Eligibility Requirements and FAQs

Current high school seniors or students currently on a gap year program are eligible to apply for the Handeli First-Year Student Scholarship. Current college undergraduates (current freshmen, sophomores, or juniors) are eligible to apply for the Hillel Campus Leadership Award.

Yes, in order to be considered for a Hillel International scholarship, applicants must identify as Jewish. Applicants who have at least one Jewish grandparent or who have formally converted to Judaism will be considered.

Absolutely! All current Jewish college freshmen, sophomores, and juniors attending four-year U.S. and Canadian colleges and universities are eligible.

Applicants must attend or be preparing to attend an accredited four-year college or university in the U.S. or Canada.

Yes! All students who are attending or preparing to attend four-year colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada are eligible to apply.

Unfortunately, immediate family members of Hillel officers, directors, employees, and major contributors ($5,000+) are ineligible to receive these awards.

Yes, applicants must be students in good standing with their current academic institution, and must have a GPA of 2.5 or above.

No. Both the Handeli First-Year Student Scholarship and the Hillel Campus Leadership Award are merit-based awards.

References should be someone who can speak to an applicant’s hard work and dedication, both in the classroom and in the community. Examples of references include teachers, coaches, advisors, volunteer leaders, and other mentors. Please do not list friends, parents, or relatives as references for Hillel scholarships.

References will only be contacted if an applicant is selected as a finalist.

No, references do not need to submit a letter of recommendation. Applicants will be asked to provide the names and contact information of two references, but a letter of recommendation is not needed to apply for a Hillel scholarship. References will be contacted if an applicant is selected as a finalist.

Yes! All applicants can start their applications and save their progress. Simply hit 'Save my progress and resume later' within the application, and set a password to resume your application at a later date.

Great question! Please review our scholarship timeline below:

• November: Hillel International Scholarship application opens.
• March 1: Hillel International Scholarship Program application deadline.
• March 1 - May 1: All applicants are reviewed by the scholarship committee.
• May 1: Award recipients are chosen and recipients announced.

To apply for the Handeli First-Year Student Scholarship visit hillel.org/Handeli-Scholarship.

To apply for the Hillel Campus Leadership Award visit hillel.org/CampusAward.

The application deadline for both Hillel International Scholarships is March 1, 2022 at 11:59pm EDT. This is a firm deadline, and applications will not be accepted after this date.

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