The Ultimate Guide to the Coca-Cola Scholarship 2027: Empowering Future Leaders
Overview
The Coca-Cola Scholarship 2027 is an achievement-based award from the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation for high school seniors in the United States. Each year 150 students are chosen to receive 20,000 dollars toward college, and they join a network of alumni. The Foundation has awarded more than 90 million dollars to scholars since it began. The program rewards leadership, community service and academic achievement, and looks at how applicants serve their schools and communities rather than grades alone. Funds are for undergraduate study at accredited U.S. post-secondary institutions.
Who can apply
Applicants must be current high school seniors, or home-schooled students in their final year, on track to graduate in the 2026-2027 academic year. Gap-year students and people who have already graduated are not eligible. The high school must be in one of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico or a qualifying Department of Defense education activity school abroad. Students at other international or expatriate American schools are excluded.
Citizenship categories follow federal financial aid rules: U.S. citizens or nationals, permanent residents, and refugees, asylees, Cuban-Haitian entrants or humanitarian parolees. Applicants need at least a B average, or 3.0 GPA. Children and grandchildren of employees, officers or owners of Coca-Cola bottling companies, The Coca-Cola Company, its divisions or subsidiaries are not eligible.
How to apply
There are three stages. The first is an online application with basic academic information, extracurricular activities, leadership roles and community service, and it needs no essays, transcripts or recommendation letters. Semifinalists then submit official transcripts, letters of recommendation and essays on leadership, challenges overcome and community impact. Semifinalists are interviewed by regional judges, who assess communication, collaboration and commitment to service, and 150 finalists are named scholars.
Key dates
The application window opens in August and closes on 30 September 2026 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time.