EDUCATION
plication for
Federal Student Rid
1988-1989 School Year
JELS helps students get through
the financial maze.
Anthony Adelson and Edwina Davis
Study Aid
JELS is helping Jewish students
get a college education
RONNA HALL
Special to The Jewish News
nthony Adelson, now a
third year medical stu-
dent at Wayne State
University, found him-
self in financial need at
the end of his second year at the
University of Michigan. Forced to
drop out, he worked for six months as
a busboy.
Returning to school at Wayne
State this time, he was able to com-
plete his degree in psychology with
the help of a grant, by working part-
time and budgeting carefully.
"Once I was accepted into Wayne
medical school;' says Anthony, "it was
a totally different story. Tuition was
much higher, and because of the work
load of medicine, I wasn't able to work
and attend classes and hope to get
good grades. I had been totally in-
A
70 FRIDAY, JULY, 15, 1988 ,
dependent for almost three years, but
no one can go to medical school and
be independent!'
Anthony's first step was to apply
for a government student loan. "Ask-
ing for money is a burnout process;'
says Anthony, "and even though I had
been on my own for several years, it
was necessary to produce my family's
financial records and income tax
forms as well as my own, in order to
secure the loan!'
Once it had been determined that
Anthony's family contribution to his
education had reached its limit, he
received a Guaranteed Student Loan.
"Even with the student loan," says
Anthony, "going over my budget for
the year, I realized how much it would
cost and how little I had. A friend in
undergraduate school had been a reci-
pient of JELS and I decided maybe
they could help me!'
JELS is the Jewish Educational
Loan Service administered through
the Jewish Vocational Service and
the Hebrew Free Loan Association.
Funded through the Jewish Welfare
Federation, the 40-year-old service
provides interest-free loans to Jewish
students in the Detroit metropolitan
area. Last year, 100 students were
granted $175,000 in loans.
Anthony contacted Edwina Davis,
coordinator of the JELS program at
JVS. "We sat down and reviewed my
financial situation in a relaxed man-
ner. Ms. Davis understood my situa-
tion and was sensitive to my needs
and what was really going on in my
life," says Anthony. He has received a
loan from JELS for the past two years
and hopes to count on its support for
one more year.
JELS applicants must be full-time
undergraduate or graduate students
and be able to furnish full family
financial and tax information. Each
student must also provide three let-
ters of recommendation from teachers
or employers and also submit
academic records.
"Most of our students have
already applied for the Guaranteed
Students Loans from the govern-
ment," says Davis. "This application
is quite thorough, and is helpful for
us in determining the needs of the
student."
While it is preferred that a JELS
recipient be a student in Michigan,
programs of study not offered in
Michigan schools, such as podiatry
or rabbinical studies, may also be
funded through JELS.
Loan applications must include a
budget outline of rent, utilities, food,
household expenses, transportation,
medical and dental needs as well as
tuition, books and fees. The student's
assets are compared to expenses and
a loan figure is determined.
Each student must sign a pro-
missory note and remain in contact
with JELS until the loan is repaid. A
fee of $25 per year is required while
the student is still in school and is ap-
plied to their final balance. A pay-
ment schedule is arranged through
Hebrew Free Loan upon completion of
the student's studies.
Three times a year, the JELS
partnership of more than 50 private
funds and philanthropic service
organizations send representatives to
review loan applications. Each stu-
dent's financial situation is presented
anonymously by JVS. Collectively, the
group decides upon distribution of
their funds and many students
receive funding from several
participants.
JELS has been helping more than K
150 students a year, "but," says Davis,
"we're still missing some kids that
really need us." More stringent