2026-2027 JSSA Scholarship Application

2026-2027 Scholarship Application

Please note that there is a single application form for all scholarships managed by JSSA, on behalf of generous benefactors and the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, for students whose permanent addresses are in Montgomery County, Maryland; Fairfax County, Virginia; or the District of Columbia. These scholarships can only be used for tuition expenses. Make sure to complete the entire application. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at scholarships@jssa.org.
Important Application Notes
- The application deadline is Sunday, May 17, 2026, 11:59 pm.
- Only complete applications will be considered for a scholarship.
- All eligible applications will be reviewed after the deadline, starting on Monday, May 18, 2026. Please do not submit your application before it is complete; incomplete applications will not be considered for awards.
- Please name all uploaded files starting with the initials of your first and last names. For example, if your name is John Doe, name your resume JD_Resume.
Regarding the 2026-2027 FAFSA

If you plan to complete the FAFSA application (which helps with your college financial aid), please wait to submit your scholarship application until you have submitted your FAFSA application and obtained the SAI Submission Report. While the FAFSA is not mandatory for this scholarship application, it is very important for the Scholarship Committee's review of your application and the awarding process. We strongly encourage eligible applicants to complete it and include the SAI Submission Report with their application.

Noncitizens should also complete the FAFSA and select "No, I am not a citizen or eligible noncitizen." Although they are not eligible for federal financial aid, completing the form can be helpful when applying for state and private scholarships, such as this.
Name of Scholarship Awarded
Amount Awarded
Name of Scholarship Awarded
Rosenthal Undergraduate Eligible For

Rosenthal Undergraduate
Rosenthal 2nd Year Eligible For

Rosenthal 2nd Year
Dreyfuss Priority Eligible For

Dreyfuss Priority
Dreyfuss 2nd Round Eligible For

Dreyfuss 2nd Round
Rosenthal Graduate Eligible For

Rosenthal Graduate
Morton Gibson Eligible For

Morton Gibson
Moldover Eligible For

Moldover
Sahm/Goldman Eligible For

Sahm/Goldman
First Name*
Last Name*
Date of Birth*

MonthDayYear
Applicants for the JSSA Educational Scholarship (undergrad and graduate) or the Max and Emmy Dreyfus Scholarship must be under 30 years old by 6/30/2026.
Preferred personal pronouns*
He/Him, She/Her, They/Them, etc
Email*
Please ensure that your email address is correct. This is how we will contact you with any follow-up questions and where a completed copy of your application will be sent.
Phone Number*
Permanent Home Address (where you live when you are not at college):
Street Address*
City*
County *
Only students in Montgomery County, MD, Fairfax County, VA, and Washington, DC are eligible to apply.
State*
Eligible students have a permanent address only in Maryland, Virginia, or DC
Zip Code*
Are you a previous JSSA Scholarship Awardee?:*
If you have previously received a JSSA Scholarship, please specify the school year (e.g., 2025-2026) it was awarded for and whether it was for undergraduate or graduate studies. Please list all JSSA awards you have received.*
(i.e. 2025-2026 Undergraduate Studies)

