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Every JELF loan begins with an application.

Our application period is March 1st - April 30th.

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Get Started

JELF-Do-You-Qualify
First things first

If you can answer 'yes' to all our qualifications below, then you should apply.

Gather Documents

Get It Together

Next comes supporting documents

Now that you've filled out your application, the next step is to submit the initial required supporting documents. 

You can upload these directly from your account. Easy peasy.

Final transcript from the school last attended (if not currently a student).

School acceptance letter (if an entering student).

Cosigner's current year tax return(s) and schedules and W-2's or 1099's.

Student's current year tax return(s) and schedules (if filed) and W-2's or 1099's (if student has worked).

Spouse's current year tax return(s) and schedules (if filed) and W-2's or 1099's (if married).

The Student Aid Report (SAR) recieved after filing your FAFSA.

Your application is not considered complete until you submit these initial supporting documents.

Contact Your Local Jelf

JELF-You-Are-Not-Alone-Short
Let's Get Together

Meet with your Local jelf

We place great value on personally connecting and interviewing each JELF loan applicant and their cosigner. The next step after your application has been received and your documents have been uploaded is to contact your Local JELF Administrator (LJA) to schedule an interview. 

If you are a returning applicant, you and your cosigner can schedule and conduct your interview online or by phone. 

Find My Local JELF

Submit Final Docs

Bringing it all together

Submit the final supporting documents

The app is done. The initial docs are in. Your interview is complete! 

Now we just need for you to submit a few final required supporting documents by June 15 or October 21, depending on your application period. Please upload to your account or email our application staff.

Final transcript for the school year you've most recently completed (if currently a student)

Financial aid letter from the educational institution you will be attending in the upcoming school year

Cost of attendance for the school you will be attending

Without these documents your application will be considered incomplete. It is your responsibility to ensure your app is complete.

JELF cannot consider incomplete applications for funding. If your application is not submitted and/or complete by the designated deadlines, JELF will assume that you have withdrawn from the process and you will be withdrawn from our system.

Sign Promissory Note

Last Steps

Signing Your Promissory Note

In the days following the Loan Review Sessions, JELF’s Central Office will contact you via email to let you know if you were granted a loan and for how much.

If you are granted a loan, you will receive half the loan amount in early-August and half in December. Students who apply in September will receive one check for the full loan amount in December. You and your cosigner(s) must fill out and sign a promissory note (witnessed by your LJA or a notary). You and your cosigner(s) will also need to provide a copy of your photo ID.

As soon as your promissory note is fully executed, you will receive your loan check from your LJA. To obtain your December loan check, you must also submit your fall grades to demonstrate that you are in good academic standing with your university or program.

Each time you receive a JELF loan check, your (cumulative) signed promissory note will become part of your file. JELF will email a secured copy of it to you and your cosigner(s).

Your JELF Loan for Higher Education

Learn The Basics Here

  • JELF loans are administered in a five-state region (FL, GA, NC, SC and VA, excluding metro DC).
  • All students submit an application each year. It is important for us to assess each student’s situation for each year that they apply.
  • In-person interviews are required for all first time applicants + their cosigner. Returning applicants may complete a phone or online interview. 
  • A student's cosigner must reside in the U.S.
  • Each loan is anonymous to anyone outside JELF’s immediate staff.  A committee of trained volunteers decide on the confidential amounts awarded.
Spring Dates Fall Dates

The March-April Application opens March 1 through April 30 and is for students needing loan assistance for the following academic year (next fall and/or the following spring/summer terms).

Mar 1, 2020
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March-April loan application opens. We suggest starting the application as early as possible.
Apr 30, 2020
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Deadline for submitting March-April loan application and initial supporting documents.
Jun 15, 2020
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Applicant deadline for submitting all the required supporting documents to [email protected]
Aug 1, 2020
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Students are notified of their loan amounts.

Our next application period is September 1 - 30 and is for students that need assistance for spring and/or summer semester(s).

Sep 1, 2020
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September Application opens. We suggest starting the application as early as possible.
Sep 30, 2020
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Deadline for submitting September loan application and initial supporting documents.
Oct 21, 2020
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This is the deadline for submitting your final required supporting documents to [email protected]
Dec 1, 2020
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Students are notified of their loan amounts.
Joshua K.
Palm Beach, FL

JOSHUA K.

During high school, Joshua worked hard to earn a 3.5 GPA, had good SAT scores and participated in extracurricular activities.

Yet, when he started bringing home brochures for different universities, his parents just didn’t have the college savings he had hoped. Joshua didn’t know how much his father’s multiple sclerosis had affected the family’s finances.

Ready to Apply? Click here!

After getting government student loans for tuition and books, Joshua turned to JELF for the necessary living expenses he needed to attend school full time. After graduating, Joshua decided to apply his passion for writing as a means of giving back and began working at a synagogue as a digital communications associate.

As Joshua recently put it, “My college journey was made possible by JELF, and I can’t express how appreciative I am for its existence.”

How Repayment Works

Repayment begins 6 months after graduation, the termination of your course of study or a status change to part-time student. JELF's repayment period is 8 years (although you can always pay back sooner!). JELF has a graduated repayment program, which means that in your first years of repayment, when your income is likely to be at its smallest, you will make the smallest payments.  

Each time you make a loan repayment back to JELF, you allow JELF to help more students in need. There is no fee for paying back the loan early. 

Set Up ACH Repayment Here

Say you owe $10,000 by the time you graduate...

Year 1 5% $500 $41.67
Year 2 5% $500 $41.67
Year 3 10% $1000 $83.34
Year 4 10% $1000 $83.34
Year 5 15% $1500 $125
Year 6 15% $1500 $125
Year 7 20% $2000 $166.67
Year 8 20% $2000 $166.67
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