Scholarship Eligibility, FAQs & Instructions

Instructions

To apply for a JVS Scholarship, carefully read the following 6 instruction steps and then click on the application links at the bottom of the instructions to begin your application. The online application deadline is March 16, 2025 for Renewal applicants and March 31, 2025 for New applicants.

STEP 1
Review all eligibility requirements carefully.

Complete and file a 2025-2026 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon as possible and obtain a copy of 2025-2026 Student Aid Report (SAR). If you have any questions about the FAFSA or SAR, please contact your school’s financial aid office.

Your school counselor or financial aid office will have blank applications, or you may complete an application online at studentaid.gov. Be aware of websites that charge a fee for submission of the FAFSA – you do not need to utilize these websites. If you submit via studentaid.gov, there is no fee.

After filing your FAFSA, you will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR), which you will need to submit to JVS along with your other supplemental documents. You can download and print a PDF version of your SAR from the FAFSA website. Make sure you are downloading a copy of your SAR and not a copy of your application information.

STEP 2
The Scholarship Committee will not consider any applicant whose financial information is deemed incomplete. We understand that at times you can only provide estimates in responding to certain items on the application and/or action from a school or funding source is still pending. Where this is so, include estimated figures.

Tip: If you need to take a break, or come back to submit your online application at a later time, click “Save” at the bottom of the application form. Return to complete it at your convenience prior to the deadline. Log on with the same user name and password you established, go to “My Applications” and select the application you would like to complete.

Save time by gathering all of the information you’ll need to complete the application process in advance. You’ll need:

1. Detailed information (name, date, hours per week/weeks per year) for your academic honors, school activities, community activities, and paid work experience.
2. The name and contact information for the person you will be asking to submit a letter of recommendation on your behalf. The details about who can write a letter of recommendation and how the letter of recommendation can be submitted can be found in Section 14 of the Online Application.
3. Your (the student) 2024 income information.
4. Your (the student) spouse’s 2024 income information (if applicable).
5. Your parents’ 2024 income information (if you are a dependent student, as defined in the application).
6. The 2025-2026 Cost of Attendance for your program: The Cost of Attendance budget can be obtained from your school’s Financial Aid office or website. If not available use the 2024-2025 budget. (If you are not sure what school you will be attending, submit the information for your 1st choice school).
7.  A list of the value of all of your assets, including but not limited to:
   • Checking accounts
   • Savings accounts
   • Real estate
   • Automobile
   • Federal student loans
   • Private student loans
   • A list of your current student debt (what you owe today), including:
   • Your 2025-2026 Student Aid Report (SAR) generated by your 2025-2026 FAFSA
   • A copy of your financial aid award letter for 2025-2026 school year (if you attended college the previous year and have not yet received your new aid letter by the date of application submission, submit a copy of your financial aid award letter for 2024-2025) and a list of your expected resources for the 2025-2026 school year (in other words, how you expect to pay for school next year).

Submit: After you have entered all of the data requested in the application, click “Submit” on the bottom of the final page. You will be asked to review any answers that were left blank or entered in an unrecognized format. Once all information is entered correctly, don’t forget to click “Submit” at the bottom of the final page.

We encourage all applicants to fill out, complete and submit their application promptly and thoroughly as scholarship funds are limited.  Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, in the order they are received.

You will receive an email confirmation that your application has been successfully submitted. Please make sure to check your “Junk Mail” folder if you do not receive this email in your “Inbox”. You must respond to all requests from JVS for additional information as quickly as possible. Failure to do so could result in disqualification of your application.

All questions on the application must be answered clearly and completely. If you have any questions, please send an e-mail to julia.furer@jvs-socal.org. Do not call. Inquiries will be answered by e-mail only.

Note: If you were a JVS Scholarship recipient in a prior academic year (pre-2024), you are considered a NEW applicant and should use the “New Applicant” link at the end of these instructions. If you previously applied, but did not receive a JVS Scholarship, you are also considered a NEW applicant and should use the “New Applicant” link at the end of these instructions.

