The Student Success Center: Overview

The Student Success Center comprises eight units, each specializing in a significant area of student life on campus. Combined, the units create a comprehensive, high-quality, and professional support system that provide Tel Aviv University students with every opportunity to thrive and succeed.

1. Student Advancement

This unit assists all students, and special populations in particular, in successfully coping with the challenges they face during their studies. It provides personal, academic, social and financial support, accompanying students from various sectors of the population throughout their studies, among them: those hailing from Israel’s social and geographic periphery, those of Ethiopian origin, Israeli Arabs, those with disabilities, graduates of the Haredi education system, new immigrants, and single mothers. It also operates the "Walking Together" program, in which advanced students mentor and accompany first-year students from the moment of registration until the end of their first academic year.

2. Student Retention and Educational Counseling in the Faculties

This unit offers students a personal, professional and academic support system – right within the faculty where they study. Each faculty has a Dean's advisor, who serves as an accessible and familiar point of contact for students; provides ongoing responses to questions, dilemmas, and challenges that arise during their studies; and supports them in coping with personal or academic difficulties. With a constant presence within the faculty, familiarity with the needs of the students in that faculty, and a deep knowledge of the available services, each advisor is able to act with sensitivity, openness and efficiency – and ensure that the relevant Dean's services are accessible to every student.
The unit operates two additional programs:

"Atuda LaHatzlacha" (Reserve for Success) – a Ministry of Defense program that provides comprehensive support throughout the first year.
"First Generation in Academia" – an initiative targeting students who are the first in their family to pursue a higher education that provides support such as individual and group meetings and academic mentoring throughout the first two years of study.

3. Financial Aid

The Student Success Center endeavors to help every student in need of financial assistance. The Unit for Financial Aid handles scholarships, dormitories and student loans, and offers guidance to students to help them maximize their rights.
Scholarships
The unit awards need-based scholarships based on the student's socio-economic status and other criteria. In addition, the unit centralizes information on merit-based scholarships and external scholarships – including those intended for specific groups – and makes it accessible to students.
Dormitories
TAU operates two dormitory complexes that allow students to live near the university at affordable prices and with a rich student community life. The unit fields all student inquiries on this topic.
Loans
The unit offers students a variety of loans with favorable conditions.
In addition, the unit runs a Financial Literacy program – a result of cooperation with the Tel Aviv University Alumni Organization – which provides students with practical tools for budget management and saving. It includes personal mentoring by a finance professional who is a TAU alumnus, and several practical lectures on short-term and long-term money management.

4. Career Center

This unit operates in the belief that proper preparation for the professional employment market does not begin at graduation, but already during the academic years. It thus aims to furnish students with the tools, knowledge and skills they need to integrate into professional, meaningful, and valuable work – already during their degree studies. The center strives to equip them with practical abilities to help them understand the job market, identify suitable opportunities, build a suitable career path for themselves, and navigate confidently within the dynamic world of work.
The unit’s professional staff offers individual counseling sessions and diverse career advancement workshops, organizes spotlight meetings with companies and employers, manages career clubs in the various faculties, operates a job board, and produces some of the largest employment fairs in Israel, in which recruiters from all of Israel’s major companies visit the campus to meet the students.
In addition, the unit operates an internship program in which students register for academic courses that include practical experience – thereby connecting the academic and employment spheres. The program allows students to gain work experience in leading institutions, forge new connections, and leverage their professional aspirations.

5. TAU Social Impact

This unit promotes social and civic involvement among TAU students and staff and leads initiatives that harness the academic knowledge, expertise and human capital on campus for the benefit of society at large. It operates on several levels:

Connections (“Mithabrim”) is a program in which students participate in activities at leading social change organizations, learn about Israeli society, develop leadership skills and social awareness, and make an impact on the most pressing social issues. The program helps participating organizations to run initiatives related to equality and social justice.
TAU Impact (Mithabrim Plus) is a groundbreaking initiative that embeds social activism into the teaching curriculum. It offers undergraduate students accredited workshops that combine theoretical knowledge with hands-on social activity, in collaboration with NGO's, government bodies and the local community. This integration deepens students' understanding of the complexity of social reality, exposes them to diverse worldviews, and provides opportunities to meet visionary and active individuals. The result is a critical mass of students who apply their newfound knowledge for the good of society and serve as catalysts of positive social change.
"20-30" is a national strategic program based on a collective impact model that focuses on adapting the public, social, and community spheres to the needs of young people in Israel. The program focuses on accelerating projects that will create an optimal ecosystem for young people, on promoting collaborations that will help advance the program's vision and project goals, and on creating a professional support system to increase the effectiveness of organizations working for the benefit of young people in Israel.
"People’s University – Campus for All" is a flagship educational-social program whereby TAU opens its doors to marginalized groups and offers them special introductory courses taught by TAU students and lecturers. This can often be a life-changing learning experience for individuals who never had the chance to attend university.

6. Center for Academic-Occupational Counseling & Learning Disabilities

As part of its commitment to an equal and inclusive learning environment, the Student Success Center operates a dedicated unit for diagnosing, counseling, and supporting students with learning disabilities and attention deficit disorders. It offers professional diagnosis services based on individual need, as well as personal and professional support for students with learning disabilities throughout their studies. Its "BeTzavta" (Together) initiative provides tools and strategies for effective learning, according to the specific curriculum of each student. The unit also offers tutoring, learning skills workshops, and personal assistance. Its expert staff work in cooperation with academic and administrative bodies to enable every student to realize their personal and academic potential.
Career counseling aims to help students make the right career choice and to enable them to better plan their future development through more insightful self-awareness and familiarity with existing academic and professional options. The counseling process considers students’ professional inclinations, needs, abilities, and personality.

7. Psychological Services

The psychological services unit offers various types of therapy: individual psychological therapy, group therapy, short-term therapy, crisis intervention, psychological diagnosis, psychiatric consultation and follow-up, and treatment for coping with specific difficulties such as test anxiety and social anxiety. The unit runs support and counseling groups for diverse populations such as reservists, those affected by October 7, mothers and pregnant students, as well as process-oriented workshops for coping with anxiety, increasing resilience, and for students dealing with test anxiety.

8. Student Outreach
The unit aims to ensure a complete, balanced, and meaningful learning experience for all TAU students. It offers students a wide range of content, workshops, and activities that support their personal and academic development, including writing workshops with leading Israeli authors; thesis and dissertation writing marathons; mindfulness, yoga, and pilates classes; and lectures and workshops in various fields. Its goal is to allow students to take a breath to connect with themselves, acquire practical tools for coping with the challenges faced in academia, and enrich their study period with empowering and positive experiences.
The unit fosters the relationship between the students and the Dean of Students, Prof. Drorit Neumann, who has implemented regular open-door access. The unit also ensures the services and activities of other units at the Student Success Center are made accessible to students, both via social media and in communication with the various TAU faculties.