What student level are you applying as:*
What is the name of the school you plan to attend next year, and in what state is it located?*
School name / state
Which school are you currently attending? If you're on a gap year, please let us know. For those enrolled in college—undergraduate or graduate—please list your school's name. If you've recently graduated and plan to pursue a graduate degree, please list your alma mater.*
High school / Current undergrad school or alma mater/ Grad school currently attending
What is your tuition-only cost for the 2026-2027 academic year at the school you plan to attend? *
You can find this information on your bill, your financial aid award letter, or on your school’s financial aid office webpage. Please exclude summer or winter semesters.
If you will not be living at home, what is the cost of housing for the 2026-2027 academic year at the school you plan to attend? *
You can find this information on your bill, your financial aid award letter, or on your school’s financial aid office webpage. Please exclude summer or winter semesters.
What is the cost of the meal plan for the 2026-2027 academic year at the school you plan to attend?*
You can find this information on your bill, your financial aid award letter, or on your school’s financial aid office webpage. Please exclude summer or winter semesters.
If you have been accepted to other schools, please list up to three that you considered attending:*
What is your intended major?*
What is your intended career?*
Financial Information
Did you complete the FAFSA form for the 2026-2027 academic school year?*
Please note that completing the FAFSA is strongly encouraged. Noncitizens should also complete the FAFSA and select "No, I am not a citizen or eligible noncitizen. While not eligible for federal financial aid, this will help you if you apply for state and private scholarship awards, such as this.
Please provide your Student Aid Index (SAI) from your FAFSA form.
If you did not complete the FAFSA, please leave this field blank.
If your family’s contribution ability differs from the SAI, what amount are you and/or your family able to pay toward your school bill for one year? If you fill out this field, you will also need to provide an explanation of your financial situation below.
If you or your family can't contribute as much as shown by the SAI and you have special financial challenges (like helping relatives or unexpected health costs), please explain your situation here to help the committee understand your situation.
Students under age 24 only: how many individuals will be contributing to your education expenses?*
Students over age 24 only: how many individuals will be contributing to your education expenses?
Do you have siblings attending college in the 2026-2027 academic year? If yes, please list how many are enrolled in undergraduate and/or graduate programs, along with their ages. Do not include siblings who will start college later or already graduated.Do not include siblings who will start college later or already graduated..*
Please list only siblings who will be in college at the same time as you during the 2026-2027 school year, along with their ages.

- Financial Contributor #1
  
  First NameLast Name
- Financial Contributor #1: Address
  
  Street Address
  
  Street Address Line 2
  
  CityState
  
  Zip Code
- Financial Contributor #1: Phone Number
  Please enter a valid phone number.
- Financial Contributor #1: Email
  example@example.com
- Financial Contributor: #2
  
  First NameLast Name
- Financial Contributor #2: Address
  
  Street Address
  
  Street Address Line 2
  
  CityState
  
  Zip Code
- Financial Contributor #2: Phone Number
  Please enter a valid phone number.
- Financial Contributor #2: Email
  example@example.com
- Please explain why you did not complete the FAFSA form for financial aid.
  This is required if you did not complete the FAFSA this year.
- Estimate of your household's monthly debt? *
  This includes rent/mortgage, utilities, food, etc paid monthly.
- What is your household's estimated gross annual income (before taxes and any withholdings)?*
  This refers to all gross earned income from individuals residing in your home. You can obtain this information from the W-2 tax forms received earlier, which were used for tax reporting.

Are you a First-Generation College Student?*
Please choose YES if neither of your parents attended college.
Are you a US Citizen?*
Are you studying in Israel next year?
Will this be your first time in Israel?
Are you studying abroad through a program affiliated with an accredited university? Will you receive credits as a full-time student?
Are you enrolled in a full-time graduate program studying Jewish Communal Service?*
Do you intend to work in the Jewish community after graduation?*
How did you hear about JSSA Scholarships?*

Email from JSSAEmail from other community sourceFacebookTwitterSchool CounselorCollege TrackLinkedInOther

Personal Statement
Please provide any relevant background information that the scholarship committee should consider when making their decision. Feel free to discuss your aspirations, challenges you've faced, or what motivated you to follow your current path. This information is required for all applicants and must be a minimum of 250 words.*

250 word minimum0/0

Required Documents
Please upload each item as a PDF using the following naming convention. Files must follow this naming convention to ensure they are saved correctly with their application.

Name each file as: your initials document name.file type.

For example, JS Rusume.pdf or JS FAFSA Summary Results.pdf.

DO NOT create place-holder documents if you do not have a required document.

