On your mark. Get set. Apply! Applicant Quick Links
JELF's next application period opens January 1st
Getting Started:
JELF's loans are made out directly to the student borrower. If you are a parent filling this out on behalf of your child for example, you must register using the student's name and email address (NOT yours!). All students and cosigners must be registered using different email addresses.
To begin the application, a verification code will be emailed to the student's email address. If you are a parent, please ensure you have access to receiving this code. After verifying your email address, you will create a password, which will be used each time you need to access the application.
If a parent is completing an application for more than one applicant, they must use each student applicant's email address to register.
* username is your email address
Required Application Docs
Your application is not complete until all documents are uploaded to the student or cosigner portal. The deadline to upload documents is June 15 for the full academic year and October 15 for spring and/or summer semester funding only. Questions? Email [email protected].
If you are starting a new school or program, upload the email or letter from your school received upon acceptance.
We need your unofficial transcript/grades through the most recently completed semester including cumulative GPA. You do not need to pay for an 'official' transcript; a screenshot is fine.
Find your financial aid award in your school's student portal. We need the award for the academic year in which you are applying for a loan, not your previous award.
We need to actually see the ACCEPTED financial aid, not just the award letter received showing what is offered. Each school’s award summary will look different.
Federal Subsidized and Unsubsidized Stafford Loans MUST be accepted- JELF requires the acceptance of these loans to qualify for JELF. There are a few unique situations that are the exceptions (visa status, school policy, reaching the maximum federal loan allocation). These are the total Stafford Loan amounts for each academic year that each student is offered:
- Freshman- $5500
- Sophomore- $6500
- Junior- $7500
- Senior-$7500
- Second Bachelor’s Degree - $12,500
- Graduate Student – Minimum is $20,500
Each school’s award summary will look different. Here are some samples:
The Cost of Attendance can be found in your student account, the school’s website or your financial aid letter. This document should show the expected breakdown of costs such as tuition, dorm & board, fees, etc. If there are additional costs related to your program, please make sure that we are aware of the amount and what the amount covers.
Sample Cost of Attendance
The Student Aid Report (SAR) summarizes the information you submitted on your FAFSA and provides information about financial aid eligibility based on that information. The SAR can be found by logging in to your FAFSA account. Save all pages of the SAR to your computer as a PDF file (typically 5-12 pages total).
Instructions for downloading the SAR:
- Go to the FAFSA home page and click “Login.”
- Log into the system with your username and password.
- Click on the “View or Print your SAR” option near the middle of the “My FAFSA” page and choose to save as a PDF file.
Click here for detailed instructions for downloading the SAR.
Click here for a video describing the SAR.
If you worked and filed taxes, please upload your most recent tax return. If you did not work or file taxes, please let us know and we will mark that document as complete.
Sample Taxes
It is helpful if you worked during the year to send JELF your W2s or 1099s. The loan reviewers like to see that the students are contributing to their own educations either through work, federal work-study if offered or scholarships.
Please upload an image of your drivers license, state ID or passport.
You must upload all of the pages that show income. If you get an error that your tax documentation is too large to upload, email them to [email protected], along with your full name and we will upload them to the application for you.
If a parent is serving as the applicant's cosigner and is married and filing jointly, cosigner should send W-2s/1099 for both parents.
If parents file taxes separately and the student is claimed by one parent, but the cosigner is the other parent, send W-2s/1099 for both parents.
If the cosigner is self-employed, upload business taxes.
You must upload either a photo of your state-issued driver's license, other government-issued ID or passport.
The JELF Interview
At JELF, we place great value on getting to know the “whole story," which is why we require both student and cosigner(s) interviews each year. Interviews are conducted by trained professionals, otherwise known as LJAs (Local JELF Administrators). Interviewers are not directly involved in the decision-making process.
JELF interviews help reviewers learn more about the applicant, their educational and career goals and financial needs. They also provide an opportunity for the applicant to convey any other relevant information which may not have been conveyed in the application.
After submitting an application, applicant will be emailed with contact info for the LJA (Local JELF Administrator) who will interview them. It is the applicant's responsibility to schedule this interview shortly after receiving the information.
JELF always aims to pair repeat applicants with the same LJA they have previously met with. If for any reason, an applicant needs to change LJAs, please contact JELF.
