Chairman's Message

It is my privilege to welcome you to the Coca−Cola Scholars Foundation website. I have been associated with the Foundation since its beginning in 1986, when the Coca−Cola System paid tribute to communities across this country by establishing a scholarship program to support higher education. Whether you are a senior in high school applying for the scholarship this year or one of our more than 4,700 Coca−Cola Scholar Alumni, I believe we will all agree on the importance of education. Coca−Cola Bottlers and The Coca−Cola Company manifest their belief in this value by providing over $3.4 million annually to the education of committed and community-minded students through the Scholars Foundation.

In the course of the next few months, hundreds of thousands of high school seniors will be focusing their attention on the cost and quality of higher education. Students have worked hard to achieve their hopes and dreams, and we understand the complexity of this during these challenging economic times. And so, we hope the information that you find on our RESOURCE page might provide you with additional information on colleges and sources of funding. Also, take a look at the section entitled SCHOLAR EXPERIENCES where our very successful Alumni share some thoughts on their own journeys.

As the Chairman of the Coca−Cola Scholars Foundation and on behalf of the entire Board of the Coca−Cola Scholars Foundation, I wish you a productive and successful year.

Sincerely,

Claude B. Nielsen
Chairman, Coca−Cola Scholars Foundation, Inc.
Chairman & CEO, Coca−Cola Bottling Company United, Inc