Eligibility rules are determined by RootOne. For more information on Voucher eligibility, please visit their website. Eligible voucher applicants must identify as Jewish, be currently enrolled in 9th through 11th grade, and must not currently attend an Orthodox day school. Teens must be citizens of the United States or Canada. If you have previously received a RootOne voucher, you are not eligible to apply again.

Voucher eligibility is not connected to financial need or merit. Additionally, applicants must be in good standing with BBYO, cannot be on probation, and/or cannot owe any funds to BBYO.  

Yes! The RootOne voucher is open to graduating seniors for Summer 2024 trips.

No. If you have previously received a RootOne voucher, you are not eligible to apply again. Other BBYO and community scholarships may be available. Find additional scholarship information here.

$3,000 RootOne Voucher recipients must take part in engagement programming (~8 hours total) in the spring prior to travel, as well as complete a post-program confidential survey. Non-fulfillment of these obligations, cancellations requested after our final refund deadline, and/or removal from the program due to a Code of Conduct violation will necessitate repayment of the voucher to BBYO.

The voucher can be applied to all BBYO Passport Summer Experiences in Israel, including connected programs that combine experiences outside of Israel (e.g., Europe + Israel).

Yes, you may receive the RootOne Voucher and still be eligible for other forms of scholarship from BBYO as well as other funding sources. 

Families are responsible for paying the balance in full minus any scholarship awards they are expecting to maintain a current account balance. If your family overpays for their teen’s experience—which results in an account overage—BBYO will refund your family (or funder) for your account overage by sending a check in the fall after account reconciliations have been completed. 

You will only need to pay the program balance, minus any expected scholarship funding that BBYO is aware of. Please see the example chart below:

Yes! Receiving a RootOne voucher does not currently impact eligibility for Birthright Israel.

The vouchers are funded by RootOne. Seeded by a generous gift from The Marcus Foundation and powered by The Jewish Education Project, RootOne provides major subsidies for trip participants (called RootOne vouchers), invests in elevating trip curricula and experiences, and works with its partners to create deeper pre- and post-trip engagement opportunities to help strengthen participants’ Jewish identities and connections to Israel before they begin college. 
 
Additional information about RootOne Vouchers can be found on their website.