Financial Aid Procedures

The Application Procedure

All students seeking need-based financial aid must complete the FAFSA and submit it online at studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa. HUC-JIR’s school code is G04054. International students must submit a CSS (College Scholarship Service) Profile: cssprofile.collegeboard.org. Be especially careful to complete the application for financial aid accurately. Errors can result in long delays both in processing applications and in receipt of financial aid. Intentional misreporting of information on application forms for federal financial aid is a violation of law and is considered a criminal offense subject to penalties under the U.S. Criminal Code.

The HUC-JIR financial aid deadline for returning students is always the first Friday in March. New students entering the SOE, DFSSM, and RAB programs must apply by mid-February; other programs have different deadlines. If you wish to be considered for HUC-JIR need-based scholarships and financial aid loans, you MUST complete your FAFSA (CSS Profile for international students) and submit additional requested information to the Financial Aid Office. After that deadline, federal student loans can still be processed on a rolling basis. However, missing the deadline will seriously impair the College-Institute’s ability to continue need-based scholarship support.

The Cost of Attendance (COA) is determined by the financial aid director and is based on the program and campus you are attending, student surveys, cost of living indices, and other data to determine the appropriate annual COA amount for each program. The COA is used to award financial aid to students.

The COA has the following components:

• Tuition for most campuses and programs is $28,000 for the 2023-24 academic year and is subject to change annually.
• Students enrolled in dual master’s programs at the Zelikow School of Jewish Nonprofit Management are subject to additional tuition for the “second program”.
• Additional fees for other programs are noted in the individual program prospectuses.

Note: Please see the financial aid web page for the cost of attendance (COA) for each campus and program.

A nine-month budget will be used for all students attending fall and spring semesters. If the student attends only one semester, the budget is divided in two.

A twelve-month budget will be used for all students attending fall, spring, and summer. If the student attends only one semester, this budget figure is divided into three.

Note: A half-time student’s educational expenses may be less, and these expenses are usually offset by an increased employment contribution compared to what would be expected from a less-than-full-time student.

The College-Institute is guided by the FAFSA/CSS Profile analysis in determining financial need for all financial aid applicants. The FAFSA analysis is calculated according to federal standards. It provides the Financial Aid Office with a dollar amount called the Student Aid Index (SAI.) The SAI is the amount of money which the student will be expected to contribute toward the total cost of the student’s education. The SAI is recalculated each time the student submits a FAFSA/CSS Profile application.

As currently directed through congressional legislation and as historically dictated, the Financial Aid Office is empowered to use its professional judgment as the final authority in determining a student’s financial aid eligibility. The Financial Aid Office must use independent professional discretion in recommending variations from established policies and procedures, when, in their best judgment, the circumstances warrant such action.

If the Financial Aid Office becomes aware that a student or spouse has intentionally misrepresented facts relevant to the student’s financial aid application, and this has resulted or could result in the awarding or disbursement of funds for which the student is not eligible, the financial aid officer must:

• conduct a meeting with the student in order to determine whether or not there was intention to misrepresent the facts; and
• notify the student at the end of the meeting if the case is to be forwarded to the appropriate Dean for possible disciplinary action.

Misrepresentation can result in the repayment of all wrongly disbursed funds and/or a decision not to process the financial aid application or to award financial aid. Any such actions would apply to the current year and possibly the following year.

Entrance Interviews

All students borrowing from the Stafford Loan Program for the first time at HUC-JIR must complete an entrance interview before funds will be disbursed for the student. Entrance Interviews are to be completed online – choosing your campus location -- studentaid.gov/entrance-counseling.

Exit Interviews

All students who have received financial aid are required to complete an exit interview before graduation or upon withdrawal from the College. Exit Interviews are completed online at studentaid.gov/exit-counseling.