Ministry of Higher Education has stated that a trust fund will be established to efficiently oversee the work related to the higher education loan scheme.
Over 9,000 individuals are getting higher education with government loans, and the higher education ministry recently lowered the administration fee of higher education and training loans to 1% in order to ease the burden on students repaying the loans.
Deputy Minister of Higher Education Ismail Zabeeh said a trust fund is needed to efficiently oversee the work related to student loans, and that loan payments will be placed in the trust fund for other students who wish to accept loans to study in higher education. He noted that more students are now paying off their loans than before, and advised students currently in higher education to exercise personal responsibility and regularly make their payments.
The trust fund will also include payments made for fines issued to students at higher education centres who hand in assignments completed by others. Payments made for fines issued to higher education centres for violating the Constitution of the Maldives by undermining religious harmony will also be placed in the trust fund.
Furthermore, over 14,000 students have enrolled in undergraduate programmes through the government’s Free Education Scheme for Degree Students. Over 2,000 students have completed their education and over 300 students have taken higher education loans so far this year. President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has said that the administration is determined to provide more scholarship opportunities under public-private partnerships and provide free higher education opportunities to at least 20,000 students by the end of 2023.