Unlocking Opportunities: A Guide to the USC Jewish Leadership Scholarship

The University of Southern California (USC) offers a variety of scholarships to support its diverse student body. Among these, the Jewish Leadership Scholarship stands out as a unique opportunity for incoming freshmen who demonstrate exceptional leadership qualities, a commitment to service, and engagement with the Jewish community. This article delves into the requirements, eligibility criteria, and application process for this prestigious scholarship.

Overview of USC Scholarships

USC provides financial aid through a combination of need-based and merit-based scholarships. Need-based aid considers a student's financial situation, while merit scholarships recognize academic achievements and other outstanding qualities.

Scholarships for Incoming Students

When first-year students apply to USC by the Early Action or Early Decision deadline of November 1, or the December 1 Regular Decision deadline for majors requiring a portfolio or audition, they are automatically considered for scholarships administered by the USC Office of Admission. These include the half-tuition Presidential Scholarship and the full-tuition Trustee Scholarship. Transfer students applying by December 1 or February 15 are automatically considered for the Transfer Merit Scholarship. All students are also considered for departmental awards available through some academic schools.

In addition to these automatic considerations, incoming students can apply for specific scholarships, including those offered by USC's alumni associations.

Continuing Student Scholarships

USC also offers a range of scholarships for continuing students, administered by various departments and alumni organizations. These awards can range from $1,000 to $12,000 for undergraduates. Students can explore these opportunities through Scholarship Universe, a platform that lists a variety of continuing student scholarships.

Read also: Jewish Learning Institute

The Jewish Leadership Scholarship: A Detailed Look

The Jewish Leadership Scholarship is a merit-based award specifically for incoming freshmen at USC. It provides $12,500 annually for four years, significantly easing the financial burden of higher education. However, beyond the financial benefit, this scholarship recognizes and fosters leadership within the Jewish community.

Eligibility and Requirements

To be eligible for the Jewish Leadership Scholarship, applicants must:

Be incoming freshmen applying to USC.
Demonstrate exceptional leadership qualities.
Show a commitment to service.
Exhibit engagement with the Jewish community, including past, current, or future efforts to combat antisemitism.

Application Process

The application process for the Jewish Leadership Scholarship involves several key steps:

Submit a Common Application: Apply to USC by the Early Action or Early Decision deadline of November 1, or the December 1 Regular Decision deadline for majors requiring a portfolio or audition.
Describe Engagement with the Jewish Community: In the application, thoroughly describe your engagement with the Jewish community. This should include any past, current, or future efforts to combat antisemitism. You may also submit a résumé or a bullet point list highlighting relevant academic and extracurricular activities, such as leadership roles, awards, and honors.
Request a Letter of Recommendation: Obtain a letter of recommendation from someone who can speak to your leadership qualities and commitment to service. This could be an advisor, rabbi, teacher, or mentor who has witnessed your contributions firsthand.

Selection Criteria

The selection committee evaluates applicants based on several criteria, with emphasis placed on:

Academic Achievement: Competitive candidates are typically at the top of the applicant pool in terms of academic performance.
Leadership Qualities: The scholarship seeks individuals who have demonstrated strong leadership abilities in various settings.
Commitment to Service: A genuine commitment to serving others and making a positive impact on the community is highly valued.
Engagement with the Jewish Community: Active involvement in Jewish community activities, including efforts to combat antisemitism, is a crucial factor.

Important Considerations

The Jewish Leadership Scholarship is administered consistent with the University’s Notice of Non-Discrimination.
Winners are expected to get involved in campus Jewish activities.

Beyond the Jewish Leadership Scholarship: Additional Funding Opportunities

While the Jewish Leadership Scholarship is a significant source of funding, students can also explore other scholarships and financial aid options.

Alumni Association Scholarships

USC's alumni associations offer various scholarships to incoming and continuing students. These include scholarships from the Black Alumni Association, Hong Kong Schools Alumni Federation, Lambda LGBTQ+ Alumni Association, Latino Alumni Association, and the Dr. Joseph Medicine Crow Native Leadership scholarship.

Outside Scholarships

Incoming students can also bring outside scholarships to USC. Several platforms can help students find these opportunities:

iGrad: USC curates its own list of iGrad scholarships for students.
Fastweb: This comprehensive database includes scholarships from various non-profit organizations, companies, and more.
Scholarships.com: This website has a robust list of vetted scholarships.

USC Dornsife Continuing Student Scholarships

USC Dornsife Continuing Student Scholarships are a collection of many privately-funded scholarships administered and distributed by USC Dornsife. Individual scholarships may have different requirements, including varying minimum GPA, financial need, specific majors, or geographic restrictions.

Applicants may apply for a USC Dornsife Continuing Student Scholarship. Scholarship notifications will be made in June. If you are selected for a scholarship award, USC must verify that you have a minimum 3.0 USC cumulative GPA at the end of the Spring semester before awarding a scholarship. Applicants may apply for a USC Dornsife Continuing Student Scholarship as many of the awards are merit-based and not need-based. Unless otherwise stated, USC Dornsife Continuing Student Scholarships are one-time awards. USC Dornsife Continuing Student Scholarships may only be used toward university tuition costs.

