About The Student Education Loan Fund (SELF)
SELF was started by local Rotarians and other Livermore community members in 1963. It is administered by a Board of Directors consisting of 30 volunteers who are community business leaders, teachers, parents, church leaders, and always a few Rotarians. All administrative costs are paid by this Board; all contributions are used directly for loans. We have one business meeting per year, have one annual donation solicitation by mail, and ask our subcommittees to carry on the work of this fund throughout the year. The durability of this volunteer organization attests to its continued effectiveness in helping our students. If you would be interested in joining us, please call TJ Gilmartin at 925-449-3170.Your Education
If you are headed for college, or training for a service profession (eg, mechanic, beautician, fireman), or just need some specialty training or certification to push your career forward, SELF can help. Founded in 1963 in Livermore, we are a non-profit volunteer community organization that offers interest-free loans for current Livermore residents and graduates Livermore's high schools of any age.Our Goal Is Your Goal
Our goal is to help members of our community to succeed in their education and career. We do not make any money from these loans, which are supported by donations and loan repayments, and administered by a volunteer committee. We do not ask that you be the top student or that you do not have other resources. We only ask that you are committed to your own success and pursuing a useful course of studies. We will be glad to help you. You can review our eligibility requirements at English / Español.How To Apply
You can download the Instructions and Application*, fill out most of the forms on your computer, include the references, and return them by email or regular mail. We are trying to make this application process as easy as possible and would appreciate any suggestions that you might have for doing so. Applications must be email-dated or postmarked by July 1, although applications may be accepted at other times under special circumstances. Your application will be reviewed, and the loan contract will normally be ready for you to sign in August, at which time you will receive your loan check. You will need a co-responsible cosigner, older than 25, who might be your parent and who must sign our agreement to repay the loan if you are unable to do so.
How Much; How Often
We are currently offering loans to students of any age ranging from $1,000 to $3,000, depending on your need and your request, and on how much money we have in our accounts. You can request additional loans from us for up to 4 years. You do not have to make any repayments until you leave school, but you do have to report to us each year on the progress of your education and your current whereabouts, using our one-page annual Loan Reconfirmation Statement*, which you or your cosigner can download, fill out on the computer, and return by email or regular mail each April 15.Repayment And Contributions
We require that you repay your loan during the first 5 years starting one year after you leave school or complete your training, usually in payments distributed evenly (say, monthly or quarterly) over the next 4 years. You can repay by check or echeck only. Over the years, our students have realized that their repayments benefit the next generation of students and have over 700 student loans amounting in total now to almost $1,071,800sbn. Our money recycles on average about every 7 years, benefiting ever more students. And some of our students have made generous contributions to our fund after they had paid their loan and established their careers. Donations can be mailed to SELF, PO Box 2475, Livermore, CA 94551. We are a US 501(c)(3) charity (Federal Employee Identification Number: EID# 94 1724203), and a CA 23701d charity (CA Corporation #454258; CA Charity Registration #5277).Past Recipients -Click here to see what some of our recipients have accomplished!
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