Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Graduate Arts Award

 

Internal deadline:  Dec. 10, 2012

National deadline:  Feb. 9, 2012 (online application)
                                 Feb. 9, 2012 (faculty representative nomination)

Eligibility requirements:

• Senior standing or have graduated from an accredited four-year US college or university within the past five years.
• Cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 3.20 or better on a scale of 4.0 (or the equivalent).
• Demonstrated unmet financial need.
• Bachelor’s degree by the start of the fall 2012 semester.
• Begin first graduate degree program at an accredited college or university in the fall of 2012.
• Be nominated by his or her undergraduate institution.
• Students in the following disciplines are eligible to apply: performing arts, visual arts, and creative writing.

While the Foundation considers artistic and creative merit first in evaluating candidates, competitive applicants must also demonstrate unmet financial need, which has two components:

• Education costs that are appreciably greater than the total amount of other scholarships or grant awards.
• Insufficient student and family income to meet educational costs.

Award summary and conditions: We focus in particular on outstanding individuals with financial need. Applicants should demonstrate artistic or creative merit, academic achievement, the will to succeed, and a breadth of interests and activities.

Our Graduate Arts Award enables students or recent alumni with exceptional promise and demonstrated financial need to pursue up to three years of study at an accredited graduate institution in the US or abroad. Demonstrated financial need includes (1) low family and student income and assets in light of educational expenses, and (2) substantial unmet educational costs after taking into account other scholarships and grants students may receive. The arts award provides funding for tuition, room and board, required fees, and books. Scholarship amounts vary based on several factors, including costs at the institution each recipient attends and other grants and scholarships the student receives.  Awards can be for as much as $50,000 annually. The Foundation renews awards annually, provided the Jack Kent Cooke Scholar has maintained high academic performance, exhibited good conduct, made significant progress toward a degree, and complied with the Foundation’s administrative requirements and requests. 

Whitman internal process:

• Official transcript
• Evidence of financial need from Office of Registrar
• Names of recommenders
• Sample of creative work, any form

Application process:  electronic 

Application materials:

• application
• two letters of recommendation
• parent financial forms  (applicants with dependent status)
• institution nomination
• official transcripts from all institutions attended
• portfolio
• applicant tax forms
• parent tax forms (applicants with dependent status)
• Student Aid Report (SAR) from the 2011‐12 FAFSA ‐ if the student did not file a FAFSA for the 2011‐12 school year, he/she must complete the FAFSA and upload the SAR to the online application. If filing online, the student should allow a minimum of two weeks to receive the report prior to the application deadline on February 9, 2012

Nominees will receive an email on or about February 17 with instructions to upload copies of the following two items by April 30, 2012.

• Acceptance Letter from Graduate School(s)--one legible copy of each acceptance
• Financial Award information from Graduate School(s)--one legible copy of each award letter

Faculty Representative:  Keith Raether

Internal nomination required:  Yes; Whitman may nominate two 

National committee interview:  No

Selection process: Recipients are chosen from a national pool, with approximately 200 nominees competing each year for approximately 15 awards.  With the assistance of a panel of national experts, the Foundation will select Scholars using these criteria:

• Artistic or creative merit
• Academic achievement
• Unmet financial need
• Will to succeed
• Breadth of interests and activities

Selected Scholars agree to comply with Foundation requirements and requests for the duration of the scholarship. Some key requirements and terms are:

1. Scholars must pursue a full‐time course of study in a graduate degree program at
an approved accredited institution, beginning with the fall 2012 term.

2. Scholars must apply for federal and institutional financial assistance each year of
study. The Foundation determines individual scholarship awards after reviewing each recipient’s other aid offers.

3. Scholars must attend the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Scholars Weekend, August 2‐5, 2012. The Foundation will provide travel expenses, lodging, and meals.

Announcement date:  May, 2012

Contact information: www.jkcf.org