Yeshiva University is launching a new national scholarship program for Jewish high schools, offering a four-year scholarship for one student from each school annually, through a $37 million endowment from the Gruen family, the university told eJewishPhilanthropy ahead of the program’s announcement on Wednesday.

The goal of the Gruen Fellows Program is three-fold: reducing the cost of a Jewish education for recipients, building a leadership pipeline for Orthodox teenagers and creating a network of Jewish high schools “committed to Torah learning and leadership.”

Beginning in March, Jewish day schools will be able to apply to join the network and participate in the program. If accepted, they will be able to nominate one ninth-grade student who “exemplifies academic excellence, Torah values and leadership potential,” according to the university. If selected, the student earns a scholarship for four years of their high school tuition. The student also joins a cohort with other recipients, through which they participate in national programming and curricula. 

In addition, the schools join the “Yeshiva University Network,” through which they gain access to “programming and educational and marketing resources that strengthen their institutional missions and connect them to the broader YU community,” the university said. 

The program will be led by Rabbi Ari Rockoff, the university’s community dean for values and leadership, who helped build the school’s network of affiliated high schools. 

“The Gruen Fellows Program is more than a fellowship — it is a movement to support Jewish families, strengthen Jewish schools and develop the next generation of leaders grounded in Torah values,” Rabbi Ari Berman, president of Yeshiva University, said in a statement. “This initiative will create a long-lasting impact across communities.”

The funding for the program comes from a $37 million endowment that was donated by the estate of Ronald and Ethel Gruen, longtime supporters of Yeshiva University. 

“My parents believed deeply in making Jewish education accessible and easing the financial burden on families, and were particularly concerned about the enrollment drop happening at the high school level,” the Gruens’ daughter, Debbie Gruen, said. “They wanted as many students as possible to continue to benefit from a meaningful Jewish education.”

The gift also joins several large donations to Yeshiva University over the past year, including a $10 million donation last week by the Pava family, $36 million donation from the Wilf family, $15 million from the Morris Bailey and Joseph Jerome families, an $11 million donation from Moshael and Zahava Straus, a $6 million contribution from Chella Safra and her family and a $5 million endowment from hedge fund manager Bill Ackman.

Correction: An earlier version of this report incorrectly stated that the scholarships will cover the full tuition costs for each recipient. The university has not yet stated the scholarship amounts.