Minister of Higher Education, Labour and Skills Development, Dr Ali Haidar has revealed that application deadlines for student loans have been eliminated and that students can now apply for the loan scheme throughout the year.
Speaking during a press conference at the President’s office, Minister Haidar divulged that important changes have been brought to the 2026 student loan scheme.
The minister stated that work is currently ongoing to prepare the student loan portal and on the formulation of guidelines for the 2026 student loan scheme. In a move to provide easement for students seeking financial assistance, Dr Haidar said that a decision has also been made to annul the deadlines and keep applications open throughout the year.
“The current arrangement allows for students to apply for the student loan scheme during a specified time, as such this can be burdensome for them. It is noteworthy that some students have missed the deadline and missed the opportunity to access financial support as such. Our hope is that with these changes, such incidents don’t occur. And students will find it much easier to apply for the loan scheme.” the minister stated.
The Minister also provided an insight into the revamped application process, stating that the documents required for submission will also be different this time along.
In this regard, the documents required for loan applications are as follows: The Offer/Placement Letter stating a short duration from start date; The fee structure for the proposed course (If the proposed study is outside the countries in the announcement for loan application, a fee structure should be included from the country within the announcement that is similar); MQA’s Intend programme recognition letter and permission letter from a regulatory authority in cases where employment is subject to a regulatory authority.
The Minister said the student loan applications will open after the upcoming government holidays. The minister said that students should keep all documents ready at their earliest. He also provided assurance that unlike previous year, once student loan is approved, disbursement will be much faster this year around, signaling a streamlined mechanism in place for students.
President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has finalised that no additional surcharge will be taken from students for repayment of the student loans. This is in line with his vision to ensure the student loans are shariah-compliant.