Tuition

Core Tuition

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Year Program	$19,990
Semester Program	$11,990
Selah Year Program	$21,490
Aardvark International – choose up to six trips abroad!	See Below
Semester Plus Program – Includes 2 months in the USA	$12,990*
Year Plus Program – Includes 2 months in the USA	$20,990*

* Plus Programs – in addition to the activities in Israel, the tuition includes round-trip flight (TLV-NYC), insurance, NYC and DC trips, J1 visa to the USA, and placement services at camp. Additionally, participants will be paid $400 in exchange for working at summer camp.

Please note: Many participants are eligible for an automatic grant from Masa, which will be deducted from the cost of the program tuition listed above. Needs-based scholarships are also available.

For more information about Masa and other scholarship sources, click here.

Optional Add-Ons

Special Interest Options: Students may choose 1 per semester. The price is $1,499.

Fall Semester:

Israeli Military (Jerusalem)
Sea Sports (Tel Aviv)
Entrepreneurship (Tel Aviv)

Spring Semester:

Law and Government (Jerusalem)
Mind – Body Connection (Tel Aviv)
Social Media and Communications (Jerusalem)

World Travel Options

January – May 2017 Trips:
Choose from trips to Ethiopia, Italy, Germany and Holland.
Each all inclusive trip is $2500 (spending money and visa excluded).
Sign up for all four and receive a $1000 discount on the whole package!

September 2017 – May 2018 Trips:
Choose from our menu of trips abroad. The more you travel, the more you save per trip!

Fall 2017 trips include: Spain, Czech Republic and China
Spring 2018 trips include: Ethiopia, Italy and Germany

— 1 International Trip	$2,300
— 2 International Trips	$4,400
— 3 International Trips	$6,300
— 4 International Trips	$8,000
— 5 International Trips	$9,500
— 6 International Trips	$10,800

Travel and volunteer: Learn more here about our 2-week cultural exchange trip to Nepal.

Nepal Cultural Exchange

$2,500

*Price is subject to change based on the number of participants.

The Fine Print

Program prices are fixed in US Dollars ($). The price of Aardvark Israel includes program tuition, housing, medical insurance, fees for all academic courses, field trips, seminars, local transportation, and more. Each special interest program price includes the cost of all instruction, extra-curricular activities, workshops, and seminars. The World Travel and Aardvark International program prices include round trip airfare between Israel and the foreign destination and all program costs associated with each trip, including meals during foreign travel. The cost of any visas which may be required are not included in the program tuition.

The cost of most meals is not included in the price of the program. Aardvark Israel staff will work with the students in each apartment to develop a system whereby everyone contributes evenly to the purchase of groceries and preparing meals together so as to most efficiently and cost effectively live together. Families should plan on their child spending approximately $1500 on grocery costs over the course of the year or $750 per semester. In our experience, students and their families are most satisfied by having this type of control over their dietary needs and when not required to eat in a communal dining room.

Round trip airfare to/from Israel is not included in the program tuition in order to lower the costs to the participant. Students are welcome to fly on the airline of their choice or purchase a ticket using frequent flier miles.

Payment Schedules and Cancellation Policy

For all Programs:

$100 Non-Refundable Application Fee – required upon registering

Programs beginning in August:

2017-2018 EARLY BIRD SPECIAL – Pay deposit of $5,000 by December 15, 2016 and receive one of our international trips to Germany, Spain, Czech Republic, Ethiopia, China or Italy for FREE (deposit refundable before June 1)
March 1 – Deposit of $5,000 due (refundable before June 1)
July 1 – Balance of tuition due
A $500 late fee will be assessed for failure to submit tuition or a signed payment plan agreement by the July 1 deadline

Programs beginning in January:

Spring 2018 EARLY BIRD SPECIAL – Pay deposit of $5,000 by June 1, 2017 and receive one of our international trips to Germany, Spain, Czech Republic, Ethiopia, China or Italy for FREE (deposit fully refundable before November 1, 2017)
August 1 – Deposit of $5,000 due (refundable before November 1)
December 1 – Balance of tuition due
A $500 late fee will be assessed for failure to submit tuition or a signed payment plan agreement by the December 1 deadline

Cancellation Fees
For Programs beginning in August, all tuition payments are fully refundable prior to June 1, with the exception of the non-refundable $100 application fee. Between June 1 and July 15, a $1000 cancellation fee will apply. After July 15 and prior to the start of the program, a $2500 cancellation fee will apply. Students enrolled in add-on programs will be charged an additional $500 cancellation fee upon withdrawing after June 1 and additional cancellation fees will be assessed for any tickets and other arrangements already purchased for World Travel programs.

For Programs beginning in January, all tuition payments are fully refundable prior to November 1, with the exception of the non-refundable $100 application fee. Between November 1 and December 15, a $1000 cancellation fee will apply. After December 15 and prior to the start of the program, a $2500 cancellation fee will apply. Students enrolled in add-on programs will be charged an additional $500 cancellation fee upon withdrawing after November 1 and additional cancellation fees will be assessed for any tickets and other arrangements already purchased for World Travel programs.

Any cancellations which are made once the program begins may incur penalties up to the full cost of the program or add-on.

Scholarships

In addition to the sources listed below, we encourage families who are seeking financial assistance to be in touch with our staff so that we may assist you in finding additional scholarship sources.

Masa is a project of the government of Israel and the Jewish Agency of Israel and provides financial assistance to participants on qualifying programs, such as Aardvark Israel, in the form of grants and scholarships. The amount of assistance Masa grants to students depends on a number of factors, including country of origin. For more information, please contact us directly.

