Hezbollah has begun suspending university tuition support for the children of its fallen fighters, signaling an unprecedented shift in the group’s decades-long social welfare strategy as it grapples with growing financial pressure, sources close to the group told Al Arabiya and Al Hadath.

According to the sources, the decision affects the children of fighters killed in battles dating back to the 1980s, including the July 2006 war with Israel, the May 7, 2008 Beirut clashes, the Syrian civil war, and more recent confrontations, including last year’s 66-day border conflict with Israel. The move, quietly implemented by Hezbollah’s Martyrs Foundation, has triggered frustration and disappointment among families who have long viewed educational support as a guaranteed right.

For years, Hezbollah has allocated tens of millions of dollars annually to fund the education of fallen fighters' children, allowing them to attend private universities of their choosing, fully funded by the foundation. The group has now begun informing families, on a case-by-case basis, that it will no longer cover tuition at private institutions.

Instead, the foundation is directing students to enroll in either the Lebanese University, Lebanon’s only public university, or Al-Maaref University, which is affiliated with Hezbollah. Even then, financial coverage will be limited to registration fees only, excluding tuition, academic expenses, and other costs.

The decision has sparked widespread anger among affected families. One woman, whose husband was killed fighting in Syria in 2015, told Al Arabiya / Al Hadath that an official from the Martyrs Foundation informed her of the change, saying: “The situation is tough. We are under siege. You must be patient and endure this hardship.”

Her son, a public health student at the Arab University who had just completed his second year, was devastated by the news. She said his mental health deteriorated sharply after the family was told the foundation would no longer pay his tuition.

Although the foundation initially suggested it might make exceptions for continuing students, sources confirmed that the policy is now being applied uniformly and without exception.

The education cuts are part of a broader austerity campaign affecting other sectors of Hezbollah’s social welfare system. Families are no longer allowed to choose schools freely for their children. Students must now attend schools operated by Hezbollah, including Mahdi and Mabarat institutions.

In the healthcare sector, hospitalization costs are still being covered, but only at medical facilities affiliated with the group.

“These are not isolated adjustments,” one source said. “They are part of a calculated strategy to cut costs across the board.”

Sources close to the group describe the policy as part of a new financial rationalization plan, driven by worsening economic constraints.

Political analyst Marwan Al-Amin said the shift was directly linked to disruptions in Hezbollah’s traditional funding routes—most notably, the overland corridor from Iran through Iraq and Syria to Lebanon, which has been impacted by regional security developments and logistical restrictions.

Additionally, Iranian aircraft have reportedly been banned from landing at Beirut International Airport since February, further complicating Hezbollah’s access to direct financial support.

“Hezbollah has tried to compensate through alternative methods by smuggling cash through friendly businessmen or illicit border crossings, but the volume simply doesn’t match the group’s vast needs,” Al-Amin said.

He added that declining revenue from Lebanese state contracts, many of which were secured through Hezbollah’s influence networks, has also contributed to the crisis.

Even Hezbollah’s military wing has not been spared from the financial squeeze. According to sources, the group has started dismissing fighters who are stationed far from their places of residence in order to cut housing and transportation costs. Fighters are now being redeployed internally, based on geographic proximity to their home areas.

“These are not cosmetic changes,” Al-Amin said. “This is Hezbollah restructuring under duress.”