Here's why:

* Polarity: Ammonium chloride is a highly polar ionic compound. Ethanol is a polar solvent, but its polarity is not strong enough to overcome the strong ionic forces holding the ammonium chloride together.

* Hydrogen bonding: Ammonium chloride forms strong hydrogen bonds with water, which is a more polar solvent. Ethanol, while capable of hydrogen bonding, has weaker hydrogen bonding interactions than water.

In summary: The solubility of ammonium chloride in ethanol is limited because of the strong ionic bonds in the compound and the weaker polarity and hydrogen bonding capacity of ethanol compared to water.