, can provide as much as $55,000 per year for two to three years to complete a bachelor’s degree at any accredited four-year undergraduate institution in the U.S.
  • Ability to pursue any area of study
  • Personal advising about selecting a college and navigating financial aid
  • Multifaceted advising about how to transition to a four-year college and maximize the student experience
  • Opportunity to apply for the Internship Stipend program, Conference and Travel Stipend, and Graduate Scholarship

 

Contact Us

The Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship application is currently open. The deadline is January 9, 2025.

Please direct questions about your application or the program to scholarships@jkcf.org.