13M NIS in Scholarships

Bar-Ilan University granted 13M NIS to 2,700 students as part of the Academic Armor initiative to support reservists, their spouses, and evacuees. 2,500 of the scholarship recipients are reservists, and 200 are evacuees from the North and South. Each student received an amount ranging from 1,000 to 6,000 NIS.

Approximately 4,000 Bar-Ilan University students were recruited to the reserves or displaced from their homes from October 7th. To provide them with financial support, the Bar-Ilan University management established an emergency fund and led a unique recruitment campaign, raising approximately 20M NIS. “The Academic Armor initiative includes not just scholarships, but also exemptions from up to three courses, academic credits, support, guidance and course recordings," clarified Zohar Yinon, Senior Deputy to the President, and CEO of Bar-Ilan University. "Each component of the Academic Armor demands unprecedented logistics and budget allocations of unprecedented scale, to help people who are defending us and safeguarding Israel's security."

Led by Bar-Ilan University Vice Rector Prof. Arie Reich, the initiative recognizes active reserve duty for academic credits. Undergraduates can accrue credits equivalent to three courses, while postgraduates are exempt from one course starting from the 21st day of reserve duty. Reservists will also receive academic assistance during the semester, as well as a 3rd exam date. Additionally, reservists can choose two courses in which they will receive a Pass grade, which will not be included in their grade point average —a benefit extended to spouses of reservists with children under 13, evacuees, and security force personnel. These benefits are joined by the scholarship program, the amounts of which depend on criteria such as length of reserve service, combat service, socio-economic status, displacement from homes, and more.

Further scholarships under Academic Armor will be granted next month, and the university encourages all reservists, and those impacted by the conflict, to apply through the university's website.