Additional Financial Aid Sources for Students

Occasionally we come across outside tools, scholarships, and additional loan sources that might benefit you. When we do, we will post them here, so be sure to check back regularly!

Applying for these outside funding sources is up to you, however, you are required to report any third-party scholarship and/or additional loan funding to our Financial Aid Office so that we can document it in your financial aid package.

Please note:

  • Any additional funding may decrease the amount of need-based grant you receive from Hebrew College for the academic year, in fairness to any other students who might not qualify for the same third-party aid.
  • Hebrew College does not guarantee or endorse the third-party resources listed here. Should you choose to apply for any of them, you accept full responsibility for the application process, contracts, fees, communications, and repayment plans, and cannot hold the College liable for them.

While you are researching options to supplement or replace federal loans, check out tax credits for higher education that might help offset your costs and assist your long-term financial planning!

Third-party Tools to Help You Save on Tuition and Personal Expenses:

External Scholarships & Fellowships:

Here are just a few of the many scholarship search engines that are available online. Scroll down further to learn about specific scholarships current and past students have received, and see also our section below about private (not government) student loan options.

Search tools:

Some of our students have also had success requesting modest financial support from their local Jewish federation, Hillel council, or synagogue.

Remember that you should never be charged a fee to search for a scholarship! Avoid student aid scams.

Please also remember that scholarship funding from external organizations may decrease the amount of need-based grant you receive from Hebrew College and the amount of loans for which you are eligible.

Specific Scholarship Opportunities:

APPLY by December 1, 2024: The Sinai Temple Israel Center Rabbinical School Fellowship

The Sinai Temple Israel Center Rabbinical School Fellowship engages first and second year Rabbinical school students across the denominations. Fellows will explore the question, “What is the meaning of a Jewish homeland?”

This will be accomplished through primary text and exposure to scholars in the field of Israeli history, thought leaders in the realm of Israel-Diaspora relations, and Rabbinic leaders in North America. Students will encounter an in depth study of the history of Israel and the theology of Jews, Christians, Muslims and Druze, who call the country their home. Learn more about the fellowship here.

Financial Stipend: Each Sinai Temple Israel Center Fellow will receive a $2,500 stipend for the time and effort they take out of their busy schedules to learn more about Israel and Zionism and how it will shape their future Rabbinates.

Click HERE to apply for the 2025-26 cohort.

This fellowship is made possible in part from funding provided by Jewish National Fund’s Boruchin Fund.

(Update as of November 2024: we are in the process of confirming whether the following award organizations are once again accepting applicants, which is why the deadlines listed are from earlier this year.)

March 1, 2024: Al Goldberg Memorial Scholarship Award

The Jewish Federation Foundation of Greater Rhode Island has an endowment fund to be used for financial assistance to qualified persons desiring to preserve the continuity of the tradition of Jewish sacred music by pursuing or continuing their education. The Al Goldberg Memorial Scholarship Award shall be given as the Goldberg Endowment Fund Committee determines with preference given to candidates working in greater Rhode Island. In the past, we have awarded one or two worthy candidates $1,000 to $1,500 each.

Applicants should send their resumes with special attention to their connection to the greater Rhode Island area and Jewish sacred music to Claire Uziel at cuziel@jewishallianceri.org by March 1, and expect to hear from the committee by March 15. Please reach out to Claire directly with any questions.

March 7, 2024: Ben Selling Scholarship

If you attend or plan to attend full-time any college, university, or technical school within the State of Oregon OR any Rabbinical College in the United States, have a minimum cumulative GPA* of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale, and can demonstrate financial need, consider this opportunity. (*Since Hebrew College does not grade using GPAs, the fund will accept a letter from Hebrew College Registrar Bob Gielow on your behalf confirming sufficient grades; please email Bob to request his assistance.)

This scholarship is for one year only; however, current recipients may reapply and be considered for additional funding along with other new applicants. Scholarship recipients must be enrolled full-time. All supporting documentation must be received by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on March 7, 2024.

March 13, 2024: Linda Freidman Memorial Award

Each year our community has the honor of awarding a Shanah Gimmel or Daled-year rabbinical student with the Linda Friedman Memorial Award. Linda Friedman z”l is the late sister of Rabbi Lev Friedman (’18) and aunt of Rabbi Shoshana Friedman (’14). Their family generously started the Linda Friedman Memorial Fund to honor Linda’s memory by lifting up and supporting social justice work in the Jewish community.

