1,015 applicants receive student loan

Student loans have been granted to 1,015 applicants who were eligible for the scheme, according to the Higher Education Ministry.

Applications for student loans for higher education opportunities overseas opened on March 28. The applications originally opened for 500 slots, but Higher Education Minister Dr. Mariyam Mariya later announced that President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu had decided to grant loans to all eligible applicants.

The ministry received 1,709 applications.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Higher Education Minister Dr. Mariyam Mariya said that 1,153 students qualified for this year’s loan scheme.

She said that 1,015 students have been selected so far.

The Higher Education Ministry has released the list of loan recipients.

According to the ministry, the names on the pilot license slots are provisional, while the results for all other slots are permanent.

The selected students will receive their sponsorship letter on Thursday.

At Tuesday’s press conference, Mariya said that her ministry had received multiple complaints regarding more loan opportunities for student pilots.

She said that out of 148 eligible applicants, only 10 student pilots were granted loans this year.

They will train at the aviation school in Addu.

Mariya said there are over 500 Maldivians with a pilot’s license who are unable to get a job, which is in short supply.

The government has therefore capped loan opportunities in aviation, and redirected focus towards other areas.

The opportunity to submit complaints regarding the student loans is open until June 25.