The government has publicized the final list of recipients under the student loan scheme.

Opportunity to apply for the student loan scheme was opened on February 11, for a total of 770 slots.

The Ministry of Higher Education revealed that they received a total of 1,176 applications and the temporary list of recipients was published by the authority during May. Following this the opportunity to submit complaints was also opened through June 1.

After acknowledging the complaints received the ministry publicized its final list on June 20.

The final list carries 449 names, which is an increase from the 417 names listed in the temporary list.

All students in the category of students currently completing pilot training and MBBS courses were granted opportunities for loans. This includes 65 MBBS students and 16 in pilot training.

Earlier the ministry announced a deferment for the repayment of loans by 18 months, due to the strengthened restrictions in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The ministry noted that applications for some categories had dropped including accounting, engineering and social science courses. As such, although there were several slots for students in these programmes, these categories did not receive much support. The most number of students applied for MBBS and pilot training as well as PhD courses.

The ministry went on to note that students who are pursuing their education anew will be given 18 months to prepare.

The government had included MVR 137 million in the state budget for this year, for student loan schemes.

Further, with the measures that enveloped the country following a devastating fourth wave of Covid-19 in late April, the government has also announced the decision to extend its deferment on student loan repayments through 2021.

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih attributed the decision to discussions with finance and higher education ministries. Following the announcement, Minister of Higher Education Dr. Ibrahim Hassan took to Twitter, noting that the loan deferment decision mirror how much the incumbent administration values higher education and training opportunities for students, despite being immersed in Covid-19 challenges.

The deferment extension has been deemed a major financial relief for students. The government had in 2020 introduced a similar deferment for student loan repayment.