Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, 2010-11 College Student/Young Adult CCIP Scholarship

August 13, 2010

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Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, 2010-11 College Student/Young Adult Chicago Community Israel Programs (CCIP) Scholarships for Chicago citizens.

To be eligible to apply for a financial need-based scholarship, you must:

Demonstrate financial need;

Live in metropolitan Chicago;

Have graduated from high school;

Be between the ages of 17 and 28;

Have already applied to a CCIP-approved program of work, study or travel in Israel;
However, you may apply for a CCIP scholarship before you have received your acceptance to the program.

Be available to participate in an in-person interview (to be scheduled when your completed application has been received). Applicants age 18 and under whose parents are Chicagoland residents must bring at least one parent to the personal interview.
Participate in Jewish communal activities when you return from Israel.

Other Information:

1. Siblings: families sending more than one child on an Israel Experience Program may only request financial assistance for one child in a single academic year except in the instance of twins/triplets/other multiples. For example, a sophomore and a senior could not apply in the same year, nor could a college student and a high school student from the same family.
2. Returning participants: although students who have traveled to Israel before, with or without the help of a CCIP scholarship, are eligible to apply, priority will be given to first-time participants.

Additional important information:

1. The goals of the CCIP Israel Experience scholarship program are to develop increased Jewish identity, greater commitment to Israel and the Chicago Jewish community, and leadership in the Jewish community.
2. CCIP scholarship funds are limited, and we have many requests for financial assistance. Therefore, we must examine the resources of each family carefully to be sure that the scholarships are granted to the applicants deemed most in need of financial assistance. We want you understand that the basic requirement for a CCIP scholarship is the demonstration of financial need. While income alone is not the only determinant of financial need, applicants from families with lower incomes will usually receive higher priority than applicants from families with higher incomes. Please note: Applicants with Federation Israel Experience Savings (including SKIP, Gift of Israel, Bar/Bat Mitzvah Certificates and Walk With Israel Vouchers) are expected to use their funds toward the cost of the Israel Experience program when applying for a financial need scholarship.
3. Although we ask about the applicant’s activities, we want you to know that this is not a merit scholarship application and that prior involvement in Jewish communal activities is not a requirement for receiving a financial need-based scholarship.
4. We ask that you help us by submitting ALL of the required materials and by answering ALL of the questions on the scholarship application carefully and completely. All applicants aged 26 and under must submit a COMPLETE and SIGNED copy of their parents’ most recent (2009) Federal income tax return, including all schedules and statements filed, plus W-2 and 1099 forms for BOTH 2008 and 2009. If the applicant also filed a Federal income tax return in 2009, please include a COMPLETE and SIGNED copy of it, including all schedules and statements, plus W-2 and 1099 forms for BOTH 2008 and 2009. Married applicants and applicants who will be married by the time they go to Israel must also provide financial information, including IRS returns, for spouses and fiancé(e)s.
5. No full scholarships are awarded. Applicants are required to seek other scholarship assistance in addition to the Federation CCIP Israel Experience scholarship. Possible sources of other financial assistance include the organization sponsoring the Israel Experience program, your synagogue or religious day school, if applicable, and any other sources available to you. However, public solicitation of funding will make your family ineligible for Federation CCIP funding. We expect parents to make an appropriate contribution toward the cost of the program, and we expect that applicants will also contribute toward the cost of their trip.
6. Only one CCIP scholarship application can be accepted from your family in any one academic year, except in the instance of twins/triplets/other multiples. Applicants who have already participated in the same or similar programs are ineligible to apply. Applicants for a second CCIP scholarship will be considered if the second program is substantially different from the previous program.
7. Applicants must apply to a CCIP-approved Israel Experience program before they are eligible to apply for a CCIP scholarship. They can, however, apply for a scholarship before being accepted to an Israel Experience program. However, they MUST be accepted to the Israel program before they can receive any scholarship funds.
8. The Academic Scholarship Committee of the Jewish Federation will make the final decisions on the awarding of scholarships after assessing each applicant’s situation on an individual basis and in comparison to the other applicants. Remember that this is only an application for financial assistance and that no guarantee or promise of receiving a scholarship can be made until the Academic Scholarship Committee reaches its decisions.
9. Federation will treat your application and all of the information provided to us with the strictest confidentiality. Your name and other identifying information will not be included in any materials sent to the Academic Scholarship Committee.
10. You will be notified of the Academic Scholarship Committee’s decision on your scholarship request, by mail, by the end of December. No information on scholarship awards will be given by phone. The balance of fees due to the program is your and your family’s personal responsibility. If the applicant fails to complete the Israel Experience program, your family will have to repay the scholarship award to the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago.
11. We ask that you provide any other information that you think would be helpful to us in making our evaluation of your application. If you or your family has any questions about eligibility or about answering the questions on the application or about any of the required materials, please call Hallie Shapiro Devir at (312) 444-2904.