JELF kindly requests a prompt reply to all communication in a timely manner in order to more easily schedule this interview.
Mark the calendar for your interview and ensure that both applicant and cosigner each have it calendarized and are available for an in-person or video conference.
If you are unable to make the scheduled time, please reschedule with your interviewer as soon as possible in advance of the meeting. Each LJA has multiple interviews so if you are late or forget about your interview, it causes scheduling difficulties for everyone.
Information gathered during the interview is an important part of the JELF application. While the topics discussed are personal in nature (ranging from why the applicant chose their school and what finances are available for the student for college), the interview itself is meant to be a comfortable conversation.
In order to gain a full picture of each applicant, the same information is collected from each applicant. This information will later be relayed to loan reviewers through an anonymous summary sheet that is presented to loan reviewers.
Confidentiality is strictly enforced with all JELF staff and interviewers. While interviewers are provided with some of the information from the application, they do not have access to any of the documentation provided by the applicant or cosigner.
Your LJA can also assist with other issues that you may need help addressing, such as questions about JELF and the loan process, applicant's college decision or general financial aid concerns.
If an LJA does not have the answer to a question, they will work to help you figure out what you are looking for, and we will be back in touch as soon as possible. We also welcome your questions through the JELF Central Office at anytime.
JELF Interview Questions
The following categories are a sample of topics and questions presented to both student and cosigner(s) during the interview.
The interview will typically begin with applicant telling the LJA more about who they are. Example topics include:
- why applicant has chosen their selected school
- applicant's major / concentration
- extracurricular activities, if any
- job (if applicant works or plans to work)
- any goals, hopes, dreams of the applicant's
- applicant's personal financial contribution to college, if applicable
Now let's put together the family puzzle:
- Who are applicant's parents (it is possible one is present during this interview!). Are both parents living? Are they married, remarried, single?
- Are there any siblings? Older/Younger? Where are they now / what do they do?
- Are there any health issues in the immediate family that have contributed to stress over the years?
- Are there any unusual or extenuating circumstances that may be relevant? (e.g. loss of family member, loss of home, accident, trauma, etc.)
Financial questions, which are related to the applicant or family's financial situation, may be best answered by either applicant or cosigner. This is often based on whether the applicant is dependent or independent. In some cases, a parent cosigner may prefer to answer these questions privately, which JELF is glad to provide an opportunity for, and may ask the applicant to recuse themselves at that time.
- How much is the family planning to contribute to the applicant's education?
- Any medical circumstances contributing to the family's financial stress?
- Any significant job loss over the past decade that has contributed to family's financial situation?
- Are the parents supporting anyone else other than the dependents listed in application (e.g. elderly parents)?
- Has there been a bankruptcy? Has there been any business loss?
- Do parents currently (or will soon) pay for multiple children in school at the same time?
- Any other debt that has not already been mentioned? (e.g. student loans, mortgages, credit card, etc.)
There are times where it may not be clear from the application whether a student meets all of the JELF eligibility requirements. In this case, the LJA may ask questions regarding:
- Jewish identity
- citizenship or immigration status
- residency in JELF’s five-state region (FL, GA, SC, NC, VA-except metro DC-) for at least 1 year prior to April (or September) 30 submission deadline
- enrollment status as a full-time student in a U.S.-accredited institution
- completion of FAFSA (Federal Application for Federal Student Aid) for upcoming school year.
- readiness to accept any subsidized and/or unsubsidized federal loans (offered through FAFSA)
- cosigner status
- applicant's academic standing
Financial Aid Basics
Nearly every student is eligible for some form of financial aid. Students who may not be eligible for need-based aid may still be eligible for unsubsidized federal loans regardless of income or circumstances. Use these helpful Financial Aid Terms defined below to help better understand everything you need to about the FAFSA, federal loan process and more. For other financial aid resources, click here.
The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is a form that can be prepared annually by current and prospective college students in the United States to determine eligibility for student financial aid.
A student who meets all the following criteria may be eligible for aid:
- Registered with the Selective Service System between the ages of 18 and 25, if required to do so (females are excluded from this requirement)
- Maintains satisfactory academic progress
- U.S. citizen, a U.S. national, or an eligible non-citizen
- Valid Social Security number
- Has a high school diploma or GED
- Signs the certification statement stating that:
- They are not in default on a federal student loan and do not owe money on a
federal student grant and - Federal student aid will only be used for educational purposes.
