Scholarships for Jewish Students
How to Find Grant, Scholarship, and Financial Aid Opportunities
Sep 24, 2007
Many high school and college students do not realize how much money is out there for qualified candidates who are willing to take the time to apply. They also don't realize how much money is set aside for students who belong to ethnic and religious minority groups. As you search for college scholarships, take the time to investigate financial aid that has been set aside for Jewish students.
How do you find these opportunities? Here's how to search for Jewish scholarship, grants, fellowships, and other financial aid:
Local Jewish organizations. First of all, you'll definitely want to contact local Jewish organizations in your area, because many of these scholarships go to students who live in specific geographical areas. By far, the majority of Jewish scholarships are local ones. Local awards sometimes aren't as high as national ones, but they also can be much easier to win because there's not nearly as much competition. Be sure to inquire at local synagogues and Jewish community centers. Also, don't forget to see if campus organizations such as Hillel have information about local scholarships. Many national organizations have local chapters that award financial aid. Some of these organizations include:
- Jewish Family and Children's Services
- Jewish Vocational Services
- B'nai B'rith
- Hadassah
- Chabad
Colleges and universities. In addition, contact your college or university and find out if there are any scholarships set aside for Jewish students (or religious minorities in general) who attend that school. If you are planning to major in Jewish studies or something similar, find out if that department has financial aid opportunities for its majors.
National opportunities. There aren't very many scholarship opportunities that are open to Jewish students across the United States, and most of these have requirements other than simply a Jewish background. Here are a few available national scholarships.
- Morris J. and Betty Kaplun Foundation Essay Contest. This essay contest is for middle and high school students, and involves writing a 250-1500 word essay on a given topic related to Judaism. Awards are between $750 - $1800. For more information, contact the foundation at P.O. Box 234428, Great Neck, New York 11023.
- The Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America. This organization offers three scholarships to high school seniors who are direct descendants of members. Awards range from $500-$1000. To qualify, students need to be accepted to an accredited college or university, in the top 25% of their class, and active in extracurricular activities and the Jewish community. For more information, call 202-265-6280.
- Alisa Flatow Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship fund was created in memory of a young woman who was killed in a terrorist attack while studying in Israel. Annual awards are given to students who are not currently in Israel but who plan to study there. Preference is given to students of religious studies. For more information, call 973-736-3200.
