Sep 30, 2014 02:20 PM EDT By J Baulkman, UniversityHerald Reporter

Students pursuing a major or certificate in Jewish studies at Indiana University Bloomington will be eligible for new scholarship opportunities, school officials announced.

The Robert A. and Sandra S. Borns Jewish Studies Program is offering multiple four-year scholarships of up to $40,000 for students who enroll in 2015. The awards will cover a substantial portion of the cost of earning a degree from the program.

Scholarships for incoming students are made available by Robert A. and Sandra S. Borns, Irving Glazer, Herb and Bernice Levetown, and Sybil and Lou Mervis.

"We are very excited to be able to offer these scholarships, which represent an unrivaled opportunity to study in one of the premier Jewish studies programs in the world," said program director Mark Roseman, the Pat M. Glazer Chair in Jewish Studies and professor of Jewish studies and history.

The Jewish studies program is also offering a scholarship for a student who will pursue a one-of-a-kind Jewish sacred music curriculum, with courses in the Jewish Studies Program and the Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music; and several one-year scholarships in Jewish studies that are renewable for multiple years.

To qualify for the scholarship, students must have a record of academic and extracurricular accomplishment, including a high school grade-point average of 3.5 or better.

"The Borns Jewish Studies Program is committed to fostering leadership skills, civic responsibility and academic achievement through rigorous interdisciplinary study of the Jewish people and civilization," according to the university's website. "Its distinguished faculty, talented students, outstanding staff, more than 800 accomplished alumni and supportive community work together to ensure the best possible experience for its students."

The application deadline is Feb. 2, 2015. Application information is available online.

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