- They are not in default on a federal student loan and do not owe money on a
Expected Family Contribution is part of a formula used to calculate the amount of financial aid a student may receive from his or her parents. The simple formula is:
Cost of Attendance (COA) – Expected Family Contribution (EFC) = Student’s Financial Need
Cost of Attendance is an estimated amount that a student will pay in tuition and living costs during college. Expected Financial Contribution is the amount universities use to estimate how much help a student may receive from his or her family to cover the costs.
For example, if a student’s estimated COA for one year is $15,000 and their EFC is $5,000, then they may be eligible for up to $10,000 in financial aid. These numbers may be deceiving in some cases, however, as families are not always willing or able to contribute to their children’s educations.
For the 2023-2024 academic year, the “Student Aid Index” (SAI) will replace the “Expected Family Contribution” in the financial aid formula. While the basic formula will remain the same, SAI can be as low as a negative -$1,500, whereas the minimum EFC is $0. This adjustment will enable colleges to calculate students’ financial needs more accurately.
The Stafford Loan is the most standard type of long-term, fixed rate student loans. No matter what a student's need is, all students receive the same amount from the Stafford Loan depending on what year of school or program they are in:
Undergraduate Students:
- Freshman: $5,500
- Sophomores: $6,500
- Juniors / Seniors: $7,500
Most undergraduates receive a portion of their Stafford loans as subsidized and a portion unsubsidized (although this depends on demonstrated financial need).
Graduate Students:
- $20,500 / year (with exceptions for law and medical schools).
Since July 2012, graduate and professional students are not eligible to receive subsidized loans.
A federal loan is a broad term for any student government loan that is typically a low-cost, fixed-rate loan available to undergraduate students, graduate students, and parents of dependent undergraduate students.
There are different types of federal loan programs:
- ACG (Academic Competitiveness Grant) – This is a federal grant that may be awarded only to 1st and 2nd year Pell Grant (see below) recipients who have completed specific rigorous high school curricula. Funding is limited, so not all students receive this grant.
- College Work-Study Program – This is a federal program which provides jobs for students who must earn part of their educational expenses. Funds are provided by the government to the school; an on-campus job is assigned by the school. The amount varies and does not need to be repaid.
- Direct PLUS Loans – These are federal loans that graduate or professional students and parents of dependent undergraduate students can use to help pay for college or career school. There is a loan fee on all Direct PLUS Loans. Interest rates for Direct PLUS Loans = 6.31%. However, if you got your Direct PLUS Loan on or after July 1, 2022, and before July 1, 2023, the loan will have a fixed interest rate of 7.54% after the payment pause ends.
- Graduate PLUS Loan - This is a non need-based student loan which allows graduate or professional students enrolled at least half time at an eligible school in a program leading to a graduate or professional degree or certificate to borrow up to the total cost of graduate education (determined by the school) minus other aid. The 2 loans can be deferred while the student is in school and, if credit is sufficient, a cosigner is generally not needed.
- Parent PLUS Loan – This is a federal loan offered to parents of dependent undergraduate students who are enrolled at least half time at participating and eligible post-secondary institutions. Good credit, not financial need, is required.
- To receive a Parent PLUS Loan, the parent(s) must not have an adverse credit history. Parents may borrow up to the total cost of the student attending college (determined by the school) minus any other financial assistance received. Repayment begins 60 days after funds are disbursed but may be deferred for a 6-month period after the student graduates. If a parent borrower is unable to obtain a PLUS loan, the undergraduate dependent student may be eligible for additional unsubsidized loans.
- National SMART Grant – Federal SMART grants may be awarded to 3rd and 4th year Pell
recipients who are enrolled in specific math or science majors. Similar to the ACG, funding
is limited, so not all Pell recipients receive these. - Pell Grant – This is a need-based grant which is awarded to students with the highest calculated financial need and does not have to be repaid. The maximum Pell Grant is currently $7,395. Eligibility is based on a financial formula. These grants are limited to students with financial need who have not earned their first bachelor’s degree.
- SEOG (Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant) – Federal loan awarded to Pell Grant recipients who have the highest need. Schools receive a limited amount of SEOG from the federal government, so not all Pell recipients will receive it. Amounts range from $100 to $4,000. The SEOG does not have to be repaid.
