Qualifying to attend university or college in Israel is very competitive. Students face a battery of tests and stiff competition to get into the limited number of institutions of higher learning in the small state of Israel.

There are currently 600 students from the Shomron Regional Council studying for their Bachelors Degrees at colleges and universities throughout Israel. The average cost per year for university tuition is US $2,500. This amount does not include living expenses and rent.

Unlike other countries around the world, the government does not offer student loans to pay for tuition, which can be a staggering amount for a family already facing other financial hardship due to the security situation.

Students can access grants from private funds or individuals, but most those funds have specific criteria, often including the place of residence. This frequently excludes students who live outside of Israel's pre-1967 borders.

Although the municipal coffers are stretched to the limit, the Shomron Regional Council allocates US $16,000 a year to 55 students in need of the funds to stay in school. This comes out to just under $300 per student.

There are many students who defer their academic studies, and others who forgo academic studies because they and their families just do not have the money. And many more of them require and continue to seek out assistance in order to pay their tuition.

We are turning to you to help send our young people to college. With a quality education under their belts, these students will be able to secure the kind of jobs they need to return to the Shomron as productive residents.

Here's how you can help:

Assist a university student with a $1000 scholarship.
The scholarship can be named in honor of a living or deceased relative. It will be presented in a special ceremony, and a photograph sent to the donor. .

Establish a scholarship fund of $180,000 per year to provide $300 per year for each Shomron university student.