Members of bereaved families are entitled to various benefits relating to studies and vocational training.
Here are the benefits and the conditions of entitlement:
Benefits for bereaved siblings
Tuition grant
A tuition grant is paid for bereaved siblings studying in grades 7–12. The grant is paid to bereaved parents who receive an increment for bereaved siblings in their monthly benefit.
Grant amount – NIS 2,478.
The grant is paid automatically every year with the August benefit.
Private tutoring
Parents are entitled to a monthly grant to help fund private tutoring for their children in grades 1–12.
The assistance is monthly and is given for a period of up to 12 months during the first two years after the loss.
The assistance is paid against a one-time declaration by the parents that the bereaved sibling is receiving private tutoring, with details of the cost and frequency of the lessons, and a one-time confirmation from the bereaved sibling's school of the need for private tutoring.
Maximum funding – NIS 1,339 per month, for 12 months (during the first two years).
Post-secondary and academic studies
A contribution towards tuition fees is given to parents who fund higher education for bereaved siblings: a bachelor's degree or acquiring a profession.
Entitlement is granted for siblings up to the age of 40, for a period of up to 3 years, unless the official study program lasts 4 years.
In any case, no more than 4 years of study will be approved.
The benefit is given for higher education at one of the following institutions:
- Post-secondary schools that award a certificate issued by a government ministry on completion.
- Universities and colleges recognized by the Council for Higher Education (bachelor's degree).
- Schools for practical engineers and technicians (grades 13–14), for students continuing directly after finishing high school.
The contribution is up to 40% of the full basic tuition fee for a bachelor's degree at higher education institutions whose budget is partly funded by the State (according to the Council for Higher Education's update).
Benefits for orphans
Contribution towards study expenses
National Insurance pays grants for orphans studying in grades 1–6 and towards secondary-school expenses for orphans studying in grades 7–12. The grant is paid to the victim's spouse (widow, widower or common-law partner) who receives an increment for children in their monthly benefit, and to children who lost both parents in hostile actions.
Grant amounts:
For children in grades 1–6: NIS 2,102.
For children in grades 7–10: NIS 2,478.
For children in grades 11–12: NIS 3,367.
The grant is paid automatically every year with the August benefit.
Learning disability assessment
National Insurance funds a learning disability assessment for a child up to the age of 21, on the recommendation of a professional. The assessment is carried out by the supervised educational psychology service or by psychologists who are specialists licensed to carry out assessments. Funding is limited to a maximum of 4 assessments (as needed).
An orphan over the age of 21 can receive funding for one assessment only, provided that no assessment was funded before the age of 21.
Funding amount:
Didactic assessment – reimbursement of up to NIS 1,666.
Psycho-didactic assessment – reimbursement of up to NIS 2,869.
Attention and concentration (ADHD) assessment – reimbursement of up to NIS 1,470.
For further details and to receive the assistance, contact the Rehabilitation Department at the branch nearest your place of residence or through the website.
Remedial teaching
An orphan of primary to secondary school age who has a learning disability and for whom remedial teaching has been recommended, where the school or community does not provide this service, is entitled to a maximum of 18 hours of lessons per month, up to an amount of NIS 162 against a receipt, for a period of up to two years from approval of entitlement.
For further details and to receive the assistance, contact the Rehabilitation Department at the branch nearest your place of residence or through the website.
Payment for mentors
Orphans are entitled to funding for hiring mentors, where the mentor provides social accompaniment and emotional support, in coordination with the rehabilitation officer and on their advice.
For further details and to receive the assistance, contact the Rehabilitation Department at the branch nearest your place of residence or through the website.
Vocational training and higher education for spouses and orphans
Who is entitled to funding for vocational training and higher education?
- The victim's spouse (widow, widower or common-law partner).
- Children orphaned before the age of 21 are entitled to higher education if they start studying by the age of 30.
- Children who lost both parents in hostile actions and are aged 18 or over.
What does the funding include?
- Spouses and children are entitled to funding for vocational training until they complete their vocational studies, or to funding for higher education until they obtain a bachelor's degree. The funding includes tuition fees and an annual grant for books and a subsistence allowance, provided they meet the prerequisites and with the approval of the rehabilitation worker.
- Assistance with funding studies abroad for the spouse and child – granted under the same conditions and checks as for students in Israel. The funding is given in Israeli currency.
For further details and to receive the assistance, contact the Rehabilitation Department at the branch nearest your place of residence or through the website.
Help with vocational training for bereaved parents
Bereaved parents are entitled to guidance in choosing a profession and help with funding tuition fees, including vocational training courses, enrichment courses, academic studies and Hebrew language studies.
Occupational and economic rehabilitation
A family member who has not previously received assistance with funding studies or vocational training, or assistance with independent rehabilitation, is entitled to funding for studies or vocational training if the studies are not funded by another body, and in one of the following cases:
- Total funding will not exceed the cost of 3 years of bachelor's degree studies at a university, or of 4 years of such studies for engineering and law.
- Entitlement to funding for studies is granted once only.