Additional USC Dornsife Scholarships

Berger Scholarship: Preference is given to students participating in internships with non-profit organizations, cross-disciplinary research, service, and/or extracurricular activities with a particular focus on the arts, technology, and media. The scholarship donor believes in the value of activities outside the classroom (including, but not limited to, internships, research, and service activities) that seek solutions to global challenges of all sorts. With this in mind, applicants discuss how their activities outside the classroom demonstrate their commitment to social and/or cultural innovation and problem-solving and show how their Berger Scholarship opportunity will further develop this commitment.
Comparative Literature Major Scholarship: Applicants discuss how their experience as a Comparative Literature major has inspired them, personally and intellectually. Please include references to your work in French and/or Russian.
Do Good Things Award: The Do Good Things award seeks to recognize students who are active leaders and selfless volunteers. With this in mind, applicants address how they exemplify the ideals of this award through their activities and involvement. Describe ways in which they’ve improved their community and given back to serve the greater good, and how they hope to make a difference after they graduate from USC Dornsife.
French Major Scholarship: Applicants discuss how their experience as a French major has inspired them, personally and intellectually, and describe how their work in French and Francophone studies will contribute to their future goals.
Social Sciences Community Leadership Scholarship: The Social Sciences Community Leadership Scholarship recognizes students who demonstrate a strong interest in and commitment to women’s issues and women’s rights.
Walker Merit Award: In lieu of submitting a supplemental essay for consideration for the Walker Merit Award, applicants send a copy of what they consider to be their best essay written for a Religion course at USC. Include your name and the essay topic or prompt at the top of your essay submission. If desired, the essay may be edited and polished from the version you submitted for your Religion course.
Environmental/Policy Issue Scholarship: Applicants describe an environmental and/or policy issue that they want to address or tackle in their career.
Guam/Global Conflict Scholarship: The donor for this scholarship is interested in supporting both students who attended high school in Guam or students who have been impacted by the causes and effects of global conflict (for example, the war in Ukraine).
Affordability Scholarship: Provides support to undergraduate students in USC Dornsife for whom affordability may be an obstacle.
Ednovate Graduates Scholarship: Preference shall be given to students who are graduates of one of the college preparatory high schools administered by the Ednovate charter management organization.

External Jewish Scholarships and Grants

Several external organizations offer scholarships and grants to Jewish students:

Read also: DePaul University Jewish Life

The Brawerman Fellowship (jewishla.org): Offered by The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles to high school seniors, providing $10,000 per year for four years. Participants engage in community service, attend retreats, and go on a Birthright Israel trip.
Jewish Vocational Service (JVS) Los Angeles: Offers between $500 and $10,000 in scholarships to Jewish students (undergraduate and graduate) based on financial need.
The Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Awards (dillerteenawards.org): Given to 15 recipients (five from California and 10 from around the country) for projects aimed at bettering their communities.
Federation Executive Recruitment & Education Program (FEREP) (jewishfederations.org): Offers up to $40,000 in tuition money for students who agree to work for a Jewish Federation in North America for at least two years after graduating.
Morris J. and Betty Kaplun Foundation (kaplunfoundation.org): Presents 12 awards annually for winning essays on topics related to Jewish heritage and culture. Open to students in seventh grade or above.
American Jewish League for Israel (americanjewishleague.com): Provides merit-based scholarships toward a year of study at eligible Israeli universities.
Masa Israel (masaisrael.org/grants): Provides grants or need-based scholarships for study abroad programs in Israel. Participants from North America can receive up to $4,500, with need-based scholarships going up to $3,000.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles (jewishla.org): Provides up to $6,000 in scholarships to graduate students through the Marks Endowment Fellowship to study at Israeli universities.

Additional Resources at USC

USC Dream Dollars: Provided by the USC Career Center for students who secure unpaid internships with a non-profit or government organization.
USC First-Generation Scholarship: Provided by the USC Career Center for first-generation college students who secure unpaid summer internships.
Student Basic Needs Supplemental Funding: Provided by the Financial Aid Office to help students experiencing sudden financial distress due to unforeseen circumstances.
Study Abroad Grants: Provided by the Financial Aid Office to ensure students have access to these programs.

Application Tips and Strategies

Applying for scholarships can be a competitive process. Here are some tips to increase your chances of success:

Start Early: Give yourself ample time to research scholarships, gather required documents, and write compelling essays.
Tailor Your Essays: Customize your essays to address the specific requirements and criteria of each scholarship. Highlight your relevant experiences, skills, and aspirations.
Seek Recommendations: Request letters of recommendation from individuals who know you well and can speak to your strengths and accomplishments. Provide them with sufficient information and time to write thoughtful and personalized letters.
Proofread Carefully: Ensure that your application materials are free of errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
Follow Instructions: Pay close attention to the application instructions and deadlines. Submit all required documents in the specified format.
Utilize USC Resources: Take advantage of the resources available at USC, such as the Financial Aid Office and the Writing Center, to help you with your scholarship applications.

