Tel Aviv University announced that for the next school year, many hundreds of students who serve in the IDF reserves will be eligible for admission to study for a bachelor’s degree through a new admission route that will be opened for them in all fields of study on campus (excluding medicine), without the need for a psychometric exam. The admission will be available to candidates who served 60 days or more in 2023 (starting from October 7th 2023) or those who served longer than 28 days in 2024 (from January 1st 2024).

The university recognizes and takes the difficulties that arose into consideration regarding the large amount of university candidates whose preparations for the psychometric exams conflicted with their active reserve duty. In addition, the university will also make the new admission route accessible to evacuees from the conflict lines (pending approval from the government).

According to the university’s decision, those eligible for the new admissions route would get accepted based solely on their high school matriculation grades. Each study program on campus will allocate approximately 10% of the total admissions for the upcoming year to students accepted through the new format. This decision, led by the TAU Rector, Prof. Mark Shtaif, was made after a comprehensive examination of these issues.

Boosting Academic Opportunities

TAU emphasizes that the adjustments in admissions to studies are part of the university’s deep commitment to the IDF reservists and to their success in their studies and are a recognition of the difficulty created by their service even during the application phase before they begin their studies. A significant amount of candidates take the psychometric exams in December and April. During this time, the reservists who took part in the war that started in October (and is still continuing over four months later) have encountered difficulties in preparing for, as well as and taking these exams.

In the current academic year, TAU promised to do as much as possible so that all reservists, men and women alike, complete their studies successfully. Prior to the start of the school year, the university approved a special plan for reservists that included a series of concessions and adjustments, including: a reduction in the number of hours required to complete the degree, the right to receive binary pass/fail grading in some of the courses, more flexibility in choosing exam dates and more.

In light of feedback from the campus as part of the ongoing dialogue with reservist students and the cooperation with the Student Union, the university recently approved additional adjustments, including specific ones for students who have served in the reserves for 28 days or more since the beginning of the semester. In addition, discussions are currently taking place at the university regarding the possible continuation of these concessions into second semester of the current school year as well.