Research institute Maagar Mohot (Brains Trust) reports an increase in Israeli students' dependency on their parents. Students received an average of NIS 14,355 from their parents in 2012, 15% more than in 2011. The "2012 Student Survey" of 5,118 students was conducted for the National Union of Israeli Students.
51% of the respondents receive help during their studies from their parents, up from 49% in the previous survey. 46% of students receive NIS 9,001-20,000 a year, 36% receive up to NIS 9,000 a year, and 18% receive more than NIS 20,000 a year. Average parental support for Arab students is NIS 17,319 a year, more than the average parental support for Jewish students.
Student Union chairman Itzik Smuli says, "The data are especially serious when you take into account the fact that Israel is mostly based on its human capital. If parents now have to spend thousands of shekels more to help their children survive financially during their studies, this is a lethal blow to the accessibility to higher education by the poor, and more importantly, their access to the almost sole means of breaking the cycle of poverty.
"The data joins the government's uselessness in housing and food prices, and another slap in the face of the middle class, which works and serves in the army, but is collapsing under the economic burden because of the government's injurious policies."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on October 9, 2012
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2012