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Top 33 Jewish Scholarships in January 2023
If you’re looking for scholarships for Jewish students, you’re in the right place. We’ve collected some of the best scholarships out there for Jewish students, regardless of whether they are completing their undergrad, a graduate degree, or another form of study.
In addition, some of the opportunities listed below are open to non-Jewish students who are majoring or taking courses in Jewish studies. Good luck, or B’hatzlacha, to all!
Jump ahead to…
- Top Jewish scholarships
- How to win scholarships for Jewish students
- Resources for Jewish students
- Top fellowships and study abroad opportunities for Jewish students
- Frequently asked questions
- Additional scholarship categories to explore
Top 33 Jewish Scholarships in January 2023
The Scholarships360 Research Team reviews all scholarships individually and strives to exclude any scholarship where any of the below applies:
- The scholarship requires a fee to apply
- The scholarship provider’s privacy policy allows for the misuse of student data
- The scholarship requires paid membership in an organization (with certain exceptions for reputable trade organizations and others)
- Student are required to sign up for a site or service to apply*
- The scholarship seems primarily used for lead generation** or idea harvesting purposes***
- The scholarship website has many grammatical errors and/or advertisements
- The scholarship or scholarship providing organization seem untrustworthy
- There is no evidence the scholarship was previously awarded
- The scholarship has not been awarded in the past 12 months
- There is no available contact information
If you believe a scholarship has been published in error, please reach out to [email protected] and we’ll take a look!
* There are certain exceptions to this, for example if the sponsoring organization is a major corporation or nonprofit with its own scholarship application system.
** Lead generation scholarships will require students to sign up for an app or website and require minimal (if any) application requirements.
***Idea harvesting scholarships will require students to submit blog posts or other materials that companies may use for marketing purposes.
$10,000 “No Essay” Scholarship
Scholarships360 Exclusive
Easy scholarship open to all US-based high school, college, community college and graduate students.
$2,000 Nitro College Scholarship – No Essay
Sponsored
Easy scholarship open to all high school, college, community and graduate students.
$25,000 No Essay Scholarship
Sponsored
Open to high school and college students, as well as anyone looking to attend college or graduate school in the next year.
Charlotte Susan Roth Memorial Fund Essay Contest
Offered by Melton Center for Jewish Studies
Open to college and graduate students at Ohio State who write an essay about any aspect of Jewish Studies.
Morris and Fannie Skilken Family Foundation Endowment Fund Scholarship
Offered by Melton Center for Jewish Studies
Open to college students at Ohio State who study Hebrew, Yiddish and Ashkenazi Studies, or Jewish studies.
Emily and George Severinghaus Beck Education Abroad Scholarship
Offered by Melton Center for Jewish Studies
Open to college students at Ohio State University who wish to study Yiddish or Jewish studies abroad.
Ellen E. and Victor J. Cohn Education Abroad Scholarship Fund for Study at Hebrew University
Offered by Melton Center for Jewish Studies
Open to college students at Ohio State University who study at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
Norbert and Gretel B. Bloch Endowed Scholarship Fund
Offered by Melton Center for Jewish Studies
Open to Ohio State University students who coordinate a program to enhance awareness of topics relevant to Jewish life/culture, or history.
Hilda Specter Morgenstern Merit Scholarship
Offered by Morganstern Scholarship
Open to female Jewish college students who will study in Israel.
Stein Family Scholarship
Offered by Tidewater Jewish Foundation
Open to college-bound, Jewish high school seniors residing in Hamptons Roads who show academic ability and passion for community service.
$25k “Be Bold” No-Essay Scholarship
Sponsored
Easy scholarship open to high school students, college students, community college students, and graduate students.
Hillel Campus Leadership Award
Offered by Hillel International
Open to full-time, Jewish students seeking a bachelor’s degree who demonstrate extraordinary leadership abilities.
Handeli First-Year Student Scholarship
Offered by Hillel International
Graduating, Jewish high school seniors seeking a bachelor’s degree in the U.S. or Canada. Must demonstrate leadership or volunteer service.
