Coca-Cola Scholars Program Scholarship 2027 | $20,000 Award

The Coca-Cola Scholarship 2027 is a $20,000 college scholarship for high school seniors in the United States. It recognizes students for leadership, academic achievement, and service.

For the 2026-2027 application cycle, students can apply from August 3, 2026, to September 30, 2026. The deadline is 5:00 PM Eastern Time.

Quick Highlights

About the Coca-Cola Scholarship 2027

The Coca-Cola Scholars Program Scholarship 2027 is an achievement-based scholarship for students in their final year of high school.

The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation considers areas such as leadership, academics, and service when selecting scholars. Financial need is not the basis for the award.

Each year, 150 students are selected as Coca-Cola Scholars and receive a $20,000 college scholarship.

The competition is strong. For example, the 2026 program received more than 107,000 applications, while 1,238 students advanced as semifinalists.

Financial Benefits

Selected Coca-Cola Scholars receive:

• $20,000 college scholarship
• Invitation to Coca-Cola Scholars Weekend in Atlanta
• Access to the Coca-Cola Scholars alumni network
• The ability to use the scholarship within the period allowed by the Foundation’s rules

The $20,000 award should not be confused with a full-ride scholarship. It is a college scholarship that can help with the cost of higher education.

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Eligibility Criteria

You should meet all of the main requirements below before applying.

Who Can Apply?

You must:

• Be currently enrolled in high school or be homeschooled.
• Graduate during the 2026-2027 academic year.
• Attend a school in one of the 50 U.S. states, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or an eligible Department of Defense school.
• Have at least a 3.0 overall B/unweighted GPA.
• Plan to pursue a degree at an accredited U.S. post-secondary institution after graduation.
• Meet one of the citizenship or eligible immigration-status requirements set by the Foundation.

Eligible statuses include U.S. Citizen, U.S. National, U.S. Permanent Resident, Refugee, Asylee, Cuban-Haitian Entrant, or Humanitarian Parolee, subject to the Foundation’s eligibility rules.

Who Is Not Eligible?

The Coca-Cola Scholars Program Scholarship 2027 does not accept students who have already graduated from high school, including gap-year or non-traditional students.

International students are generally not eligible. Students attending eligible Department of Defense schools are treated under the program’s specific location rules.

U.S. citizens attending American or expatriate schools outside the eligible locations are also not eligible.

Certain children or grandchildren of current or former employees, officers, or owners connected with The Coca-Cola Company, Coca-Cola bottling companies, or the Foundation are also excluded under the official rules.

Application Process

The Coca-Cola Scholars selection process has several stages.

Phase 1: Online Application

The initial application opens on August 3, 2026, and closes on September 30, 2026, at 5:00 PM Eastern Time.

At this stage, you do not submit essays, transcripts, or recommendation letters.

Phase 2: Semifinalists

Semifinalists are notified by the end of October 2026.

Students who advance must complete the next part of the application, which includes essays, a transcript, and one recommendation.

Phase 3: Regional Finalists

Around 250 students are selected as Regional Finalists from the semifinalist group.

They participate in an interview as part of the final selection process.

Phase 4: Coca-Cola Scholars

The final group contains 150 Coca-Cola Scholars.

Selected students are invited to Coca-Cola Scholars Weekend in Atlanta in April 2027.

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Required Documents

For the initial application, you do not need to submit essays, transcripts, or recommendation letters.

If you become a semifinalist, you will need to provide:

• Personal essays
• High school transcript
• One recommendation

The Foundation provides further instructions to students who advance to this stage.

Important Dates

🎓 Related Scholarships: Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program 2027 | Fully Funded Stanford Graduate Scholarship

Frequently Asked Questions

Official Links

🌐 Official Website: https://www.coca-colascholarsfoundation.org/

📝 Official Application: https://www.coca-colascholarsfoundation.org/apply/

📄 Official FAQ: https://www.coca-colascholarsfoundation.org/about/faq/