STEP 3
Download, print and complete this resume form (coming soon). All applicants must use this form. You can either scan and upload your completed resume form or mail your completed resume form along with your other supplemental materials to JVS.

STEP 4
Download, print and complete this Declaration of Legal Domicile/Certification of Application (coming soon). You may either scan and upload your completed Declaration of Legal Domicile form or mail your completed Declaration of Legal Domicile form along with your other supplemental materials to JVS.

If you are a dependent student, you will also need one parent’s signature on the Declaration of Legal Domicile/Certification of Application. (Definition of dependent student: if you are a high school senior or undergraduate student under the age of 24, are single, and have no children, you are considered a dependent student for financial aid purposes.)

STEP 5
If you/your parents have filed your 2024 Federal Tax Return, you can upload those documents. However, we will continue to follow the government and college requirements of accepting “Prior Prior Year” year tax documents (2023) rather than waiting for you/your parents 2024 tax documents. Whether you are submitting 2022 or 2023 tax documents, upload them at the same time as you upload all other supplemental documents. If you have questions email julia.furer@jvs-socal.org.

Download, print and complete this JVS Statement of Non-Filing and submit by no later than March 16, 2025 for Renewal applicants and March 31, 2025 for New applicants either via e-mail to julia.furer@jvs-socal.org or by mail to:

JVS SoCal
Attn: JVS Scholarship Program
6505 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 200
Los Angeles, CA 90048

DEPENDENT STUDENTS (as defined in the online application) must submit:
1. Your (the student’s) 2024 Federal Tax Return or JVS Statement of Non-Filing AND
2. Your Parents’ 2024 Federal Tax Return
If your parents are divorced or separated and file separately, any financial support from your non-custodial parent must be included in your application.

If your parents list you as a “dependent” on their tax return and/or you earned no income in 2024 (i.e., your only source of financial support was your family or financial aid from your school), you must still submit a JVS Statement of Non-Filing by the March deadline.

INDEPENDENT STUDENTS (as defined in the online application) must submit: 

1. Your (the student’s) 2024 Federal Tax Return OR
2. JVS Statement of Non-Filing

All applicants (regardless of work history and financial situation) must submit either: 2024 Federal Tax Return or JVS Statement of Non-Filing or your application will not be considered.

STEP 6
Important Note: Your application will only be accepted electronically by hitting the submit tab – we do not accept applications by mail or email.

WARNING: APPLICATIONS WITHOUT THE FOLLOWING REQUIRED SUPPLEMENTAL DOCUMENTS WILL NOT BE REVIEWED:

1. Cost of Attendance Budget for the school you will be attending in Fall 2025 – if it is not available, submit the 2024-2025 budget. (If you are not sure what school you will be attending, submit the information for your 1st choice school).
2. Declaration of Legal Domicile Form (including parent’s signature for dependent students).
3. Completed 2025-2026 Student Aid Report (SAR) (all sections). You should download your SAR as a PDF document from the FAFSA website, and print it.
4. Official academic transcript. An official school transcript is issued by the school Registrar and contains an official signature, date processed and an embossed or raised seal. Photocopies and facsimiles of transcripts will not be accepted. Renewal applicants may send in a non-official transcript as long as it is a complete document and shows the school and grades. If you have attended multiple academic institutions, you only need to submit an official transcript for your most recent (or current) school of attendance. (Your transcript may be sent separately if your school will not issue directly to the student.
5. Proof of permanent U.S. residency if born outside the U.S. (e.g., a copy of your U.S. Passport or Green Card). Current 2024-2025 JVS Scholarship recipients may omit.
6. Resume form.
7. Tax Forms or JVS Statement of Non-Filing.

Declaration of Legal Domicile/Certification of Application (coming soon)
JVS Statement of Non-Filing
Student Aid Report Sample 
Resume Form (coming soon)
Sample Biography and tips (coming soon)

Contact

Julia Furer Scholarship Program Director
julia.furer@jvs-socal.org

Joyce Cele Scholarship Program Coordinator
jcele@jvs-socal.org

Mailing Address:
JVS SoCal
Attn: JVS Scholarship Program
6505 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 200
Los Angeles, CA 90048