FAQs

The Final Evaluation Report must be submitted within two weeks of completing your internship or no later than September 12, 2024.

Please notify Cooke Foundation Staff of any changes that occur. You can contact us at scholars@jkcf.org or 800-846-9025. We will help you address problems or concerns.

If you have a question that is not answered by these FAQs or the materials on the website, please email scholars@jkcf.org or call the Foundation at 800-846-9025.

If the payment offered by your internship organization is below $4,000, then you may apply for the Cooke Internship Stipend in lieu of the other payment. Please keep in mind that funds are not guaranteed until your application has been approved.

Prior to applying for the stipend, you must secure an unpaid internship at a non-profit or government organization and provide documentation to that effect. In addition, you must be in good standing with the Foundation. You are required to work full time for the internship and you and your supervisor will need to complete final reports at the end of the internship.

Undergraduate Scholars who have already received the internship stipend can apply for a second time if the current internship shows a progression in career development skills from the previous internship. However, preference will be given to those Scholars who have not yet received a stipend. Graduate Scholars are eligible to receive the Internship Stipend only once during their scholarship program.

To be eligible for the Cooke Internship Stipend, the internship must be with a U.S.-based nonprofit organization with 501(c)3 status or a U.S. government organization. However, if it meets those criteria and has an office in another country, that is permitted within our guidelines.

Internship stipends are reserved for Scholars who are not receiving college credit for their internships.

Yes, the Foundation’s Internship Stipend is provided for unpaid summer internships at non-profit or government organizations.

While the Cooke Foundation does not have any limitations for international Scholars, there could be other limitations imposed by your international status. The international advisor on your campus may be a good resource to help you determine your eligibility to complete a summer internship.

Scholars who are moving from the Young Scholars to the College Scholars program, rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors who are College Scholars or Undergraduate Transfer Scholars, and current Graduate Scholars are eligible to apply for the internship stipend. Scholars who have already graduated or who will graduate during the spring or summer are ineligible. In addition, Scholars receiving college credit for their internships are not eligible to receive a stipend.

All applicants will be notified by May 3 with final decisions on their applications.

The Foundation intends to offer as many stipends as possible provided the internships and applicants meet our eligibility criteria and the internships align with the applicants’ professional goals.

The Foundation will issue payment electronically or by mailed check depending on which preference you selected in your application.

In recent years, recipients of the Cooke Internship Stipend have interned at the organizations listed here.

There are many resources to help you find a summer internship. The best place to start is through the Career Center on your campus as they will be able to share opportunities near you (geographically) and those that are linked to alumni from your university. We also encourage you to use Cooke Connect and the Cooke Scholars & Alumni group on LinkedIn to connect with Cooke Alums and see postings about internship opportunities. Please feel free to peruse this list of organizations where Cooke Scholars who have received the Internship Stipend have interned in the recent past if you need more ideas.  Lastly, if you have an idea of an internship you would like to create, we encourage you to reach out to non-profit organizations and propose your idea. If you would like help talking through this option, please reach out to your Dean of Scholar Support or contact us through scholars@jkcf.org.

The Cooke Foundation summer internship stipend is $6,000 for College and Graduate Scholars, and $4,000 for Young Scholars entering College.

This program encourages Cooke Scholars to seek internships during the summers while they are undergraduate students. We believe that every student should engage in at least two internship or research experiences during their undergraduate years. Internships allow students to gain experience in a specific field and help determine an interest in a particular career. The Internship Stipend allows Cooke Scholars to take advantage of internships that they may not be able to consider without the Foundation’s financial support. If you are a current senior in the Young Scholars program and are interested in a summer internship, please contact your Educational Adviser for more information.