Nominees should be able to describe social justice work the potential recipient recently completed or in which they are taking ongoing leadership. The award is $1,000 per year, paid directly to the recipient, and the recipient and their work will be featured in the Hebrew College Ordination program. We are especially interested in awarding work that:

  • has an impact on a social justice issue, such as healthcare, immigration, food access, climate change, animal welfare, poverty, etc. and
  • positively transforms the participants’ spiritual lives and relationship to Judaism.

Read more about Linda Friedman and the award here

Hebrew College faculty and students are encouraged to nominate a current 3rd or 4th year student for the Linda Friedman Memorial Award via this nomination form by no later than Wednesday, March 13. May Linda’s memory continue to be a blessing.

April 8: AIPAC Leffell Israel Fellowship

During this one-academic-year program, fellows will learn with top influencers of the U.S.-Israel relationship, participate in a one-of-a-kind Israel trip, build a network of colleagues from across the denominational and ideological spectrum, and develop the skills to be effective pro-Israel advocates in their future congregations. Learn more about the program, speakers, and Israel experience.

Following successful completion of the program, fellows will be integrated into the Leffell Israel Fellowship Alumni Network. This cross-denominational group of nearly 250 rabbis is the bedrock of the next generation of leadership of the American Jewish community.

There are no out-of-pocket expenses to participate in the fellowship.

Eligibility: Entering third through fifth-year rabbinic students are encouraged to apply. Students will be selected based on a combination of academic excellence, commitment to pro-Israel activism, and a personal interview with the fellowship director. Applications are due by Monday, April 8, 2024 and acceptance letters for the 2024-2025 class will be sent by Passover. Apply here. Questions? Please contact Judah Lindemann at jlindemann@aipac.org or (415) 517-7132.

April 15: Students from underrepresented groups who need financial support to do CPE are invited to consider the ACPE Hemenway Scholars: Summer Stipend Support for Students (up to $24,000):

Named in honor of Joan Hemenway, a pillar in the association, this opportunity recognizes the significant financial burdens of some ACPE students. ACPE will provide stipends of up to $1,500 for up to 16 summer ACPE students to support housing, offset educational debt, living expenses, etc.

Eligibility: Any student fully accepted into an ACPE accredited program or accredited spiritually integrated psychotherapy program. Some exclusions may apply.

Application Criteria: Awards will be made to those ACPE students who:
• Have accepted a position in an unpaid summer CPE unit or spiritually integrated psychotherapy clinical placement and can provide documentation demonstrating their acceptance;
• Are from under-represented identity groups within ACPE and offer various forms of diversity
• Hemenway Scholars will be required to share a written reflection on their learning experiences from their ACPE summer unit. Click here to apply for a Hemenway Scholars Award.

May 14: Hirsch Herman Fund Scholarships for study of medicine, law or theology

Dr. Hirsch Herman established this Fund in memory of his revered parents, Reverend Abraham David Herman and Esther Cohen Herman, and his dear wife, Esther Levy Herman. The Fund provides grants of up to $10,000 each to graduate students, preferably of the Jewish faith, to study medicine, theology or law. Applicants must demonstrate financial need, academic achievement, a connection to the Greater Philadelphia area and must be enrolled in an accredited medical, osteopathic, or law school, or graduate theology school or program. Apply here for this scholarship for the 2024-2025 year.

May 14: Ida Foreman Fleisher Fund Scholarships for graduate studies for women

Foreman Fleisher established this fund in memory of his mother, Ida Fleisher, to help talented women become professionals. The fund provides scholarships for women, preferably Jewish, who wish to pursue a graduate degree. Eligibility is limited to women who have a hometown or attend school in the Greater Philadelphia area, including New Jersey and Delaware. Grant distributions, which can range from $2,000-$8,000, are administered by a local bank and sent directly to the chosen recipient’s school to be used for tuition only. Apply here for this scholarship.

Rolling deadline: Sallie Mae $2,000 scholarship

For legal residents of the United States. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Odds of winning depend on number of entries received. See Official Rules.

  • A new winner is drawn each month
  • No essay
  • Takes less than 2 minutes to enter
  • All applications submitted past the current deadline date up till 11:59 PM ET will be considered for the next deadline.

Church Mutual Insurance Company Foundation’s CM CARES Religious Scholars Program

CM CARES will award up to $62,500 in scholarships to deserving graduate-level religious scholars. Twenty-five scholarship winners will each receive a $2,500 award that may be used to pay for tuition, fees, books or other costs of attending school during the 2023-24 academic year. We encourage students of all faiths to apply.

