Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts seniors Amanda Carson of Russellville and Caitlin England of Magnet Cove were recently named semifinalists for the prestigious Cooke College Scholarship Program.
The highly selective scholarship provides high-achieving students with financial need up to $40,000 annually for four years of college to enable them to attend a top college or university. The program is sponsored by the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, which is dedicated to advancing the education of exceptionally promising students who have financial need. Since 2000, the foundation has awarded more than $200 million in scholarships to more than 2,700 students from eighth grade through graduate school.
The 477 semifinalists were chosen from a pool of more than 5,300 applicants. Students from all 50 states as well as Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico and 420 school applied for the scholarship. Approximately 60 semifinalists will be selected to receive the scholarship. The 2020 Cooke College Scholarship recipients will be announced in April.
Cooke College Scholars are selected on exceptional academic ability and achievement, financial need, persistence, service to others and leadership. Students must be current high school seniors residing in the United States.
For more on the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, visit www.jkcf.org.