When you’re looking for ways to pay for college, it helps to get creative in your search for scholarships. 

As we mentioned in another article, local scholarships are one of the best ways to fund your college education. With a shorter pool of applicants, you have a higher chance of winning a scholarship that was meant for you and your hometown.

One of the remarkable things about the Coca-Cola scholarship is that it is reported to be listed as a state-by-state scholarship opportunity. When only a limited number of Coca-Cola scholarships are given to each state, your opportunity to receive a Coca-Cola scholarship increases. 

Instead of competing nationally for a scholarship, you can receive one of a limited number of financial awards given to students in your state. This dramatically deceases the competitional nationwide, and gives you a better chance at winning financial help for college post-graduation.

What is the Coca-Cola Scholarship?

The Coca-Cola company has created the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, which supports more than 1,400 exceptional college students every year. They give out annual scholarships of $3.55  million awarded through 3 nationally recognized programs. 

The scholarships and their descriptions as described on their website include:

The Coca-Cola Community College Academic Team

The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation proudly supports two-year colleges through the Coca-Cola Community College Academic Team Program, administered by Phi Theta Kappa.

The Program awards 200 stipends (up to $237,500) annually across four tiers of recipients in varying amounts:

• 50 New Century Gold Scholars are awarded $1,500
• 50 Silver Scholars are awarded $1,250
• 50 Bronze Scholars are awarded $1,000.

Get application details at www.ptk.org.

Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise

Coca-Cola Leaders of Promise is Phi Theta Kappa’s first scholarship program available to its members to be used during the time they are enrolled in community colleges. 200 scholarships of $1,000 each will be awarded based on applications submitted by members.

Get application details at www.ptk.org.

The Coca-Cola Scholars Program Scholarship

The Coca-Cola Scholars Program scholarship is an achievement-based scholarship awarded to students in their final year of high school. 

Students are recognized for their capacity to lead and serve, as well as their commitment to making a significant impact on their schools and communities. 

With the 35th class in 2023, the Foundation has provided over 6,750 Coca-Cola Scholars with more than $81 million in educational support. 150 Coca-Cola Scholars are selected each year to receive this $20,000 scholarship. The 2024 application will be available August 1-October 2, 2023, for students who will graduate during the 2023-2024 academic year.

How Do I Apply?

Every eligible student is invited to apply on their website, where they can view eligibility requirements, other available scholarships, and post-secondary resources for their college education.

Check out their website for more details on how you can become a Coca-Cola scholar.

What are the Eligibility Requirements?

To  apply for the Coca-Cola scholarship, applicants must be:

•  A current high school student (includes homeschooled students)
• Enrolled in a U.S. school
• Will  graduate in the upcoming academic school year
• A U.S. citizen, U.S. national, U.S. permanent resident, refugee, asylee, cuban-haitian entrant, or humanitarian parolee (based on the guidelines of the  U.S. Department of Ed.  for Federal Financial  Aid Eligibility)
• Expecting to receiving a high school diploma during the current academic year
• Planning to pursue a degree at an accredited U.S. post-secondary institution
• Able to verify a minimum of an overall 3.0 GPA in their high school coursework

Additionally, Coca-Cola has some requirements on what the student may not be. Applicants cannot be:

• Children or grandchildren of current employees, officers, or owners of Coca-Cola
• Children or grandchildren of former employees who aree currently receiving any benefits based on their previous employment
• International students (with the exception of students at DoD schools)
• High school graduates
• Temporary U.S. residents

To find out if you are eligible, fill out the application and apply online at the Coca-Cola website. 

More Resources

Coca-Cola has an array of other scholarship opportunities and digital resources for students as they take the first step after graduation. These free resources are listed on their website, and are available to a wide range of students and their unique scholarship needs. 

Additionally, Prep Expert has a library of resources for the aspiring college student. You can access our blog 24/7, or even prepare with a tutor to reach your education goals. Visit Prep Expert to get started.