Most young Israelis are concerned about the rising cost of living, especially with the start of the new academic school year, an annual report released by the National Union of Israeli Students (NUIS) showed.
The report, in its 13th annual release, analyzed 14,140 male and female students from most educational institutions in Israel. The survey examined the economic status of the students in Israel, their employment and housing situation, in addition to the students’ satisfaction with the academic institutions.
When asked if they would like to study with Jewish students from the Diaspora, 81% said they would, either “to a large or very large extent,” or “moderately.” 11% said they would be interested in learning with Diaspora students “to a small extent” and 7% said they were “not interested at all.”
According to the survey, 43% of Israeli university students are supported by their parents. This is an increase of 4% compared to the survey data for 2021. The average aid amount is NIS 2,013, a 14% increase compared to last year’s aid amount.
About a fifth of the students (22%) took a loan during their studies. Of these students, about two-thirds (66%) took a loan of over NIS 15,000.
Which students are most financially comfortable?
The university with the highest satisfaction rate was Reichman University. The second and third institutions with the highest satisfaction rates were The Open University and Haifa University. The institutions with the lowest satisfaction rate are Ariel and Ben Gurion universities.
The survey data indicates that in 2022 there was a 10% increase in the average expenditure of students on housing: the average expense was NIS 2,731, an increase of NIS 249 compared to 2021.
The main monthly expenditure areas are housing and apartment maintenance.