Howard Steven Feffer Memorial Scholarship

The Howard Steven Feffer Memorial Scholarship is a lasting legacy given in loving memory of Howard Steven Feffer, who sadly passed away at the young age of 19 from a brain tumor in 1982. The $2,000 scholarship is funded by Howard’s sister Judith Feffer and it is administered by Lappin Foundation. Judith Feffer will make the final decision about the scholarship recipient. The scholarship is need-based and will be awarded annually to a Jewish student who:

  • Is of the Jewish faith.
  • Lives in Lappin Foundation’s North Shore service area or is a member of a temple in Lappin Foundation’s North Shore service area.
  • Is planning to attend a college, university, trade school or continuing education.
  • Is a student in good standing.

Recipients may request the continuation of the scholarship in years to follow if they maintain a 2.8 average.

JCCA Professional Development Scholarships

JCC Association’s Professional Development Scholarship Program is designed to help current, full-time JCC professionals deepen and enhance their professional knowledge to advance their career at a Jewish Community Center or Jewish Community Camp (JCC)

Launchpad Track of the Nachshon Project Graduate Fellowship

Launchpad offers the benefits of The Nachshon Project Graduate Fellowship to a small number of elite young professionals who have worked between 3 and 10 years post-college, and now seek to prepare themselves for high-level Jewish professional leadership positions. Applicants can be current professionals in Jewish careers or career-switchers who now seek to bring their skills from other professions into the Jewish professional world.

Segal AmeriCorps Education Award

After successfully completing your AmeriCorps term of service and enrolling in the National Service Trust, you are eligible to receive the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award. You can use the award to repay qualified student loans and to pay current educational expenses at eligible institutions of higher education and training programs.

Wexner Field Fellowship replaces Wexner Graduate Fellowship/Davidson Scholars Program

The Wexner Graduate Fellowship/Davidson Scholars Program will end when its final class graduates in early 2025. The program will no longer launch new cohorts nor accept applications to this program.

Wexner is launching a new leadership initiative for talented emerging career professionals from across the spectrum of Jewish denominational and organizational life. This new initiative will complement its existing investment in more established Jewish professionals through the Wexner Field Fellowship (WFF). The Fellowship is now accepting applications; learn more and apply here.

Private (Not Federal) Student Loans:

While federal student loans typically offer the lowest interest rates, occasionally students have success supplementing their aid with private and/or state-based loans. Hebrew College neither endorses nor can be held responsible for these products and their results and reminds students to carefully compare options, rates, eligibility, and other fine print.

  • AAA Refinance Loans: “AAA Northeast has partnered with College Ave Student Loans to provide our members with a better student loan experience to help them save. Refinance a single student loan or consolidate multiple loans into one. AAA members get 0.5% (up to $599.99) off the initial loan balance to be credited to the borrower’s account within sixty days of closing the loan. Instant credit decision and no fees to apply. Fixed or variable interest rate options. Choose loan terms from 5 to 15 years.”
  • College Ave Graduate Loans: “Covers postgraduate, masters, doctoral, and professional degrees. Flexible repayment options and no origination fees. It takes only three minutes to apply and get an instant credit decision.”
  • edly Student Loans: Income-Based Repayment (IBR), “unsecured personal student loans issued by FinWise Bank, a Utah chartered bank, member FDIC.” Please note loan minimums and limits.
  • MEFA Graduate Loans: Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority (MEFA) loans are available to graduate students across the country attending an eligible college. MEFA graduate loans have fixed interest rates from 6.55% to 7.95% APR (may be subject to change) with multiple repayment options. By borrowing a loan with a fixed interest rate, you’ll ensure stable, predictable monthly payments for the life of the loan. No origination fee; No application fee; No prepayment penalty.
  • NerdWallet.com: “17 Best Private Student Loans”: Compare offers from multiple private lenders to find the lowest student loan interest rate — but only after you’ve exhausted all federal financial aid.
  • BankRate.com: “Best Personal Loan Rates for October 2023”: A list of loan options, servicers, and interest rates for international and/or U.S. residents; borrowers who have low or high credit history; borrowers who may need a cosigner, etc.

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Have you received a scholarship or outside loan that you would recommend to fellow students? Please let our Financial Aid Office know and we will add it here!