JELF has helped me achieve my higher education. As a first generation college student, it’s so important for me to strive higher and create opportunities for myself that my parents didn’t receive. By obtaining my degree, I can continue on to represent immigrants in our justice system and help them get better opportunities.
Andrew
Here's my bio
David P.
Having the opportunity to be supported by the generous donors at JELF throughout my undergraduate career gave me the luxury of not having to worry about how to pay for tuition or rent while at Florida State. Ultimately, this provided me the ability of being able focus solely on what was most important to me, […]
JELF’s CEO Jenna Shulman featured on the Jewish Today Podcast (6/12/20)
Episode #4 of Jewish Today Pod features JELF’s CEO, Jenna Shulman! Jenna and the host, Amanda Budd, discuss Jenna’s journey to working in the Jewish non-profit sector, along with the incredible insight and action JELF does in making higher education affordable for Jewish students. They also discussed stigmas and stereotypes that are associated with Jews […]
Lianne M.
When I was younger my parents gave me a reality check by telling me that my only college option was community college. Nonetheless, after 4 years of hard work, 20 college applications, and the generosity of JELF I was able to accept a spot at USC. It took a lot of convincing, but with the […]
Ilana D.
“JELF helped me with part of my tuition during my four years at college from 1982-1986 so I could get an education! I am grateful for this assistance and still use my career today! I was able to pay my loan back quickly and really appreciate the assistance that was afforded to me.”
Tara C.
“JELF really was my last dollar solution. I had maxed out education loans and did not think I would be able to finish my degree. I am extremely grateful for the funds I received so that I was able to stay at Embry Riddle and accomplish my goal of receiving an undergraduate degree.”
JELF is featured in The Jewish News of Sarasota-Manatee (2/21/20)
JELF was recently highlighted in The Federation of Sarasota-Manatee’s newspaper, The Jewish News. The article featured our partnership with the Federation of The Federation, our Local JELF Administrator, Andrea Eiffert, and a JELFie from Sarasota, Haley Rosenthal. Haley was quoted as saying, “I am honored and grateful to be a recipient of the generous JELF […]
JELF: Investing in students’ futures (2/11/20)
Published in The Palm Beach Post, 7-30-19. What does Jewish Educational Loan Fund do? Student debt in the U.S. has reached record levels, making higher education out of reach for many families and saddling others with thousands in high-interest loans. According to The New York Times, 94% of undergrads are now borrowing for their education […]
Ilana L.
Ilana had her mind set on going out of state for college. She wanted to meet new people and move farther from home. Yet, coming from a home with a single mom supporting two kids, she was told she’d have to find a way to pay for the out-of-state expenses. At 18 she didn’t truly […]
Diana F.
Diana was born in the former Soviet Union, present-day Belarus, and immigrated as a child. She was always drawn to medicine and helping children. She volunteered at hospitals and studied hard in high school, but even after merit based scholarships, she needed to find a way to pay for her education. JELF helped her get […]
Anya W.
Anya was only three when her family emigrated from the former Soviet Union. Forced to flee from the Nagorno-Karabakh War, her family was able to find sponsorship through the Greensboro Jewish Federation. Though on food stamps for most of her childhood, her family was able to build a life in the U.S. Her grandmother nannied. […]
David S.
From an early age, David’s father struggled with an addiction that eventually took his life. His single mother did what she could to raise three children on her own but just didn’t have the money for college. It was a huge stress for David to come up with ways to pay for his education, so […]
Spencer W.
When it came to college tuition, Spencer Weiser knew his family would have a shortfall. His father, a management consultant, lost his job during the recession. Family medical bills had eaten significantly into savings. Spencer’s dad went looking for ways to help pay for his son’s education. Spencer was able to get a scholarship from […]
Joshua K.
Joshua worked hard to earn a 3.5 GPA in high school. He had good SAT scores and participated in extracurricular activities. Yet, when he started talking about college, he realized that 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 […]
Shaayna E.
Shaayna was accepted into college right as the 2007 financial crisis began. Her parents, both independent business owners, suddenly couldn’t make ends meet and didn’t have enough saved. Even with university scholarships, Work-Study, federal loans and a Parent Plus loan, Shaayna was unable to make ends meet. Luckily, she found out about JELF through BBYO. […]