Israel study program providing seed money for U.S. colleges

The MASA study-in-Israel initiative is giving eight U.S. colleges or systems a total of $400,000 over the next two years.

MASA will give $50,000 each to Arizona State University, Barnard College, Case Western Reserve University, Michigan State University, the New Jersey state university system, the University of Florida, and the business schools of the University of Maryland and of Washington University in St. Louis to help them establish or build upon existing programs, a MASA spokesman told JTA’s The Fundermentalist. The money is to be used as seed money.

A joint project of the Israeli government and the Jewish Agency, MASA has traditionally provided scholarships to Diaspora post-graduates to help them participate in extended-stay programs in Israel.

Israel is 22nd among the top 25 study-abroad destinations for students from the United States, The Chronicle of Higher Education reported, citing the Institute of International Education, which advised MASA on the programs.

Some 2,344 American college students studied in Israel in 2007-08, compared to 30,000 in Britain.