Subsidized Stafford Loan:
A subsidized loan means that the government will subsidize the interest while the student is enrolled or in deferment. This loan is awarded on the basis of financial need. Approximately 2/3 of subsidized Stafford loans are awarded to students with family gross incomes under $50,000.
Unsubsidized Stafford Loan:
An unsubsidized loan means that the student is responsible for paying the interest on the loan from the minute the loan is
granted. Students may, however, have payments deferred until after graduation,
at which point they may take 10-25 years to repay. This loan is not awarded based on need, which means that all students are eligible for it. The interest that accrues is capitalized and added to the principal.
Loan Type and Interest Rate:
Direct Subsidized Loan (undergrad) = 4.99%
Direct Unsubsidized Loan (undergrad) = 4.99%
Direct Unsubsidized Loan (grad or professional students) = 6.54%
Graduate students are automatically considered “independent” of their parents for purposes of obtaining federal loans (and completing FAFSA), regardless of their age. If the student is going to medical school, the FAFSA recommends that parent sections be filled out because individual medical schools may consider parental information when administering their own financial aid.
Some schools use this information to determine if some of their students are from low income families and therefore may remove the parent expectation and replace it with more institutional aid.
Applicant FAQ
JELF provides “last dollar” loans, allowing students to borrow with no interest for the final dollars needed to actually get to school. Students apply to JELF after applying for all other student loans and scholarships for which they qualify. Further, since different schools have different costs associated, students have already made their school choice before JELF can determine how much they still need.
For these reasons, JELF applicants must fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and plan to accept all financial aid for which they qualify, including the Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans (also know as a Stafford Loan). This loan, which is awarded to anyone who completes FAFSA, is a low interest ((as opposed to high interest or 0% interest like JELF) student loan with a set amount per year of school.
JELF’s “last dollar” loans are designed to provide under $10,000 annually, with a $4,900 average loan in 2022. Since each student’s need is personally determined based on that student’s true last dollar need, there is no ‘set amount.’
There is no application fee to apply for a JELF loan. Our loans are totally free — no fee and no interest! The only thing a recipient will ever pay back is the money they actually borrow.
JELF serves students who identify as Jewish, which is represented by lineage or personal choice. Each applicant is given the opportunity to explain their religious identification in their application.
All students must be registered full-time at a U.S.-accredited, degree-seeking college, university or CTE (Career & Technical Education) Program / vocational school.
Students must have legal residence in JELF’s five-state region.
While the majority of JELF’s loan recipients are between the ages of 18 – 25, there is no age cap to apply for a loan.
Each JELF recipient must demonstrate need through a combination of financial documentation and details provided during a personal interview.
JELF serves students from the five-state region of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia (excluding metro DC). This five-state region was formed through JELF’s inception as the Hebrew Orphans’ Home (HOH) in 1889, which served B’nai B’rith District #5, this same five-state area.
To qualify, students must provide proof of residency in one of these fives states for at least one (1) year immediately preceding the application deadline. JELF verifies a student’s legal address through legal documentation, including driver’s license and tax return.
While students must provide legal residency in one of these five states, they may attend the U.S.-accredited school of their choice.
JELF funds students to attend the U.S.-accredited school of their choice.
JELF applicants must be full-time students attending a university, graduate or vocational program leading to a degree or professional certificate. JELF welcomes applications from undergraduate and graduate students, as well as students who are pursuing a CTE (Career & Technical Education) Program or vocational school.
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 open to students attending U.S.-accredited universities, vocational or CTE (Career & Technical Education) programs. If a school is eligible for FAFSA, it also meets JELF’s criteria. While most universities outside the U.S. are not FAFSA-eligible, JELF has funded students to attend several schools and programs outside the U.S. such as the American Medical Program at Tel Aviv University in Israel which is accredited through NYU. In order to find out if a school qualifies for support through FAFSA, please contact the individual university or program.
The purpose of the personal interview, which involves both the student as well as their cosigner(s), is to learn even more about the applicant and their need. Financial data, such as tax returns, only tell a piece of the story and this information is often over one year old. This interview will cover personal questions about the student’s selected educational program, professional aspirations, family dynamics, current financial situation including possible debts, extenuating expenses and more. Click here for more details or to prepare for a JELF interview.
