Important update from the National Insurance Institute: Check your eligibility for the education grant

The National Insurance Institute announced that it is currently sending letters and SMS messages to insured persons selected as part of a sample to verify eligibility for the education grant for the 2026/2027 school year. The Institute emphasizes that only those who have received an official notification from the National Insurance Institute are required to fill out a declaration on the website.

The message from the National Insurance Institute states:

"Please note, the declaration should only be filled out by those who received a notification from the National Insurance Institute via letter or SMS message."

It was further clarified that the declaration is intended solely for the purpose of verifying eligibility for the education grant.

The education grant is paid once a year during the month of August to a divorced, single, or widowed parent who has a school-age child and does not have a common-law partner. This year, funds will be transferred to the accounts of eligible individuals on August 11. According to the National Insurance Institute, for the 2026/2027 school year, the grant stands at 1,204 shekels per child, compared to 1,176 shekels in the previous school year.

The grant is intended to assist in financing expenses ahead of the start of the school year, including the purchase of textbooks, school supplies, backpacks, clothing, and other equipment. The National Insurance Institute notes that in most cases, the grant is paid automatically, without the need to submit an application or contact a branch, provided that eligibility conditions are met. The funds are deposited into the bank account to which the child allowance is paid.

According to the eligibility conditions for the 2026/2027 school year, the grant will be paid for children born between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2020. Among those eligible are independent parents (single-parent families), recipients of income support living separately from their spouse, families with 4 or more children where one of the parents is eligible for certain allowances in July or August, as well as other groups specified by the National Insurance Institute.

The Institute notes that even if the child was not born within the qualifying date range, eligibility may still exist if they are studying in the first or twelfth grade. In these cases, a certificate of enrollment must be submitted for individual review.

Alongside those who are eligible automatically, there are parents who are required to submit a claim. This includes a divorced parent receiving the grant for the first time, a parent living separately from their spouse, an agunah (a woman unable to obtain a divorce), a woman staying in a shelter for victims of domestic violence, a single or widowed person receiving the grant for the first time, and new immigrants who meet the eligibility conditions. In relevant cases, documentation must be attached according to the type of application.

The National Insurance Institute further emphasizes that those eligible automatically are requested not to contact the branches before checking if the grant was deposited into their account by August 12, as payments are made directly.

Parents required to submit a claim may do so within 18 months from the date of eligibility. Those who submit the claim after that period will be entitled to payment only for the 18 months preceding the date of submission. Furthermore, the National Insurance Institute recommends that anyone unsure of their eligibility status visit the Institute's website to check their entitlement.