Thursday, October 25, 2001

Cooke Foundation Begins $1-Million Scholarship Program for Dependents of Attack Victims By JOHN L. PULLEY The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation will announce today a $1-million program to provide scholarship funds for postsecondary education to dependents and spouses of people killed in the terrorist attacks of September 11. The need-based grants, of up to $15,000 per student per semester, are to be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, until the funds are depleted. Awards will be available for study at any two- or four-year college or university in the United States, as well as at technical and career colleges. Costs to be covered by the grants will include tuition, required fees, books, room and board, and additional expenses. The Bridge to Tomorrow Grant Program, as it is known, is one of scores of educational-relief efforts that have come into being since last month. Although the total future college-scholarship needs of students affected by the attacks are not known, early estimates indicate that more than 10,000 people who lost a parent will eventually want to pursue education beyond high school. The gap in the ability of those students to pay for college, according to early actuarial projections, could total from $350-million to $550-million. The foundation is also expected to unveil its new Jack Kent Cooke Fellowship Program for graduate students. Both announcements are to be made at a news conference today at the National Press Club, in Washington, D.C. The fellowship program is expected to start during the 2002-3 academic year, when the foundation anticipates awarding 50 fellowships with a total value of $2.5-million. To qualify for an award, applicants must be college seniors with plans to enroll in a full-time graduate program. Applicants also must be residents of Virginia, Maryland, or the District of Columbia. In future years, the effort is expected to become a national program, and potentially an international one. The application deadline for the fellowship program is February 1, 2002. The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation was created after the death of its namesake in 1997. Mr. Cooke left most of his estate to the nonprofit organization, which had assets of about $600-million as of last year. The scholarship and fellowship programs are the first announced by the foundation. Although Mr. Cooke did not complete high school, the Canadian-born businessman built a media empire of newspapers, radio stations, and cable-television systems. At various times, he owned the Los Angeles Lakers, the Washington Redskins, and New York's Chrysler Building. For more information about either grant program, contact the foundation, at (800) 498-6478 or, via e-mail, at jkc@act.org; or visit the foundation's Web site. Background articles from The Chronicle: Montana College President to Run $600-Million Jack Kent Cooke Foundation (5/26/2000) Issues in depth: More information on the September 11 terrorist attacks and their effect on academe Easy-to-print version E-mail this article

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