If the jewish Agency doesn't want to help students than donors should give the money to the Obama campaign.

if we did not fund the immigration of Christian converts (Ethiopians) we would have money for the real children of Israel that are still in exile waiting to return...

dress up in black up to the neck, dress a white bottom up. wear a black hut, throw stones to cars on Saturday, treat women as the worst thing ever, crybaby you do not have money, hate Israel, hate IDF, hate non-religious, DO NOT WORK AT ALL, marry and have 10 kids, then, you get money from the state....easy, hu?

can you explain why the money collected in the diaspora for the Jewish Agency don't go to provide this fund? where do this money go ?

No swedish person has problems funding university in Israel, being Swedish she is entitled to Grants from the state, and Student loans, these loans have the best terms one can imagine. You pay less interest, than you earn in a savings account. Shame that the example they brought for a really important topic to discuss, is full of it

Much better to donate to Nefesh B'Nefesh than to the Jewish Agency.

My only hope was to study!! having left my family and friends in my country it was difficult, to have served in the army as lonely soldier (chayal boded) was even harder, having received a demeaning wage in my service was even more difficult. and paying back to the bank after my military service was finish it was so hardddd, but knowing this news, I find it even harder and sad and shamefull to think the only way to keep living in israel and making my zionist dream of being here and being part of society and growing together with the country is to go to the Jewish agency for help, but it's hard to believe that the only help they would offer me is to work in the kitchen or making beds in the beautiful five star hotels in Eilat or working in a call center in Tel Aviv scamming people all over the world .

Israeli University tuition is about 10000 NIS a year ($2500) University curriculum is also generally wrapped up in a 3 year undergraduate degree... it is also common for University students to be older, post army and more experienced adults than the American or European student who may start as young as 17 or 18. In North America, an Undergrad degree can cost upwards of $30,000 a year and are generally 4+ years. I understand the difficulty of financing higher education in Israel and starting out as a young immigrant but the days of a financial free-for-all are long gone in the world of the quickly deteriorating Jewish Agency whose original aim was to support the goal of founding a Jewish State, supporting endangered Jewry and assisting in the building of the nation. It's role has changed in ideology as well as ability to finance the State's financial downfalls. Let's face it, Israel doesn't need anymore handouts from some rich uncle in America, it is in need of rebuilding and strengthening itself through bringing these bright youths back to Israel and helping when possible but not giving handouts as a welcome home gift to everyone that crosses the border.

Well, the Ministry believes that young people are trouble for the future, so from now on Israel will absorb old people. Israel will fund their needs and in a short time their protest will be dead. This policy is a bullet to the future. Many young jewish people with great potential will refrain from aliyah and Israel will be aging fast and painfully.

This will ruin the lives of hundreds of olim hadashim wanting higher education. I gave up my life in the states to join the army. When I arrived I had a total of $400 to my name and receive no financial support from my parents. I saved up as much as I could during the army on a sad income that Lone Soldiers are given. And after 9 months of working, I finally have enough to feel comfortable that the next year I could start studying and have enough money to tie me over on living expenses. But now they want to cut the funding for our education? When will I be able to study....two more years from now? Will I have to slave away two years of my life that I could have used for studying? A degree which in the end will benefit the country? I know that I'm not the only one out there reading this article and hoping that this isn't the final answer.

Sara, sorry but I am having a really difficult time feeling any where near sorry for you. Unlike you my children were born here...they finished high school did their army service and now find themselves having to pay for their own education. Amazing isn't it? You on the other hand have done nothing EXCEPT immigrate to Israel and you EXPECT a free university ride WITHOUT doing army service! Rest it young lady you are so out of line I can't begin to explain it to you!

asking for a free university ride? What are they saying? Its my homeland but wait first pay for all of my schooling and then maybe I will do something for the homeland? I don't understand this manner of thinking other than to say it smacks of ENTITLEMENT!

why do these young people deserve a free ride? Particularly when Israeli Born kids of the same age are busy doing army service or national service. Our children don't get a free university ride after they have given something to the State. Why should these kids get a free university ride WITHOUT doing anything for the State?

Nothng is more important than attracting the young of the diaspora to Israel. To lead normal productive lives.

Do not attract youngster with university loans. Bring haredim and old people. They will not serve in the Army, they will spend the same funds faster, and they will not produce a single shekel, neither now nor in the future

As an oleh chadash and a soldier I am personally offended by these claims that olim are coming to Israel and taking free university without doing any national service. Just for it to be clear, in order to receive the free university, you have to "make aliya." That means that you become a citizen of the country and have to do the same national service anyone born in Israel. I will be finishing the army in December and have been counting on receiving free university since it was promised to me two years ago when I made aliya. I am in Israel by myself and supporting myself, and really do not have the money to pay for my university education. You should be thanking all of the young and driven olim that come and contribute to the country and to the Zionist ideals. Additionally, the Israeli universities have improved already existing programs, and opened up new ones to accommodate the influx of foreign students. The Israeli higher education system is only better because of it.

