Hillel International Scholarship FAQs

Current high school seniors or students on a gap year program are eligible to apply for the Handeli First-Year Student Scholarship. Current high school seniors, gap year students, college first-years, sophomores, and juniors who identify as first-generation are eligible for the Jules and Gwen Knapp First Generation Award. Current college undergraduates (current first-years, sophomores, or juniors) are eligible to apply for the Jules and Gwen Knapp Campus Leadership Award. Incoming or current graduate students are eligible for the Hillel Graduate Student Award.

For the Paulson Leadership Award, current first-year, sophomore, and junior undergraduates at only the following CUNY schools served by Hillel, with a GPA of 2.5 or higher:
– Baruch College
– Brooklyn College
– College of Staten Island
– Hunter College
– John Jay College
– Lehman College
– Queens College
– The City College of New York

Current first-year, sophomore, and junior undergraduates at only the following CUNY schools served by Hillel, with a GPA of 2.5 or higher:

• ​​Baruch College
• Brooklyn College
• College of Staten Island
• Hunter College
• John Jay College
• Lehman College
• Queens College
• The City College of New York

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.

In the fall semester, four students and in the spring semester, another four students.

• October 2, 2023 — Paulson Leadership Award applications open
• December 3, 2023 — Paulson Leadership Award applications close
• December 3–January 2024 — All applicants are reviewed by the scholarship committee
• Late January 2024 — Award recipients are chosen and recipients announced

The Handeli First-Year Student Scholarship, Knapp First-Generation Award, Knapp Campus Leadership Award, and the Hillel Graduate Student award will open in January 2024. Be the first to know when these scholarships open by signing up to be notified now. 

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

This scholarship is only available to students at CUNY schools who are actively served by Hillel.

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

Incoming first-year college students, current undergraduate first-years, sophomores, and juniors whose parent(s) or guardian(s) did not complete a four-year degree program are eligible for the Knapp First-Generation Student Award.

Unfortunately, past employees and 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, Hillel International Scholarships 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:

December 2023: Hillel International Scholarship application opens.
March 1, 2024: Hillel International Scholarship Program application deadline.
March 1– May 2024: All applicants are reviewed by the scholarship committee.
June 2024: Award recipients are chosen and recipients announced.

The application deadline for all four Hillel International Scholarships is March 1, 2024, at 11:59 pm EDT. This is a firm deadline, and applications will not be accepted after this date.

We’re so glad you asked! Our Jewish Scholarships Portal allows you to search from more than 600 college scholarships across the U.S. & Canada.