What is the Coca-Cola Scholarship?

The Coca-Cola Scholars Program is a highly competitive, achievement-based scholarship awarded annually by the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation to high school seniors entering college.

How much is the Coca-Cola Scholarship worth?

Coca-Cola Scholars receive a $20,000 scholarship to use toward educational expenses at an accredited U.S. college or university.

Who is eligible for the Coca-Cola Scholarship?

To be eligible to apply for the Coke Scholar Program, you have to meet the following criteria:

• High School Students: You must be a currently enrolled high school or home-schooled student attending school in one of the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or select DoD schools.

• Citizenship: U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, U.S. permanent residents, refugees, asylees, Cuban-Haitian entrants, or humanitarian parolees, based on the eligibility guidelines used by the U.S. Department of Education for federal financial aid.

• Graduation: Expecting to receive a high school diploma during the current academic year.

• College Plans: Planning to pursue a degree at an accredited U.S. post-secondary institution.

• Grades: Able to verify a minimum overall B/3.0 GPA in high school coursework.

You cannot apply to the Coca Cola Scholarship if:

• Employees: Children or grandchildren of current employees, officers, or owners of Coca-Cola bottling companies, The Coca-Cola Company, Company divisions, or subsidiaries.

• Ex-employees: Children or grandchildren of former employees who are currently receiving retirement benefits based on their previous employment with Coca-Cola bottling companies, The Coca-Cola Company, Company divisions, or subsidiaries.

• International students (except for students at DoD schools)

• High school graduates

• Temporary residents

Who gets the Coca-Cola Scholarship?

Coca-Cola Scholars are students who demonstrate sustained leadership, meaningful community impact, and a clear alignment between their values and their actions.

While strong academics are important, the scholarship places greater weight on how students use their skills and opportunities to lead and serve others. Successful applicants typically show long-term commitment to a small number of activities rather than one-off achievements, and can clearly explain the impact they have made over time.

Coca-Cola Scholars stand out because they consistently turn ideas into action. They may do this through school leadership, community service, social initiatives, or advocacy. They need to articulate how these experiences have shaped their goals and sense of responsibility.

Coca-Cola Scholarship application process & deadlines

The Coca-Cola Scholarship application process takes place over several months and consists of three main phases, and the obligatory Coke Scholars Weekend.

Read our article for tips on how to strengthen your Coke Scholarship application.

Phase One: Online Application

The first stage is an online application, you don’t need to write essays, provide transcripts, or submit recommendations. What you will need is:

• Biographical and school information

• A list of all your extracurriculars, separated into school- and community-based activities

• A list of your past employment

• A list of your honors or awards

• A list of your volunteer organizations and the hours you've served

• A list of your current and past courses plus the grades you’ve received

• Your exact or approximate class rank, if your school ranks

• Your guidance counseler or principal's contact information

Phase Two: Semifinalists

By the end of October, you’ll be notified if you’re a semifinalist. Only 1% of applicants pass this stage. 

If you do, you’ll be asked to complete another application, with essays, your transcript, and a recommendation.

Phase Three: Regional Finalists

Each year, around 250 candidates become regional finalists. At this stage, you participate in an interview with Coke Scholar alumni and staff. This normally takes place in January or February.

In this interview, you’ll be asked about yourself, your college plans, and your hobbies. But they’ll also ask a lot of questions around your application to drill into the details of everything you said. 

Make sure to read your application, think of questions they may ask you, and practice on your own and with others.

Phase Four: Coke Scholar Winners

In April, 150 regional finalists will be invited to the Coke Scholars Weekend in Atlanta. 

It’s a weekend where you participate in learning and volunteering sessions, network with fellow winners, alumni, and Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation staff. There will also be a keynote speaker and a banquet. You’ll also be confirmed as a Coke Scholar!

Previous Coke Scholarship Winners

Coca-Cola Scholars typically demonstrate sustained leadership and measurable community impact. You can see this reflected in the three alumni below.

Rishab Jain (2023)

Rishab Jain, the founder of ScienceFair, won the Coca-Cola Scholarship in 2023.

What stood out in his application was his dedication to using software tools to detect pancreatic cancer to improve disease modeling, analysis, and treatment. At the time, he was also President of the “Samyak Science Society,” an organization dedicated to making science accessible to youth worldwide, especially for under-resourced communities. He went on to graduate from Harvard.

Anaum Allimulla (2024)

Anaum was a Coke Scholar in 2024. She showed leadership as the founder and director of Healthcare Education & Advocacy Leaders, which enables medical activism and healthcare advocacy in communities. She’s also the Executive Director at Just One More Chapter, which promotes leisure reading. She’s now studying at the University of Pennsylvania.

Eniola Ajanaku (2025)

Eniola from Mansfield, Texas, won the Coke Scholarship in 2025. Originally from Nigeria, she is determined to address food insecurity in underserved communities. She was also President of the Mark Cuban Foundation’s Student Ambassadors, promoting AI education nationwide and reaching 27K. She is now a student at Yale.

ScienceFair Can Help with Your Coca-Cola Scholarship

ScienceFair pairs you up with experienced mentors to guide you through the Coca Cola Scholarship process. We’ll help you with every stage of the application, and conduct mock interviews with you.

Book a consultation call and find out more.

FAQ

When does the Coca-Cola Scholarship open?

Applications open on August 1st every year. Final Coca-Cola Scholars are selected in April and invited to attend the Coke Scholars Weekend in Atlanta.

How prestigious is Coke Scholars?

The Coke Scholar program is very prestigious. It is an extremely competitive, merit-based college scholarship that is open to US citizens and permanent residents in their last year of high school.

How hard is it to win a Coca-Cola Scholarship?

The Coca-Cola Scholarship is a highly competitive program. Over 105,000 students apply to be a Coke Scholar every year, and only 1% become semi-finalists. Then 250 of them become regional finalists, and only 150 become Coke Scholars.

Does the Coca-Cola Scholarship ask for a letter of recommendation?

Yes, in the second step of the Coca-Cola Scholarship application process, you will be asked for a letter of recommendation. It should be from a teacher, mentor, employer, or coach who can attest to and detail your leadership and positive impact on your community.

How many Coke Scholars are there per year?

Every year, 150 students across the United States in their last year of high school become Coca-Cola Scholars. They all exemplify academic and leadership excellence.