Jelfies 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 understand what a loan or interest meant. When her mom suggested JELF, however, she knew it would save her a lot of money in the long run. With JELF, along with her federal loan and a partial scholarship, she was able to study Social Work at the University of Alabama.
After working for a county outside of Atlanta, she decided to help people in a different way. She found a career in recruiting and is now a successful recruiter who has worked for several major companies. She was able to pay off her loan, but she wanted to do more. She approached JELF and first joined the Visibility Committee, which later led to her joining the Board. In 2024 she was awarded with JELF’s Koonin Family Service Award and continues to donate to help other students with interest-free loans. As she puts it, “I just wanted to give back and help other Jewish students.”
College is hard enough without the burden of student loan debt.
College is getting more expensive
The average cost of college in the United States is $35K a year. This cost is only going to continue to grow.
Income rarely matches the cost.
31% of Jewish families have a household income of under $50K. The Jewish community is not immune to debt or hardship.
Average student loan debt is $30K
That's a problem! With student loan debt at an all time high, JELF is here to help!
