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Summer Scholarships
Supporting Your Summer Experience
In keeping with our mission to share meaningful Jewish experiences with as many Jewish teens as possible, BBYO provides need-based scholarships for our Camp Leadership and travel experiences. Below you will find information on how to apply, as well as additional resources to help make our programs more financially accessible. Please reach out to our team with any questions.
Scholarship Support for Eligible Families
Need-based funding is available to teens registered for:
- Camp Leadership Programs, including CLTC, ILTC, and International Kallah.
- Summer Experiences in Israel, including connected programs that combine experiences outside of Israel (e.g., Europe + Israel).
To apply, simply register for your desired program, pay the required deposit, and fill out the scholarship application in your teen’s registration account. Funding decisions will be made in two stages and shared with families via email:
Stage 1
- Applications due by January 7, 2026.
- Allocation decisions will be made by January 14, 2026, and on a rolling basis thereafter.
Stage 2
- Applications may be submitted and reviewed on a rolling basis pending available funding after each stage.*
*Please note that the rolling scholarship period is not guaranteed, and families are encouraged not to delay applying. Funds may not be available later in the season, and best consideration is given to applications received by January 7, 2026.
Community Scholarships
Most communities offer teen Israel program scholarships through their local Jewish Federation or other Jewish education agencies. In most cases, community funds are available only for teens living in the areas that they serve. BBYO programs in Israel meet the criteria to qualify for most of these scholarships. We have included a list of specific communities that offer such scholarships below. If you do not find your hometown on the list, search the National Federation Directory.
NOTE: Due to the nature of changes in funding and resources, we do not guarantee the accuracy of the information provided nor guarantee eligibility as almost all sources are independently managed and have no connection to BBYO.
Other Opportunities
Below is a list of various sources for potential scholarship funding that BBYO participants have benefitted from in previous years. The goal of this resource is to provide prospective BBYO participants information about organizations within their geographic region that have offered scholarships in the past. We do our best to provide accurate material and information from each source.
Local Synagogues
Often, synagogues have set aside funds specifically designated for sending local teens to Israel. Call your synagogue's office to learn if they offer this type of scholarship. Departments that often have scholarships available include but are not limited to a General Scholarship Fund, Rabbi Discretionary Fund, Sisterhood, Brotherhood, Israel Committee or Youth Department.
One Happy Camper
BBYO is proud to partner with One Happy Camper to provide teens up to $1,000 off our Camp & Leadership programs and U.S. based BBYO Passport trips that are 12-days or longer. This gift—made possible by your local Jewish Federation in partnership with the Foundation for Jewish Camp—is for campers attending their first Jewish overnight summer camp experience. Please view this list for qualifying communities, age requirements, and contact information on their eligibility page.
One Happy Camper also offers $1,000–$1,500 small community incentive grants to families that live in a community of with less than 10,000 Jewish residents. Questions? Call 888-888-4819 or email onehappycamper@jewishcamp.org.
Local Jewish Organizations
Some other local Jewish organizations may have scholarships available. Here are some potential sources in your community that are worth exploring:
Plant your way (JNF)
Local Holocaust Museum
Jewish Community Center (JCC)
Jewish Council for Your Services (JCYS)
Jewish Family Services (JFS)
Bureau of Jewish Education (BJE)
Jewish Child and Family Services (JCFS)
Hebrew Free Loan Society
Search the Web
A quick internet search will reveal numerous Jewish organizations that offer money to Jewish teens traveling to Israel. Send them an e-mail and see if you qualify! Do you know of a scholarship not listed or have updated information? Please let us know and we will post the information for others who are seeking funding for their BBYO experience.
Bay Area Israel Scholarship
In an effort to make Jewish summer experiences in Israel more accessible, high school-age teens from the Bay Area are eligible for additional financial assistance toward any BBYO Passport program in Israel.
This funding is made possible through funding distributed by the Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund (JCFEF), and eligible applicants must live in the catchment area of JCFEF.
Eligibility Criteria
- Jewish teens currently in grades 9–12
- Must reside in in San Francisco, The Peninsula, and Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin & Sonoma Counties. Participants in Palo Alto, Stanford, Los Altos, and Mountain View are also eligible
- Unfortunately, not all of Santa Clara County is eligible for funding. Contact Julia Cinnamon at jcinnamon@bbyo.org for more information on eligibility
- Scholarships available based on merit and/or need; Average award $500-$1,500
The Bay Area Israel Scholarship application for Summer 2026 is open!
New York Teen Initiative (NYTI)
In an effort to make Jewish summer experiences more affordable, high school-age teens from the New York City area are eligible for generous financial assistance towards any BBYO Summer Experience.
The New York Teen Initiative is sponsored by UJA-Federation of New York and the Jim Joseph Foundation.
Eligibility Criteria
- Jewish teens currently in grades 9-12
- Permanent resident of New York City’s five boroughs, Nassau, Suffolk, or Westchester counties
- Scholarship amount will be based on financial need; the average award last summer was $1,400–$2,250
How to Apply
The New York Teen Initiative scholarship application for Summer 2026 is closed! Please check back when Summer 2027 launches for next year's application.
