Jewish Federation Bay Area College Scholarships

Since 2004, the Federation’s College Scholarship Program has awarded more than $7M in scholarship funding, supporting thousands of students pursuing higher education at accredited nonprofit colleges and universities. Each year, the Federation awards approximately 70 scholarships, totaling close to $400,000.

The program offers 16 scholarship opportunities based on merit and financial need. Most of the scholarship opportunities are for Jewish students who are permanent residents of the nine Bay Area counties, including San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, Solano, Marin, Napa, and Sonoma. Most of these scholarships are available for renewal. Awards are available to graduating high school seniors, currently enrolled undergraduates, re-entry students, and graduate students. Scholarships are for full-time students only, enrolled in 12-plus units per quarter/semester.

Applications

Thank you for your interest in the Federation’s College Scholarship Program. Applications for the 2026-27 academic year are now open through March 15, 2026.

Please note an important update: beginning with the 2026-27 cycle, there will be one application for all applicants, whether you are seeking a new award or renewing a past scholarship.

How the Application Works

The application includes questions aligned with the eligibility criteria for each of the 16 scholarship opportunities. Based on your responses, the system will identify the scholarships for which you qualify, and you may select those you wish to be considered for.

If you are applying for a renewal of a past award, we encourage you to request consideration for other scholarships as well, in case your current award is not renewed.

Applicants may be eligible for and receive more than one award through the Federation’s College Scholarship Program.

How to Apply

Applications are due by March 15, 2026.

To complete the application, applicants will need to upload the following:

• Cumulative transcripts for college or high school
• A brief resume of extracurricular activities
• Short answer and essay responses (essay questions will not be made available prior to the application opening)
• One letter of recommendation. You will designate your recommender in the application, and your recommender will be prompted by email to submit a recommendation letter on your behalf.
• The first page of the most recent federal tax return either your family’s, or your own if you are not claimed as a dependent.
• A financial aid award letter from your college, listing all grants, loans, and outside awards you received, if you have received it by the application deadline. If this information is not available prior to the application deadline, it is your responsibility to provide this information when it is available.