APPLICATION

Application Process

Apply Now for the upcoming Semester:
September 2012- February 2013 (with an option to continue for 10 months).

The application for 2012-2013 is now online!

Each of the following application components is required. Once all four online components and at least one printed component have been received, a BINA staff member will contact you to schedule a telephone interview.

Online Components
• Personal Questionnaire
• Health Form
• Essays
• Resume

Printed Components
Two letters of reference (from a supervisor or an instructor/teacher) cannot be submitted online, and should be submitted either by mail, fax or email:

BINA - International Gap Year Program
Yesod HaMa'ala 61,
Tel Aviv-Yafo, 66055, Israel
Tel: +972 3-537-6697

1. Fill out the written application

• Click Online Components to apply online.

Only applicants who have submitted complete applications will be eligible for admission!

Applications may be submitted online, or by mail, fax or email. Applications sent by mail may take 3 weeks or more to arrive. Please be patient! We will inform you when your application has arrived at our offices.

2. Apply for the MASA Grant

Our program is supported by Masa Israel. Grants and scholarships are available for those who are eligible.
Click HERE to apply for the Masa Grant on their website

PLEASE NOTE: Once you have been approved for the MASA grant, you must mail or fax us your signed signature page so that we can process your paperwork (it is the page that has a space for your "Program Organizer" to sign as well). IF WE DO NOT RECEIVE YOUR SIGNED SIGNATURE PAGE, YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE THE MASA GRANT!

3. Participate in a phone interview with a representative from BINA: Social Action and Study in Tel Aviv
Upon receiving and reviewing your written application, we will contact you to schedule a time for a phone interview. Phone interviews can be expected to last 30-60 minutes. During the interview, your interviewer will try to learn more about who you are, why you are interested in the program, and how you would fit into the program's goals. It is a chance for us to gauge your level of dedication, maturity, and how well you will be able to work in a group.

4. Stay in touch with us
We will be in touch with you, following your interview, to let you know of our timetable for reaching a decision. In the meantime, and even after a decision is reached, we ask that you keep in touch with us. We are happy to answer any of your questions or address any concerns. In the meantime, it is extremely important that you keep us apprised of any changes in your contact information. As the start of the program approaches, we will need to send you information on preparing to come join us in Israel.

Tuition

The tuition for the 5 month program in 2012-13 is  8,500$ (before the Masa grant).
The tuition for the 10-month program is $15,000 (before the Masa grant).

Please note that this does not include flights to and from Israel.

Tuition includes:

• Educational programming, including Hebrew Ulpan, and studies at the Secular Yeshiva in Tel Aviv
• Prepared meals at the Secular Yeshiva
• Accommodations in Tel Aviv- apartments and all utilities
• Group living expenses for collectively buying food and cleaning supplies
• Educational tours, overnight trips and seminars
• Bus fare to and from volunteering, program trips etc. (not including bus fare for private traveling)
• Health insurance

Health Insurance
All participants will receive basic health care coverage from one of Israel's health care cooperatives. There is a clinic and pharmacy in the neighborhood, a very short walk from the apartments. Please be advised that your health insurance will not cover preexisting conditions, and thus it is recommended that participants taking prescription medications for preexisting medical conditions bring enough with them to last the duration of the program.

Financial Aid
It is strongly recommended to contact your local Jewish Federation to see what kinds of scholarships might be available in your area. If you belong to a synagogue, it is oftentimes helpful to speak with your Rabbi about financial aid possibilities.

Masa Israel Grant
MASA Israel Journey provides a one-time grant to eligible participants. Almost all of our participants qualify for the grant, which oftentimes offsets a significant portion of the program fees.

It is HIGHLY recommended that you apply for the MASA grant by filling out their online application.

Masa Israel Needs-Based Scholarship
Applicants who can demonstrate a gross annual income of less than $22,000 (USD) are eligible for additional funding from Masa.
Fill out their application to get started.

Masa: Israel Journey -- Masa's website offers ideas for securing additional funding.