Kelly Gene Cook Foundation Scholarship Opportunity

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Eligibility Requirements:

• Incoming freshman for the fall semester
• Fully admitted to the University of Southern Mississippi
• Mississippi resident
• 3.5 GPA or higher
• ACT/SAT of 26 or higher
• Current FAFSA on file

Applications are typically available beginning February. Please, see their website for exact deadline dates. 

Application Link: Please visit https://kgccf.smapply.org/ to find the application and detailed information about applying. When creating your account, please use an email address that you check regularly and that you will have access to after graduation, as this is how they will communicate with you.  

Scholarships are available for incoming freshmen who are Mississippi residents attending the University of Southern Miss with both financial need and academic ability. In establishing the Foundation, Kelly recognized the wisdom, need, and benefits of helping students from backgrounds similar to his. This generous scholarship is based on need and merit and could be extended for the full four years of your undergraduate study. This external scholarship opportunity will stack with your additional Southern Miss offers as allowed, so we highly encourage you to apply. 

To finalize the application process, you must complete an external online application through their website at https://kgccf.smapply.org/. A completed application includes: an official high school transcript, a resume, a copy of your Federal Student Aid Report, and an original essay.

All required documents should be submitted by May 17th for consideration. The Kelly Gene Cook Foundation will review the applications of all nominees and then select those students who will be invited to interview for the scholarship. Therefore, it is extremely important that you provide correct telephone numbers and email addresses for contact purposes.

Students who are unable to interview in Jackson on either May 30th and 31st will not be eligible for the Kelly Gene Cook Scholarship. (Please note at this time they plan to hold the interviews in person, but they could be shifted to virtual.)

For further information, you may contact the Foundation’s Executive Director, Katy Pacelli at (601) 981-1116 or by email katy@kgccf.com.