USC Dornsife Application Tips

Optional Essay: Use the “Optional Essay” box to share any information that you feel would be useful for the scholarship committee to keep in mind as your application is being reviewed. This includes information about your financial situation, as well as any other information that was not addressed elsewhere in your application.
Additional Essay: If you would like to apply for a scholarship which lists an additional essay prompt, use the final essay box on the application labeled “Additional Essay”. Select the scholarship to which you would like to apply and write an essay addressing the special prompt for that particular scholarship. The additional prompts are listed on the Scholarship Descriptions page. To apply for another scholarship that requires an additional essay, click on the “+” sign in the bottom right corner below the last essay box.
Even if you submit one or more supplemental essays, you must still submit the personal statement essays. While you may certainly write about the same topic, it is highly recommended that you modify your personal statements, as the personal statement prompts have changed.
You can access your USC unofficial transcript via ExperienceUSC under My Academics/Academic Records. Please note that there is no charge to download a copy of your unofficial transcript. If you are using a Safari or Google Chrome browser, select “Print,” then “Save As PDF.” Save the document with the file name in the format “LASTNAME_FIRSTNAME_COURSES” and attach it to your online application. Alternatively, you may copy and paste all of the information from your Completed Course Summary to a Microsoft Word document, click “Save As,” and select “PDF (*.pdf)” in the “Save as type” drop down beneath the file name. We would prefer the file to be saved in a PDF format, but we will accept the file in a Microsoft Word format if you are unable to save it as a PDF file.
If a financial aid summary is available, USC would like you to submit the version that looks like this or like this. Log in to your myUSC account and click on “Financial Aid,” then “FAST (Financial Aid Summary and Tasks).” Select Academic Year 2025-26, then click on the tab for Financial Aid Summary. View the entire year summary, then click “print” on the top right side of the page. Repeat the “Save As” steps above to save your Financial Aid Summary as a PDF document, saving the document with the file name in the format “LASTNAME_FIRSTNAME_FINANCIALAID”. We would prefer the file to be saved in a PDF format, but we will accept the file in a Microsoft Word format if you are unable to save it as a PDF file.
If you do not receive financial aid from USC in the form of grants, scholarships, loans, or work-study, OR if you only receive merit-based scholarships, you will not be able to download a Financial Aid Summary. However, you will not be able to submit the Continuing Student Scholarship application if you do not upload a document to the Financial Aid Summary tab. If you do not receive financial aid from USC, please type “I do not receive financial aid from USC” into a Microsoft Word document, click “Save As,” and select “PDF (*.pdf)” in the “Save as type” drop down beneath the file name. If you only receive merit-based scholarships (no need-based grants, loans, or work-study funds), please type a list of the scholarships (both USC scholarships and outside scholarships) you received for the 2025-26 academic year, including scholarship names and amounts received, into a Microsoft Word document. Click “Save As,” and select “PDF (*.pdf)” in the “Save as type” drop down beneath the file name. We would prefer the file to be saved in a PDF format, but we will accept the file in a Microsoft Word format if you are unable to save it as a PDF file. Upload this file to your application with the file name in the following format: LASTNAME_FIRSTNAME_FINANCIALAID.
Feel free to use a resume that you may have used for other types of awards or academic purposes. If using a job resume, be sure to add some information about your extracurricular activities, volunteer experiences, and academic achievements (if you haven’t already done so). Your resume should present a clear picture of your general involvements in college so far. If you are a freshman, we understand that you haven’t spent much time in college yet, so feel free to include information about your involvement and academic achievements in high school.
Verify that you have uploaded all three documents (unofficial transcript, financial aid summary, and resume) to your application and that all files are named in the specified format.
To apply for another scholarship that requires an additional essay, click on the “+” sign in the bottom right corner below the last essay box. You will be able to select a second scholarship name and write a second additional essay.
No, once you have submitted your scholarship application, you are unable to resubmit it.
The Dornsife Faculty Recommendation Form assists in streamlining the process of requesting, writing, and evaluating scholarship recommendations.
After that, complete the Dornsife Faculty Recommendation Request Form. Our office will send your faculty recommender a link to the Dornsife Faculty Recommendation Form which he or she can use to complete a recommendation for you. Your recommendation must come from a USC Dornsife faculty member who can speak to your abilities in an academic setting (e.g., someone who has taught you in a class or supervised your research). Teaching Assistants (TAs) and staff (including academic advisors) are not eligible to write recommendations. Faculty members must be USC Dornsife professors and not professors or instructors from another USC school (e.g. Marshall, Viterbi, Annenberg, etc.). Dornsife Writing 150/340 instructors or CORE 111/112 instructors are fine. Please allow 3-5 business days for your faculty recommendation to be processed after it is submitted.

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