JVS Chicago Academic Scholarship Program
Offered by JVS Chicago (JCFS Chicago)
About This Scholarship
JVS Chicago, part of JCFS Chicago, has provided vocational and career services to the Chicago Jewish community for over a century, and it administers academic scholarship funds on behalf of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago. The program helps Jewish students with financial need offset the cost of college and graduate school as they train for the helping professions — fields like education, healthcare, medicine, law, and social services.
Scholarships provide up to $4,000 and are potentially renewable in later years. The program is deliberately local: applicants must be Jewish and either born or raised in the Chicago metropolitan area (Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, or Will County in Illinois, or Lake County, Indiana) or employed full-time there for a continuous year before enrolling, and they must intend to remain in or return to the Chicago area after graduation.
Applicants must be full-time junior or senior undergraduates or full-time graduate students in an accredited helping-profession program; school acceptance is not required at the time of application. Applications and all supporting documents for each academic year are due by March 1.
Eligibility
- Jewish, and born/raised in the Chicago metro area (or Lake County, IN) or employed there full-time for one continuous year before enrollment
- Committed to remaining in or returning to the Chicago area after graduation
- Full-time junior or senior undergraduate, or full-time graduate student, in an accredited helping-profession program
- Demonstrated financial need and career promise
How To Apply
- Apply through the online Kaleidoscope portal linked from the JVS Chicago scholarship page
- Submit the application and all supporting financial documents by the March 1 deadline
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as a helping profession?
JVS Chicago lists fields such as education, healthcare, medicine, law, social services, and other community-focused careers. If you're unsure whether your program qualifies, email [email protected] before applying.