Ashdod’s mayor, Dr. Yehiel Lasri, wants to double the number of university graduates in his city. He announced the municipality’s giving a conditional loan to any Ashdod student learning towards a bachelor’s degree. The student will be obligated to repay the interest-free loan within seven years.
Several banks have already applied for the tender, which was announced two weeks ago. "This is a revolutionary and unique program for which we worked on the basis of a belief that education should be available to all, not only those who can afford it," Lasri said. He additionally said that the municipality would pay for half of tuition for poor college students from Ashdod. He hopes that the "economic barrier" will fall as a result of his plan.