Hillel International Scholarship
Before you spend hours on this
Will this scholarship actually lower your cost?
Not always. Many colleges reduce your financial-aid package when you win an outside scholarship — sometimes dollar-for-dollar — so the money can end up saving the school instead of you. It's called scholarship displacement. Two free tools tell you where you actually stand:
General guidance, not financial advice — your school's financial aid office is the only authority on how they treat outside awards. Always confirm with them before deciding.
Best fit for
Jewish students with sustained involvement in Jewish community work (NOT just being Jewish — Hillel weighs ENGAGEMENT). Particularly strong fit for kids planning to attend big-Hillel schools and stay involved through college.
What they actually look for
Hillel International's flagship awards are the Ben-Gurion Society Award and the Hillel Scholarship — but the largest opportunity for high schoolers is to apply for LOCAL HILLEL chapter scholarships at your target colleges. Many big-school Hillels (Penn, Michigan, Maryland, Wisconsin, etc.) administer LOCAL named scholarships specifically for incoming Jewish freshmen who'll engage with Hillel programming. The local awards have much smaller applicant pools.
What you'll need
- Demonstrate Jewish identity (Hillel is the largest Jewish campus organization)
- Current high school senior OR current college student planning to engage with campus Hillel
- Demonstrated leadership in Jewish community (synagogue youth group, BBYO, NFTY, USY, Jewish summer camp leadership, etc.)
- Essays on Jewish identity, community involvement, goals
- One recommendation (often from a rabbi or Hillel director)
- Strong academic record (most winners are top 15%)
When to start
Hillel International deadlines vary — check hillel.org each cycle. Local Hillel chapter awards typically have spring deadlines (March-April) for the following academic year. Apply to BOTH international and your target schools' local Hillels.
Watch out for
Hillel scholarships are NOT just for Reform/Conservative kids — Orthodox, Reconstructionist, Renewal, and 'culturally Jewish but not religious' all qualify. The applicant pool skews heavily toward Reform/Conservative camp counselors, so genuine Orthodox engagement or Jewish text-study background can stand out.