Jack Kent Cooke Foundation College Scholarship

Scores-wise, if you fall within the middle 50 given in the class profile, you’re good. You can access the class profile on their website.

EDIT: By good, I mean scores won’t disqualify you. Not that you’re guaranteed the scholarship.

@kjenkins55 Did you give them all the info they needed when you applied? i.e. 3 years of back taxes etc? I don’t know why they wouldn’t just disqualify people who failed to provide that info, but apparently they don’t, and that is the kind of stuff they are looking for, so if you already provided it, they don’t need to ask you for it! Best of luck!

@kjenkins55 @NJRoadie to clarify, the additional info they asked was not previous asked. it wasn’t something that i failed to provide…hence being additional. i received 2 emails asking for additional info, one of which included my most recent report card

@dprice386 so they asked for most recent report card and what else? The deadline was today right?

Good luck!

The deadline was today. I got a response (yesterday) saying that decisions would be out by the end of March (which is next week) which is why I said that. All we can do now it wait I guess.

@NJRoadie first they asked for my report card and 2014 tax returns. then they asked where i have been accepted and the associated financial aid packages.

@dprice386 - and the reason they need to know what schools you were accepted to has to do with the fact that they want you to APPLY / GET INTO a top University. What use will the Scholarship have if you were rejected? Look at previous years winners, HYPS et al. At the same time, I believe that if you are wait-listed, the JKCF can help you get into the school if you are one the winners. Unfortunately, if you were not contacted after the semifinalist notice, you are probably out of the race. I concur with whomever called and was told that.

I see this as frustrating @nonetaken (“apply/get into a top university”). We could only afford to spend the money to apply to a few schools, so we chose to apply to schools that had low cost to begin with and applicant was a 'big fish" so would get merit aid making the choice more affordable yet. It seems as though you had to “dream big” in order to win this scholarship, we chose to “dream realistic”. Ah well.

@NJRoadie - From the website: Why should I apply?

“This scholarship rewards excellence by supporting high-achieving high school seniors with financial need who seek to attend the nation’s best four-year colleges and universities.”

When my mom called they told her: “overachievers, low income, want to attend a top School.”

In my particular case my family finances are not worth discussing and I wanted to attend a “top School.” Basically, because these top Schools pretty much guarantee that if I were to get accepted they would pay for my ride there.

The Application Fee was waived by every School I applied to because “my family income falls…”, my transcripts were certified by my School so I didn’t have to use Parchment and the CSS profile was also waived through some credits I was given by my School Counselor. In summary, in my case I didn’t have to cough up any green to apply to any of these Schools. And to my surprise, their Aid is amazingly generous.

For example:

JHU gave me grants to the extent that it would only cost me $3000 to attend (and this includes transportation / miscellaneous to the extent of $3000. I guess it’s $ to go back/forth home during the breaks?). $1500 loan & $1500 summer job. My understanding is that if JKCF steps in the $3000 go away and they even give you something else so you don’t live with the bare minimums.

Same thing for Duke. Everything but $4000.

They say the Scholarship is UP TO $40k per year. But, if you only need $4K? That’s what it end up costing them to have a JKCF Scholar. Yes?

If you look at the sweatshirts of last year winners? They are all attending Schools that have the resources to issue very generous grants. Obviously, not everyone is getting 100% because JKCF allows students whose parents make all the way to $95K and Schools will not give them 100%. But, in the end, they will be getting some sort of Grant (merit / financial). Bottom line, if you were asked for your current grades / other financial proof; and, finally, for the list of Schools that you were accepted to and a copy of the FA award, it seems to me that you made it to the last consideration group.

The Letter of Acceptance is evidence you applied to the top School (and got in);
The Letter of Acceptance is also evidence (at least for their purposes) of your “overachiever-ness”; and,
The FA award is evidence of your limited income.

Now that all of the necessary elements in JKCF requirements’ list are present, they’ll decide who among the semifinalists will get the Scholarship. If we made it this far, our chances are better than back in November.

Good luck to you and everyone! It should come out his week before the 31st.

@nonetaken
Congrats to you for the acceptances and the aid.

Are you aware that applicants to this scholarship may have incomes up to $95,000? And those of us that don’t get free SAT/ACT, application fee waivers etc. also don’t qualify for any need based aid. Even the cheapest in state public school with merit aid will cost us way more than you are going to pay for a prestigious school. So I am a little jealous :slight_smile: At the same time I recognize that your reality is likely no safety net, no parents to bail you out financially etc. I just wanted to help you understand another family’s situation :slight_smile:

@NJRoadie - Absolutely. I understand completely. And yes, I can expect no help from my family (and not because they don’t want, they just can’t. However, they have helped me in more ways that I can relate… otherwise I wouldn’t be here having all these options for a tertiary education)! But, to answer your question, I am very much aware that there is a great deal of controversy regarding folks that make around $100K per year. Case in Point, Bob Mundy, Dir of Adm at ND. When he spoke here locally in So Cal at Mater Dei HS, he told us that he makes around $125K… he has 3 kids and all 3 PAID FULL TUITION AT ND!!! He continued saying that he drives an old Toyota… etc. Basically, that 100K per year is not that much money if you have to pay $75,000 per year per kid!!! And people in his income range DON’T GET HELP. And it’s WRONG.

So for folks in the 95K range if the student does’t get any merit $, then JKCF will kick in the full 40K.

As far as App Fees / CSS Fees / Parchment Fees? I truly believe that for families with income’s below 100K it should be completely FREE. It doesn’t make sense -to me- that in America a kid that wants to apply to 10 Colleges has to come up with $1,500. It’s utterly ridiculous!

Again, good luck, I really hope you get it!

What’s your # 1 and have you been accepted to a “top School” yet?

Honestly I’m really concerned about the direction this thread is going. (For the record, I’m a 2015 Scholar).

"What use will the Scholarship have if you were rejected? Look at previous years winners, HYPS et al. "

Not true. There are many Scholars attending schools out of HYPS et al.

“If you look at the sweatshirts of last year winners? They are all attending Schools that have the resources to issue very generous grants.”

Also untrue. For some Scholars, JKCF’s grant money is crucial in attending college, as their schools – for whatever reasons – were unable to provide significant grant money.

“At the same time, I believe that if you are wait-listed, the JKCF can help you get into the school if you are one the winners.”

Not at all how that works. JKCF cannot help you get off a waitlist.

Please stop speculating. This thread is very rapidly becoming the kind of space that only serves to make applicants incredibly (and unnecessarily) anxious.

I called today and they said the decisions will be announced by the end of this week.

That seems like tomorrow. Good luck everyone

@Philomath123 why do you say that?

@dprice386 Well they said the end of march and now by the end of the week so it seems like today would be good.

Has anyone heard anything?

Nothing yet

Negatory

Has anyone heard anything yet?