Over 10,000 students are currently enrolled in government funded high education programmes, the Ministry of Higher Education, Labour and Skills Development figures have shown.
Students are primarily funded by the government through three main programmes including student loans, scholarships and the free first degree programme.
According to the latest statistics, the government has spent over USD 65.5 million on the student loan scheme since 2024 along with USD 22.7 million on scholarships and USD 16.2 million on the free first degree programme.
The statistics showed that 1,159 students have started their respective programmes through the student loan programme since 2024, out of which 964 have already graduated. The government has announced student loans to 2,051 students during the period while 1,676 students are studying in 40 different countries including the Maldives.
According to the scholarship statistics, 268 students have gone abroad on government scholarships since 2024 while 357 had graduated during this period. The government has also decided to award scholarships to 1,177 more students during the period with 607 students pursuing higher education in 20 countries including the Maldives.
The free degree scheme has seen 4,300 student enrolments since 2024 with 5,568 students graduated from the programme during this period.There are currently 8,357 students enrolled in the free first degree programme.
President Dr Mohamed Muizzu meanwhile has instructed the relevant ministries to issue student loans to all eligible applicants under this year’s government loan scheme for higher education in the Maldives and abroad.