With the exception of special programs, university tuition in Israel is set by the government each year.
In addition to base tuition, students are required to pay yearly insurance fees and the like, and some students might need to pay for “accidentals” (e.g. cancelling course registration, signing up for a make-up exam, courses beyond the requirements, etc.). Tuition payments are made throughout the year, and lack of payment will prevent students from registering for classes or taking exams.
Note: All costs given are tied to inflation (צמוד למדד), on the day of payment.
Tuition Costs & Other Fees
As of October 2019, the Israeli government set the yearly tuition at 13,863 NIS.
In reality, due to government subsidies for Israeli students, and different curricula across departments, most students end up paying a dramatically different number. Instead of giving students a cost-per-credit amount Bar-Ilan University uses a confusing “yearly average percentage” system.
The “yearly average” tuition cost is as follows.
| Student | Average Tuition (100%) |
| Undergraduate – Israeli Students | 10,259 NIS |
| Undergraduate – Foreign Students or recipients of government/work scholarships (not Minhal Hastudentim) | 12823.75 NIS |
| Graduate Students | 13,863 NIS |
Students earning a Teacher’s Certificate are required to pay half of the yearly tuition, for the duration of two years. If they are earning their teacher certificate along with another degree, students must pay 10% extra for each class required for the certificate (Bachelor students must pay for an extra year).
Additionally, students who are taking 18 credits or less in a year, may be charged at a higher rate, determined by the Tuition Dept.
Costs Per Credit
While the “yearly average” is a nice estimation, it assumes you are taking the exact same number of credits each year. In reality, students are charged per-credit so the actual amount you need to pay will vary. Further complicating things, the cost-per-credit is also different based on your degree type.
To determine your actual cost-per credit, you must use the following formula:
Average yearly tuiton(Total # of credits to graduate / Official # of years to graduate)
For example, a student studying a in a basic Extended Major program would pay ( 10,259 NIS / (64 credits / 3 Years) ) 480.89 NIS per credit, while a student in Computer Engineering would pay (10,259 NIS / 96 credits / 4 years ) = 427.46 NIS per credit.
Welfare (שירותי רווחה) & Security Fees
Students are automatically charged an “Association Fee” (שירותי רווחה,) at the beginning of the year, which grants them membership to the Agudat Hastudentim – Student Union, and all the benefits it entails. As of October 2019, the Association Fee is 362 NIS.
If you choose not to be an Agudah member and wish to receive an exemption from this payment, you must submit a written form to the Tuition Department before registering for classes.
Note: for the 2019-20 academic year, the deadline for requesting an exemption from the Agudat Hastudentim – Student Union is 27 October 2019.
There is also 525NIS Security Fee.
Late Fees
Failure to make tuition payments by their due date will cause students to incur a late fee equal to 0.167% of the amount due for each week the payment is late.
Assorted Fees
There are various other fees that students may be charged for during the year (eg. cancelling a class, dormitories, etc). These fees are added to your tuition bill. Lack of payment of these additional will result in the same limitations (not being able to sign up for classes, take exams, or graduate), as tuition.
Understanding your Inbar Balance Sheet
At any time, students can check how much money they owe / have paid to BIU, by going to Inbar-> Matzav Cheshbon-> Matzav Chesbhon Metumtzat.
For a translation of the Balance Sheet in Inbar, click the image below.
Payment Dates
| Payment | Amount Due (Inclusive) | Due Date |
| First Payment | Deposit -3431 NIS (Oct. 2019) | 13 Sep 2019 |
| Second Payment | 40% of annual tuition | 15 November |
| Third Payment | 55% of annual tuition | 15 December |
| Fourth Payment | 70% of annual tuition | 15 February |
| Fifth Payment | 85% of Yearly Tuition | 15 March |
| Sixth Payment | 100% of Yearly Tuiton | 15 April |
Note: Failure to pay your first payment will prevent you from registering for classes. Failure to pay either the third or sixth payments will prevent you from taking your exams.