JELF interviews are conducted with the utmost of confidentiality. In most cases, the Local JELF Administrator (LJA) is not an employee of JELF but rather a social worker or like-minded professional contracted through a local Jewish agency. LJAs serve as part of the intake process only and are not involved in funding decisions. After the interview, all of the information is presented anonymously to JELF’s Loan Review Committee along with a summary of the application.
This is not a problem! As long as an applicant has legal residency within JELF’s five-state region, JELF is happy to consider them. Many applicants come from smaller Jewish communities around the region and we will work to ensure that a Local JELF Administrator (LJA) is assigned to each student regardless of their location. Please contact JELF’s Central Office for further assistance.
Once awarded a JELF loan, both the student and their cosigner must sign a Promissory Note accepting and agreeing to the amount. Once JELF has both fully executed Promissory Notes, JELF will deposit the student’s loan check through ACH (automatic bank deposit) after bank account verification. If awarded funds for the full academic year, students receive 1/2 of their loan award in August and the other 1/2 in December.
Yes. When filling out the application, most applicants do not yet know their total financial resources. If a student feels that they no longer need to borrow funds from JELF after being awarded their loan, they do not have to accept the loan. Further, JELF appreciates a student or family kindly withdrawing their application from consideration as soon as they discover they no longer need the loan. Students can always reapply for subsequent school years as needed, should they discover a gap in funding.
No, in order to determine a student’s need, JELF subtracts a student’s total financial resources (including state, school and federal aid as well as possible family contribution) from the total cost to attend school for that academic year.
JELF also compiles a summary of each student’s need using a combination of the SAR (Student Aid Report) supplied through FAFSA, applicant and/or parents’ tax returns and the additional financial information provided on the loan application and during the in-person interview.
JELF loan reviewers evaluate all the information from the loan application and supporting documents on an annual basis because we recognize that financial circumstances and school selected / living costs can all change from year to year.
JELF takes both the total cost of the student’s education as well as the family’s total resources into account. We have found that defining need is very personal and different for different families – 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 awarded directly to the student applicant, not their family or the school they are attending. It is up to each student to determine how to best utilize these funds throughout the semester.
No, JELF does not require Parent PLUS loans. However, if a student’s gap is considerably larger than JELF’s average loan size that school year, JELF may have to tell a student or family that they need even more financial aid before JELF is able to assist. JELF loans are intended to be ‘last dollar,’ typically covering everything from food to books and healthcare and more.
The difference between a dependent and independent student depends on whether the student is relying on any parental support.
A dependent student is under the age of 25 and is claimed on his or her parents’ income tax form(s) for the previous year.
An independent student is 25+ or, if under 25, is not claimed on his or her parents’ income tax form and receives no parental support. If a student is independent and under 25, JELF will require further verification.
While JELF does not charge interest or any fees, we have a responsibility to ensure that every dollar loaned is repaid in full. JELF therefore requires a cosigner for each loan made.
A cosigner can be anyone who is willing to be legally responsible for repayment if the loan recipient defaults. If something happens and the borrower is not able to repay the loan, a cosigner is legally responsible to repay the loan. All JELF loan recipients must have at least one valid cosigner who:
- resides in the U.S.
- can provide tax returns, W-2s, and photo ID
- is not an applicant’s spouse
While a student’s cosigner is typically their parent, legal guardian or relative, there are other examples of cosigner relationships. All cosigners must complete JELF’s cosigner form (at the appropriate time and after receiving email instructions to do so), including all required documentation. In some cases, a second cosigner may be required.
JELF keeps all applicants’ identities as confidential as possible. Only the appropriate JELF staff and Local JELF Administrator (LJA) who interviews the applicant and cosigner will know that someone has applied for a loan.
We are very sensitive to the issues that cause individuals to seek financial assistance, and therefore ensure our privacy of applicants and cosigners by assigning each application a non-identifying code. Neither JELF loan reviewers or other staff members 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.
All of the information that JELF collects from students and cosigners runs through our secure email platform and is maintained through our private, secure server and CRM software. We make every effort to ensure that private and confidential information is properly maintained while in use and deleted after it is no longer necessary. If JELF ever has reason to believe that our data has been breached at any point, we will inform all of those affected as soon as possible. In six decades of servicing educational loans, we are fortunate to have never been subject to a data breach.