On your mark. Get set. Apply! Application Quick Links

Students will typically be notified of their loan status shortly before the first semester they have applied for funds for (e.g. early-August or early-December).

• Notification will be sent via email.
• If selected to receive a loan, students must review and sign the loan agreement before funds can be disbursed.

JELF loans are awarded directly to the student, not their family or the school they are attending. If a student applies for funding for the full academic year, JELF divides the loan into two equal payments, one at the beginning of the school year and the second in mid-to-late December. It is up to each student to determine how they best need to utilize these funds throughout the semester.

Students can receive funding shortly after the notification of their loan.

• Loans are sent directly to the student after the student accepts the loan, both the student and their cosigner complete the promissory note and the student has filled out their bank information so that the loan can be directly deposited into their account.
• Students will receive confirmation from JELF once funds have been sent.

No, there is no application fee to apply for a JELF loan. Our loans are completely free—there are no fees or interest. Recipients only repay the amount they actually borrow.

• Full Academic Year: January 1 to April 30

• Spring and/or Summer Semesters: August 1 to September 30

To complete the application, students will need:

• Photo ID / driver’s license
• The most recent federal tax return (student’s and parent’s if student is a dependent).
• W-2 or 1099 Form
• Financial aid award letters and cost of attendance from the college or university.
• School acceptance letter (new students) and most recent transcript.
• FAFSA Submission Summary (FSS)
• Any additional documentation requested by JELF based on the student’s unique situation.

JELF does not offer a formal appeals process. However, we encourage students to share their feedback through our student survey, which is sent out after loan notifications. If a student believes their financial circumstances were not fully understood, they are welcome to provide additional context through the survey. While changes cannot be made for the current cycle, this feedback helps JELF reevaluate and improve future decisions.

JELF maintains strict confidentiality regarding the identities of its applicants. Only the appropriate JELF staff and the Local JELF Administrator (LJA) who interviews the applicant and cosigner will know about the loan application.

We are sensitive to the issues that lead individuals to seek financial assistance, and we ensure privacy by assigning each application a non-identifying code. JELF loan reviewers and other staff members do not have access to an applicant’s name or gender.

JELF never sells or gives lists of loan applicants to outside parties and will only disclose the name of a recipient with the recipient’s permission.

Once an application is submitted:

• It is reviewed for completeness and eligibility.
• The student will be contacted for a personal interview, conducted by a Local JELF Administrator (LJA) or JELF representative.
• JELF’s Loan Review Committee will carefully evaluate each application.
• Applicants will be notified by email once a decision has been made—typically either in early-August or late-November.

To be eligible for a JELF interest-free loan, a student must:

• Identify as Jewish (must be Jewish by lineage or conversion; Messianic Jews are not eligible.)
• Be a U.S. citizen or have lawful immigration status. Student visas do not qualify.
• Reside in JELF’s five-state region: Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, or Virginia (excluding metro DC).
• Be enrolled full-time in a degree-granting program at a U.S.-accredited institution.
• Demonstrate financial need.
• Maintain a GPA that aligns with their school’s academic progress standards.

JELF serves students in the following states:

• Florida
• Georgia
• North Carolina
• South Carolina
• Virginia (excluding metro DC)

This region was established when JELF was founded as the Hebrew Orphans’ Home (HOH) in 1889, serving B’nai B’rith District #5, which continues to be JELF’s service area.

Residency Requirement:

• Students must have lived in the five-state region for at least one year before the application deadline.
• Proof of residency can include legal documents such as a driver’s license or tax return.
• Students can attend any U.S.-accredited school, regardless of location.

For Hebrew or Jewish Free Loan agencies outside JELF’s five-state region, you can find a list through the International Association of Jewish Free Loans.

JELF provides funding for students to attend any U.S.-accredited college, university, or vocational school of their choice.

JELF takes both the total cost of the student’s education as well as the family’s total resources into account. Defining need is both personal as well as different for different families. Need is based not only on household income but also the number of individuals in a household, as well as a medley of other factors related to health or employment that may directly alter what funds exist for a student’s higher education.

