Many applicants have been unable to gain admission in spite of having good educational backgrounds because of the intense competition for available seats. Some foreign universities, mainly in the United States and the United Kingdom, took advantage of the green light that was tacitly given to the expansion of the higher education system and have opened branches in Israel. At these branch universities, the prerequisites are lower and the tuition is more than twice that at the public universities, which are subsidized by the government. Traditionally, Israeli students have differed in a number of ways from European or American students. They are more mature and more pragmatic, and very often already have families to support.
Students enjoy public sympathy.
The shift in attitude in other countries toward higher education as a private rather than public good has fortunately not taken place in Israel. Until now, Israeli students have paid little attention to issues involving student life and student rights. Thus, it was quite surprising and encouraging that this year students from all the public universities and colleges decided to go on strike and asked for a 50 percent reduction in the tuition fees in return for community work. Students stated that their goal was not only to win a lowering of tuition rates, but also to challenge the priorities in budget allocations. During the strike, campuses were closed, and the students started street demonstrations, framing the debate, making use of the media to focus public attention on issues and attempting to work with other social groups.