Local Jewish Federations (North America) – Many local Jewish Federations have scholarship programs for trips to Israel. Contact your local federation and inquire about sources of funding from within the organization and ask the staff to also recommend other sources of funding available in your local community. We have listed below a partial list of Federations that may grant Israel scholarships. If you do not find your community listed below, you may find the contact information for your local Jewish Federation by clicking here.

For example, the Jewish Community Foundation of the East Bay awards grants to teens and college students wanting to participate in Israel programs. Aardvark Israel Programs participants are eligible for their grants so if you are coming from Alameda, Contra Costa, Napa or Solano Counties you should click here to apply.

Keith Berman AACI Israel Scholarship – Aardvark Israel’s co-founder and founding director, Keith Berman z”l, was a key figure in the world of Jewish Zionist Education dedicating his career to bringing young adults to Israel for meaningful long-term experiences and encouraging aliya. He tragically passed away in November 2014, leaving behind him a legacy of passion and commitment to Israel. The Keith Berman AACI Israel Scholarship Fund was established to enable young adults, ages 17-21, to study and volunteer in Israel in order to deepen their connection to Judaism and Zionism while also fostering personal growth through a long-term, educational program. Please click here for more information.

Synagogue – Many synagogues have scholarship funds to assist young members in participating in Israel programs. In addition, some Rabbis and Cantors have discretionary funds which they may award as they deem responsible. Call your family’s synagogue and inquire what assistance may be available to you. Ask your Rabbi if s/he knows of other sources of possible funding.

Jewish / Hebrew Free Loan – Many communities have branches of the Jewish Free Loan Association (also known in some communities as Hebrew Free Loan). This organization offers interest free loans to qualified individuals. To find a branch near you, click here.

Other Community Organizations – Other Jewish community organizations may have scholarships available or be able to assist you in identifying other sources of funding in your area. Contact the local JCC, Hebrew Free Loan Association, and other Jewish and Zionist Organizations (such as B’nai Brith, Federation of Jewish Men’s Clubs, etc.)

Masa Website – Additional sources of scholarships that participants may qualify for are listed on the Masa website which you can find by clicking here.

The Amy Adina Schulman Scholarship Fund – Grants are awarded to applicants from the US and Canada who will spend time in Israel engaging in volunteer work or internships in progressive social action projects. Recipients must commit to educate and encourage their peers in their home communities to participate in similar social action. For more information, click here.

The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program – Grants are available for U.S. citizen undergraduate students of limited financial means to pursue academic studies abroad. For more information, click here.

College Scholarships – As an accredited university program, many “regular” college scholarships (for example, the Rotary Club), may also be applied to the Aardvark Israel Year and Semester Programs. Talk to your high school guidance counselor and ask for his/her help in identifying scholarship sources that you may qualify for. Also, check out online college scholarship databases, by searching on the internet for “college scholarship.” To get you started, here are a few of the search results you’ll find:

Here is a partial list of Federations that may grant Israel scholarships. If you do not find your community listed below, you may find the contact information for your local Jewish Federation by clicking here.

Scholarships exclusively for Canadian students:

Associated Hebrew Schools Scholarship Program – for graduates of Associated Hebrew Schools Middle School and have attended Associated for at least two years. For more information, click here.

Beth Tzedec Men’s Club – Open to all potential students regardless of their chosen program, synagogue or school affiliation. For more information, clickhere.

Canadian Zionist Federation Scholarships – Various scholarships for study in Israel. Please inquire by calling 514-739-7300 x3100

Max and Lena Sharp Foundation of Shaarei Shomayim Congregation – available to members and friends of Shaarei Shomayim. For more information, click here.

Additional resources in Canada may also be found by clicking here.

Dennis Waldman Foundation for Jewish Education – open to Canadian students in their graduating year from either a Jewish or a public secondary school who intend to pursue university-level study. In either case, the applicant must provide a demonstrated history of involvement in Jewish communal life. For more information, click here.

Personal Fundraising

Encourage friends, family, supporters of Israel, and anyone who will listen to help you raise funds towards your trip! There are several ways which you can generate contributions towards your trip (some of which are even tax-deductible for the donors):

Crowdfunding – If you are ready and excited to start planning your trip, but discouraged by a financial roadblock, Aardvark Israel has another solution for you. We have teamed up with FundMyTravel, who provides us with an online platform where you can fund-raise for your meaningful travel experience. You create a campaign page, complete a brief profile to build trust, add a video and tell your story!FundMyTravel has a team of dedicated staff who want to help Aardvark participants reach their fundraising goals. They can provide tips and insights on the best ways to spread your word and offer sharing tools to get your campaign greater exposure through social media and email. Click the button below to learn more and get started!

Plant Your Way To Israel – sponsored by the Jewish National Fund, you simply sell trees to be planted in Israel by JNF. 50% of the funds raised will be awarded to you towards your Israel program tuition. Contributions are tax-deductible. For more information, click here.
Be’chol Lashon – this organization promotes positive, pluralistic, multicultural expressions of Judaism that embrace ethnic, racial and cultural diversity within the Jewish people. They have established a scholarship fund to which tax-deductible donations may be made and specifically earmarked to individual students attending Aardvark Israel. Students will receive 90% of the funds raised. For more information, click here.

Contact Us

Addresses:

Aardvark Israel in Tel Aviv
39 Levinsky Street, 2nd Floor
Tel Aviv 6610910

Aardvark Israel in Jerusalem
34 Yossi Ben Yoezer,
Knisa Gimel
Jerusalem 9330154

Email:

[email protected]

Phone Numbers:

USA: 1-877-634-0162
Canada: 1-888-824-6145
UK: 080-8234-3634
Panama: 507-836-5250
Australia: 03-9999-6521
Israel: 052-429-3681

Fax Numbers:

USA: 1-212-981-2494
Israel: 153-77-201-9328