Learn more here about JELF’s process for determining each applicant’s loan amount. 

JELF loans are based on financial need, not a student’s GPA.  In order to be eligible (or stay eligible) for funding, all loan recipients must prove to be in good academic standing each semester.

JELF loans are available for students attending U.S.-accredited universities, vocational, or CTE (Career & Technical Education) programs. If a school is eligible for FAFSA, it meets JELF’s criteria.

Although most international universities are not FAFSA-eligible, JELF has funded programs outside the U.S., such as the American Medical Program at Tel Aviv University in Israel, which is accredited through NYU.

To determine if an international school qualifies for FAFSA, please contact the university or program directly.

Once awarded a JELF loan, both the student and their cosigner(s) must sign a Promissory Note accepting the loan amount. After the Promissory Note is fully executed, JELF will deposit the loan through an ACH (automatic bank deposit) following bank account verification. For full academic year awards, the loan is disbursed in two installments: half in August and the other half in December, assuming the student remains in good academic standing.

No, a student is not obligated to accept the JELF loan once it is offered.  Most applicants do not yet know their total financial resources when applying. A student or family should withdraw their application as soon as they realize they no longer need the loan. Students can reapply for subsequent school years if they discover a gap in funding.

Because JELF provides “last dollar” funding—filling in the final gap after all other financial aid has been applied—students are required to accept all federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans that are offered to them. These loans typically carry the lowest interest rates and most flexible repayment terms, and accepting them is a requirement before JELF can step in to help. However, JELF does not require families to take out Parent PLUS, Grad PLUS or any other high-interest private loans.

Yes! Thanks to the Judith and Aaron Alembik Endowment, JELF has established a dedicated fund specifically to support the children of Jewish clergy. This endowment ensures that eligible clergy children have access to JELF’s interest-free loans as part of the regular application process, helping them pursue higher education without the burden of high-interest debt.

This fund is not intended for students who are studying to become rabbis, cantors, or other Jewish clergy themselves. Rather, it is intended to assist the children of clergy in financing their undergraduate or graduate education. To learn more about this unique opportunity and eligibility requirements, visit jelf.org/clergy.

No. Each year JELF receives more applications than we can fund. JELF’s Loan Review Committee carefully evaluates every applicant’s financial and personal circumstances, and awards are made based on relative need. If a student is not funded this year, they are welcome to apply again in the future.

At JELF, the difference between a dependent and independent student depends on whether the student is relying on any parental support.

• Dependent student – Typically under the age of 25 and is claimed on parents’ income tax form(s) for the previous year.
  
• Independent student – Typically 25 or older. If under 25, must not be claimed on parents’ income tax form and cannot receive any parental support. If a student is independent and under 25, JELF will require further verification.

A cosigner is someone willing to be legally responsible for a borrower’s repayment if the borrower defaults. While JELF does not charge any interest or fees, we are responsible for ensuring that every dollar loaned is repaid in full. JELF therefore requires a cosigner for each loan made.

JELF Cosigner Criteria:

• Must reside in the U.S.
• Provide tax returns, W-2s, and a government-issued photo ID
• Most cosigner relationships are a parent, legal guardian or relative. A cosigner cannot be the applicant’s spouse,

All cosigners must complete the cosigner application, including submitting required documentation. (Note: This step should not be done until the appropriate time and after receiving email instructions.)

JELF prioritizes the security of all information throughout the application process.

• Secure Transmission and Storage: All data collected from students and cosigners is transmitted via our secure email platform and stored on our private, secure server and CRM software.
• Maintaining Confidentiality: We diligently maintain the confidentiality of your information during its use and promptly delete it when no longer needed.
• Proven Track Record: In our six decades of handling educational loans, JELF has never experienced a data breach.
• Prompt Notification: If any breach were ever suspected, affected parties would be promptly notified.