We believe the Bay Area’s high cost of living shouldn’t deny young people transformative opportunities for Jewish educational and cultural experiences. Whether traveling to summer camp or to Israel, a scholarship opens doors to an outsized impact on lifelong Jewish identity and involvement.

The Federation provides scholarships for Jewish day schools and overnight camps through financial support made directly to organizations within our community. See sections below for details on applying for scholarships from our community partner organizations.

The Federation provides incentive grants and need-based scholarships for Jewish children to attend Jewish overnight summer camp in the United States and Canada.

Northern California offers a variety of Jewish overnight camps, each one with its own unique flavor and offerings. Visit the Camp Collective hub to learn more about each of our six camps and the resources available to help pay for an unforgettable summer experience.

We allocate scholarship funding directly to the six Northern California camps to pool with their own scholarship dollars. Contact your camp to apply for financial assistance.

One Happy Camper provides need-blind grants of up to $1,500 to families with children attending Jewish overnight camp for the first time.
Grants are available to first-time campers who:

  • Live in the 9 Bay Area counties.
  • Attend at least 12 days of Jewish overnight camp.
  • Have not previously attended Jewish overnight camp for more than 11 nights.

One Happy Camper is a Federation program in partnership with the Foundation for Jewish Camp and Jewish overnight camps across North America.

Apply for one Happy Camper

We fund need-based scholarships to Jewish children attending qualified Jewish day schools in the Federation’s service area. Families must apply for scholarships to their participating day school.

The following day schools received Federation funding for scholarships in the 2024 year:

K-8

Bais Menachem Yeshiva Day School, San Francisco
Brandeis Marin, San Rafael
The Brandeis School of San Francisco, San Francisco
Contra Costa Hebrew Day School, Lafayette
Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School, Palo Alto
Oakland Hebrew Day School, Oakland
South Peninsula Hebrew Day School, Sunnyvale
Ronald C. Wornick Jewish Day School, Foster City

High School

Jewish Community High School of the Bay, San Francisco
Kehillah Jewish High School, Palo Alto

College Scholarship FAQs

  • The number of awards varies each year depending on the number of qualified applicants and the funds available.
  • While award amounts range from $1,000 to a student’s full need, most awards are between $2,500 and $5,000.

The scholarships can be applied to any expenses the applicant will owe to their college or university in the academic year of their scholarship.

Students may reapply each year as long as they continue to meet the eligibility criteria. Renewal applicants must fill out a renewal application that demonstrates both continued merit and financial need and be approved by the Federation’s College Scholarship committee.

If you change schools mid-year, you should contact a Federation staff administrator immediately. Your original school will refund the remaining scholarship to the Federation, and the scholarship committee may consider transferring the funds to your new school if you still meet eligibility criteria. If you transfer between academic years, you must apply for a renewal with your new school information to be reconsidered for renewal funding.

If you are applying to a school in the University of California (UC) system, please indicate one of those schools as your intended college. This will guarantee you are considered for the most scholarships. Otherwise, you should list your first choice on the application. If you are chosen to receive an award, you will be asked to complete a scholarship claim form to confirm your final school choice so that your check can be issued accordingly.

All applicants will be notified by email by early August whether they have received a scholarship.

  • You must enroll as a full-time undergraduate or graduate in the fall of the year in which the scholarships are awarded (12+ units per quarter/semester).
  • You must continue in school the entire academic year without interruption unless approved by the scholarship sponsor.
  • Checks will be mailed to the school’s financial aid office using the mailing address entered by the awardee on their scholarship claim form.
  • Checks will be made payable to the institution only.
  • Checks will be issued by late August.
  • It is the awardee’s responsibility to notify the scholarship administrator should the check not arrive in time to be counted towards fall expenses.

Tax laws vary by country. In the United States, scholarship funds used exclusively for the payment of tuition or textbooks are normally not taxable. The scholarship recipient is responsible for taxes, if any, that may be assessed against your scholarship award. We recommend consulting your tax advisor for more guidance.

Questions?

Follow up with any scholarship questions.

Applications

Applications for scholarships for the 2024-25 academic year are no longer open, but please check back in February 2025 for applications for the 2025-26 academic year.

Impact

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Name
Organization

Partners

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Events

Community Event

TWIST OF TRADITION: HANDS-ON CHALLAH

The JCCSF 3200 California StSan Francisco, ,

Braid your own challah to take home and bake, filling your kitchen with the comforting aroma of tradition and joy. Come together and savor the moment. Take a pause from

$Free – 5

Community Event

TWIST OF TRADITION: HANDS-ON CHALLAH

The JCCSF 3200 California StSan Francisco, ,

Braid your own challah to take home and bake, filling your kitchen with the comforting aroma of tradition and joy. Come together and savor the moment. Take a pause from

$Free – 5