Young students have quite a few concerns: the academic year at some private colleges opens while they are in reserve. Some students have been placed on unpaid leave, but are still forced to pay rent and tuition – increasing the financial pressure on them. When they return from the battles, they will find themselves dealing with difficult experiences but will have to invest in their studies. The road to a degree continues to be challenging.
Statement by Education Minister Yoav Kish, The State of Learning in the Shadow of the War // Ministry of Education
Many students have always found it difficult to study and work at the same time. During the COVID-19 lockdowns, they found themselves in an even more difficult problem – which even caused many to drop out of school. Even now, students are experiencing financial damage. Many of them work in service centers that put them on unpaid leave, others in hospitality and hospitality, and they live preaching, but many of the restaurants and entertainment venues have closed and the students are sitting at home with no income.
"Harm to an entire generation"
Hagai Bitan (24) is an undergraduate accounting student at the College of Management. He is currently in reserve. He talks about the problems of the students during this period: "The thing that bothers students the most is the economic issue. Many students work as waiters or bartenders, they come home with cash from preachers from whom they live. At the same time, they are given a salary slip for a much lower amount – because that's how the restaurant and club world is built."
"Now that they are in the reserves, they will receive a very low payment from the state according to their pay slips and there will be a financial gap that is impossible to narrow. Those who study at a private college will still have to pay tens of thousands of shekels a year in tuition, and not everyone will have somewhere to pay from. To this it should be added that many students have to pay rent even though they were not at home at all but slept in reserve duty in the field - this is a problem. With private colleges there is nothing to talk about tuition discounts. In addition, students who have not been drafted into the reserves also do not work, or they work little because the economy has not returned to activity. There is harm to an entire generation here."
The opening of the academic year at the Hebrew University on Mount Scopus last year (the subjects have no connection to the article), photo: Oren Ben Hakon
The research universities (funded by the state) announced that the semester would begin with the beginning of the process of releasing recruits to the reserves, but not before December 3. However, if the Iron Sword War is not over by then, universities will have to decide whether they "spill over" for a summer semester or postpone an entire semester – causing delays in graduation delays.
On the other hand, the private colleges (which depend on student funds) – such as the College of Management, Ono Academic College, Peres Academic Center and others – have already begun the academic year or will do so next week. All colleges talk about a "flexible outline." For example, the College of Management allows students to choose whether to start the academic year now or postpone their studies to the second semester and also do a summer semester. The Peres Center offers a gap completion course alongside all online lesson materials.
Such frameworks mean further investment of resources by colleges in a genuine attempt to help students. On the other hand, on the students' side, a problem arises because they feel that they are missing material or that the courses in the summer semester will spill over into the next school year and they will not have a vacation or the ability to work and save money in the summer.
"Flexible layout" in colleges. College of Management, Photo: Gideon Markowitz
Financial Grants
In light of the situation, many universities have announced that they will assist students serving in the reserves: the Technion will provide assistance of NIS 6,000 to anyone recruited under Order 8 (at least for 30 days). The grant is intended for tuition fees, rent in Technion dormitories and related payments. These are 2,500 students for whom a series of support measures have also been formulated, such as a full exemption from paying rent in dormitories in October and November, as well as special academic accommodations.
The Technion is not alone. The first to announce financial aid was Tel Aviv University, which would give NIS 1,000 to every student recruited (more than 5,000 students). Ben-Gurion University of the Negev will provide NIS 1,200 and dedicated assistance to those evacuated from their homes. The Hebrew University of Jerusalem raised NIS 15 million for 4,000 students (NIS 3,750 on average per student) and announced that the rent in the recruited dormitories was canceled. In Ariel in Samaria, up to NIS 4,000 will be allocated to each student, the University of Haifa will grant NIS 2,000, and Bar-Ilan will grant NIS 5,000-1,000 to every student serving on the frontlines.
Will provide assistance of NIS 6,000 to all those recruited under Order 8. Technion in Haifa, Photo: Roni Schitzer
Helping Students Abroad
"It is absolutely clear to us that many students are experiencing financial difficulties that will continue into the academic year, even into the summer when they are on vacation and could save money for the next academic year," says Technion President Prof. Uri Sivan. "Beyond the financial aid, we built a plan to fill in the gaps that will provide an academic response. But if the release of the reserves is greatly delayed, we may have to change the plan. We estimate that we will be able to hold four full semesters and there will be no academic harm. There will be easements that apply to all students according to circles. It is clear to us that there will also be students who will not be released from reserve duty for a long time, and they have a supportive outline."
Israeli academic institutions also target Israeli students studying in hostile environments abroad. Thus, for example, in light of the growing anti-Semitism in universities around the world, the Technion offers a solution for Israelis studying abroad and for academic faculty members abroad: to return to Israel for a period of study and research. Graduate and postdoctoral students may continue their research under the supervision of Technion faculty members or jointly with a supervisor from their current institution.
Pro-Palestinian demonstration at Harvard University, photo: AFP
As someone who has experienced this firsthand, the president of the Technion is concerned not only about the economic situation of the students but also about the mental state of those who will return from the battles: "In 1982 I returned from the First Lebanon War to study, it was not an easy return from a mental standpoint. It's not easy to come back from a war in which there are dead, wounded, terrible scenes – these are things I carry with me even today, after more than 40 years, and they are still imprinted in my mind. Therefore, we are preparing to help beyond the financial assistance – first of all to receive them and hug them, listen to them, provide emotional assistance and also make it easier for them to study."
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