Applications received without the required documents or with empty placeholder documents will be rejected.
Here are some resources to create pdfs:
Using Adobe to create PDFs - https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/using/creating-simple-pdfs-acrobat.html
Creating PDFs from JPGs - https://www.adobe.com/acrobat/online/jpg-to-pdf.html
Turning Word Documents into PDFs - https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/save-or-convert-to-pdf-or-xps-in-project-desktop-d85416c5-7d77-4fd6-a216-6f4bf7c7c110
Completed FAFSA SAI Submission Report: (Name this file "FL FAFSA Report" where F=the first letter of your first name and L= the first letter of your last name)

Please upload your entire FAFSA SAI Submission Report if you filed the FAFSA this year. To get this report, Log in to StudentAid.gov using your FAFSA ID (account username and password). Navigate to Dashboard. Select your processed FAFSA submission from the "My Activity" page; this will bring you to the 'Details" page. Select "View FAFSA Submission Summary." If you filed a FAFSA, this report is required. If your report does not contain your SAI, you have the incorrect report.
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Resume: (Name this file "FL Resume" where F=the first letter of your first name and L= the first letter of your last name)*

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Transcript: High School students: Transcript must show grades for all 4 years of high school, including the current quarter/semester. College students: Transcript must be the most recent unofficial transcript showing grades for the 1st half of the current school year (Aug-Dec). (Name this file "FL Transcript" where F=the first letter of your first name and L= the first letter of your last name)*

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Standardized Test Results: (SAT, ACT, etc) if you took them. (Name this file "FL Test Results" where F=the first letter of your first name and L= the first letter of your last name)

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A Letter of Acceptance from the school you will be attending. This must show your name, the school name, and the semester you will begin. (Name this file "FL Acceptance Letter" where F=the first letter of your first name and L= the first letter of your last name)*

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Financial Aid Award - This must show your name and the school that you will be attending. Get this by logging into your school account and downloading your award, even if it shows no scholarships. This is a custom letter just for you. (Name this file "FL Financial Aid" where F=the first letter of your first name and L= the first letter of your last name)*

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Letters of Recommendation (Optional) (Name these files "FL Letter of Recommendation from xxx" where F=the first letter of your first name and L= the first letter of your last name. XXX = the school, organization, or person who sent the letter)

If the person writing a letter of reference wants to send it to us directly, please have them email it to: scholarships@jssa.org and ask them to put LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION FOR your name in the subject.
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Other Documents you want to share.

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Additional Questions
Release of Information - Ability to Talk to 3rd Parties (if over 18 at the time of the application)
Due to federal, state, and local privacy laws, we need to have permission to discuss your scholarship with a third party (such as your parents or College Track). On this page, please provide the names and contact information of the people you authorize us to speak with. By signing this page, you authorize us to talk to the individuals or organizations below about the status of your scholarship application, the status of payments, etc. If you do not sign here, we will only talk to you!
People you have authorized us to talk to:

Morton A. Gibson Scholarship Questions
Are you a high school student interested in the Morton A. Gibson Scholarship?*
You must be a Jewish high school student and have volunteered in the local community to be eligible.
List all volunteer services you have performed in the Greater Washington Jewish Community or under the auspices of a local Jewish agency or organization. Please include the agency/organization name, your supervisor, and the dates and number of hours worked:
If volunteer service was performed in another community or under the auspices of a non-Jewish agency or organization, list the service and dates:
List any awards or recognition you have received for your volunteer service:
Did your volunteer service meet your high school graduation requirements?

Thank you for your application!

Please submit your application by Sunday, May 17, 2026, at 11:59 pm EST. You can save your progress and return to it later while filling out the application. Please submit only after all required documents are uploaded, and avoid sending 'emptyplaceholder documents; applications with placeholder files will be rejected. Double-check all uploads for completeness and accuracy before submitting. Thankyou for taking the time to apply!
Should be Empty:

2026-2027 Scholarship Application

Important Application Notes

Regarding the 2026-2027 FAFSA

Financial Information

Personal Statement

Required Documents

Additional Questions

Release of Information - Ability to Talk to 3rd Parties (if over 18 at the time of the application)

Morton A. Gibson Scholarship Questions

Additional Demographic Questions

Thank you for your application!