If you want to attract young people from progressive countries like Sweden where education is FREE and where the standard of life is one of the best in the world, you have to provide something in return. No matter how much these young people love Israel, it is hard, if not downright stupid, for them to leave some of the best living conditions the world offers and go to Israel to suffer financial hardship. It just doesn't work that way!Your children were born in Israel and if they are not happy they can leave and go elsewhere. Israel is a free country. But don't expect others to leave a 5 star standard of life and come to Israel to suffer hardships.

When you do all the things you mention, how much money do you get from the state? Please be precise as to the amount and from which ministry

the ethiopians are just as jewish as you!....

Maybe Hollywood moguls should help their fellow Jews by helping the olim students rather than financing the campaign of hussein obama!

All Israelis should be able to get a state funded university degree. The right to receive state funding should be conditional on family income means testing. The income level excluding funding could be graduated. Favouring the least wealthy most. The State of Israel should lead the entire world on the subject of funding a university education. If we haven't got the brains for this problem we will not survive very much longer without a civil war. Already the minimum wage in Israel is failing to pay for decent accommodation, food and clothing. Citizens' health is deteriorating physically and mentally. I am not one myself, but the Haredim are part of the problem...... not THE problem. One of the problems in Israel today is mentality for wealth sharing. Over the past thirty years our country has become increasingly prosperous but it is the upper-middle and upper class income earners who are feeling comfortable. We need a new Knesset with more seats engaging a greater ideological depth to our thinking about our national way of life and freedoms. Our universities produce our qualifications. But consider this. Quantity is something you count. Quality is something you feel. I am sure the young Jews around the world today will be feeling aghast and afraid at the news of funding cuts for education in the State of Israel. Wake up politicians of Israel. Turn your attention away from those personal computers of yours and your personal stocks and shares portfolios for a while. Get to work on reforming Israel's higher education funding schemes. Or you might fall into moral bankruptcy.

lets face reality. Since the plans to enlist haredim to the IDF are such that they get referral until the age of 23 and then get 5000 plus shekels a month, Bibi needs all the cash he can get his hands on. Why give money to people who study something useful and will contribute to society. Let them face reality early and start paying for the yeshiva students already now. That's what I call reality oriented absorption

I did a full army service as did all of my olim chadashim friends.

In the past when Jews came to Israel they got free public housing (which after a few decades became their own), they got benefits and the government was the one creating jobs. Today a new immigrant gets peanuts, in comparison. No more free housing, you can't find a job because the government doesnt create any and the private businesses don't care, and if you are unlucky you go to the army for few years. Getting help with studies is the minimum of the minimum you can get. If Israel wants to attract young immigrants it needs to give them at list minimum help after they decide to tie their future with a country with corruption, high prices and charedi parasites. Besides, after the olim will get a degree they will contribute to the Israeli economy. Unlike charedi parasites who don't work, take money and force their primitive fascist ways upon the rest. What should be done is before aliyah potential immigrants would have to bring documents which will allow to check the financial state of their families. It doesnt make sense to pay for annoying American bimbos with rich parents while a poor person from Dimona has to pay.

that most of the USA Olim are coming here because their families can no longer afford to spend the money to send them to the top schools. The kids parents are looking for the best option for education and you know what a free education in Israel beats the best American State Universities hands down. So the kids are coming over here getting educated and then in many many cases once they have fulfilled their minimum time in Israel they are returning to America. Seriously check it out.

So what if they don't serve in the army, won't join the work force nor pay taxes? Just ask Eli Yishai. He will set you straight.

This young lady is a FIRST year biology stufdent , after being three years here . What did she do before this first year at Bar Ilan ? maybe servce ? Nothing is said about it .

I'm getting out of a full 2.5 years of service soon. What about me and much friends?

Governments cannot create wealth, they take wealth BY FORCE from its productive citizens to finance free services for others. We need to return to free market economics. You will work, You will save (not in FIAT paper which is subject to inflation and tax) (you will save your wealth in real money; gold and silver since governments cannot print it endlessly out of thin air. And if you hold it physically in your hands, governments cannot touch it to finance free education for free loaders in society) Then, once you have saved up enough, you can spend your gold and silver on your education; since your money is the culmination of your blood and sweat and it is a true store of value.