Kaplun Essay Contest
Offered by The Morris J. and Betty Kaplun Foundation
Open to students who write an essay that reflects on their values and Judaism’s contribution to civilization and culture
Brandenburg Education Scholarship
Offered by Jewish Community Federation & Endowment Fund
Open to current or incoming Jewish undergraduate students residing in the greater San Francisco Bay Area.
Mary Taylor Friedler Memorial Scholarship
Offered by Jewish Foundation of Greater New Haven
Open to Jewish high school seniors from New Haven County.
Jewish Community Foundation College Scholarships
Offered by Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Hartford
Current and incoming undergraduate Jewish students with financial need who are living in the Greater Hartford, Connecticut area.
Israel Experience High School Scholarship Program
Offered by Jewish United Fund
Jewish high schoolers who reside in the Chicago metropolitan area and have been approved for a study abroad program in Israel.
$10,000 CollegeXpress Scholarship
Sponsored
Annual $10k scholarship from CollegeXpress open to all high school students.
Niche $2,000 “No Essay” College Scholarship
Sponsored
Easy scholarship from Niche open to all high school, college, and graduate students.
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How to win scholarships for Jewish students
Remember, finding the scholarships is only the first step towards earning your scholarship money! Next, it’s time to start writing out your applications. You’ll want to put your all into each of your applications in order to maximize your chances of winning.
One of the best ways to do this is through your essay. As these scholarships are aimed towards Jewish students, it’s a good idea to emphasize the importance of your religion and/or heritage in your essays. Be sure to discuss how your Jewish background has influenced you and how you hope to contribute to Jewish communities in the future. You can also discuss how different Jewish principles have influenced your daily life and the broader choices you’ve made. Before you start writing, sit down and do some reflection to see what your relationship with Judaism means to you!
Essay guides
Once you’ve done your reflection, it’s time to start writing! Check out our guide on how to start a scholarship essay, and another on how to write a winning scholarship essay. Here are a few more helpful resources for writing successful scholarship essays:
- How to write an essay about yourself
- Guide to writing a “Why do you deserve this scholarship?” essay
- How to write a 250 word essay
- How to write a 500 word essay
Resources for Jewish students
Hillel Jewish Scholarship Portal
This portal is a “one stop shopping” experience for Jewish scholarships and study abroad experiences. Scholarship seekers can search by grade, state/country, and/or study in Israel options. Bookmark this one!
Hillel College Guide to Jewish Colleges
This easy to use portal allows students to search for colleges where there is a sizable population of Jewish students. The most recent listing (2018) includes the top 60 public and the top 60 private colleges/universities based on the percentage of Jewish undergraduate students enrolled.
Your school’s Jewish student union
Many schools have a Jewish student union, which can be a great resource for finding scholarships, getting guidance with classes, and just finding a community at your school. Be sure to check for a Jewish student union at your prospective school and see how you might want to get involved.
Top fellowships and study abroad opportunities for Jewish students
Many students seek funding for furthering their education either over the summer or after graduation. With this in mind, we included a number of fellowships for a variety of Jewish Studies majors. For those who are more adventurous, we included opportunities for study abroad in Israel.
Israel Experience High School Scholarship Program
- Eligibility: Chicago residents in grades 10, 11 or 12 with financial need
- Amount: Varies
- Deadline: March 1 for Summer, April 15 for Fall, and November 1 for Winter and Spring
Hilda Specter Morgenstern Merit Scholarship
- Eligibility: Open to female Jewish college students who will study in Israel.
- Amount: $2,500
Frequently asked questions
What else can I do to help fund my education?
The above Jewish scholarships and fellowships are a great start for prospective and current college students to fund their education. In addition to those opportunities, make sure that you explore the following:
- Need-based financial aid from your program, state government, or the federal government. All students should submit the FAFSA to be considered for need-based aid.
- College or institution-specific scholarships. Chances are your college offers scholarships that are specifically for your intended major. Check in with the admissions and financial aid office to see what other opportunities you might be eligible for.
Do I need to be a practicing Jew to qualify for these scholarships?
Each of these scholarships has its own policies regarding who is eligible, so the answer will vary based on the opportunity you are applying for. Some will require that students are studying Judaism, others will require that applicants have a Jewish background, and others will require that students are practicing Jews. Make sure to read the terms of each carefully to determine the answer.
