Prestigious Cooke Scholarship Announces 2022 Undergraduate Transfer Semifinalists

LANSDOWNE, Va., Feb. 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation announced today the semifinalists for its highly competitive Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship. Through this award, the Foundation supports high-achieving community college students with financial need seeking to complete their bachelor's degrees at selective four-year institutions.

Since its inception, the Cooke Foundation has selected Transfer Scholars from over 337 community colleges and has awarded more than $54 million in transfer scholarships. While national college enrollments have been on the decline in the midst of the pandemic, recent National Student Clearinghouse data finds that transfers are on the rise among community college students who have stayed enrolled in the first year of the pandemic. For the Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, this was a highly competitive year.

This year's 440 semifinalists were chosen from a pool of over 1,200 applicants attending 180 community colleges in 35 states.

"The past year has been particularly difficult as students continued to navigate the complexities of hybrid learning, the demands of family care, and disrupted work schedules," said Seppy Basili, executive director of the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation. "We are so proud of these semifinalists for their perseverance and achievements at their community colleges."

The Undergraduate Scholarship offers unmatched support to community college students seeking to complete their education at top four-year institutions. In addition to financial support, selected Cooke Transfer Scholars will receive comprehensive educational advising from the Foundation to guide them through the process of transitioning to a four-year school and preparing for their careers. Undergraduate Transfer Scholars will additionally receive opportunities for internships, study abroad, and graduate school funding, as well as connection to a thriving network of nearly 3,000 fellow Cooke Scholars and Alumni.

The Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship recipients will be announced by early May.

Cooke Transfer Scholars are selected based on their exceptional academic ability and achievement, financial need, persistence, service, and leadership. Students must be currently enrolled in community college or recent alumni.

A list of this year's Cooke Transfer Scholar semifinalists, their community colleges, and their hometowns is here. Learn more about the Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship here.

The Cooke Foundation is dedicated to advancing the education of exceptionally promising students who have financial need. Since 2000, the Foundation has awarded $230 million in scholarships to nearly 3,000 students from 8th grade through graduate school, along with comprehensive counseling and other support services. The Foundation has also provided $120 million in grants to organizations that serve such students. www.jkcf.org

SOURCE Jack Kent Cooke Foundation