Ministry’s response to students provides no solution; a guide to apply to loan

Higher Education Ministry has responded to the letter sent by Maldivian pilot students studying in Spain’s Barcelona outlining the difficulties they have been facing nearly a month after the letter was sent.

The students had detailed three main issues in the letter sent to Higher Education Minister Dr. Haidar Ali on February 22^nd. This included difficulties faced by the students in obtaining visas and the lack of adequate stipend for expenses incurred for this as a result of which they are forced to spend from their pockets. They also conveyed difficulties faced by additional time required for the course, which exceeds the loan period.

The Ministry responded to the letter on Tuesday.

In their response, the Ministry said under the current regulations followed by the Ministry, students studying at countries designated for loans are issued funds to the extent required to complete the program based on expenses allocated for various purposes related to their studies.

However, if students require additional funds due to circumstances beyond their control, and these expenses cannot be covered by the initial loan program, they will be granted a "top-up" loan.

The Ministry detailed the circumstances under which students would be eligible for top-up loans. They are:

• Educational institute discontinues the program the student is enrolled in
• Student temporarily halts their studies due to a health condition
• Educational institute brings changes to the program’s duration and costs than what was expected at the time of enrollment

According to the Higher Education Ministry, top-up loan can be requested to cover expenses arising from the aforementioned circumstances once loan applications open. However, the loan will only be granted to students selected according to the established regulation. As such, the Ministry said the students can apply for top-up loans once applications open.

One of the students in Barcelona shared the Ministry's response in a post on X, highlighting that the Ministry had not provided solutions to their concerns. The student also pointed out that the response did not address their request to meet with Minister Haidar.

In their letter, the students highlighted that some had only received a 12-month visa, despite the course requiring an 18-month visa. As a result, the students reported spending around USD 2,000 each to renew their visas, along with other related expenses and fees, including legal assistance.

They also said the USD 1,300 stipend provided by the government is insufficient to cover living expenses in Barcelona, where the minimum average cost of student accommodation is around USD 1,300, in addition to the increasing cost of food.

The students also underscored difficulties arising from the fact that funds under the loan are deposited to their account in Maldivian Rufiyaa. In this regard, the students stated that they are able to exchange the money based on the Euro rate of the day, which often results in receiving a lower amount of Euros, making it insufficient to cover basic needs such as rent, food, and transportation.

The students further noted that some USD 800 is incurred to renew the medical certificate which has to be done every 12 months.