Recipients of President's Scholarship will now be restricted to pursuing studies only in fields designated by the President
Concerns are mounting among students and parents following the government's decision to restrict the President's Special Scholarship to fields exclusively listed as national training priorities. Alongside this narrowing of eligible disciplines, several amendments have also been introduced to the scholarship’s overall criteria.
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According to the new regulations released by the Ministry on Sunday night, the President's Scholarship will now be awarded exclusively for fields of study included in the Ministry's official list of priority training areas required for the Maldives. This marks a significant shift from previous policy. Under the former rules, recipients of this scholarship were granted the autonomy to pursue studies in any field of their choice in any country across the globe.
Under the newly established guidelines, students who completed Grade 12 in Maldivian schools last year and secured scholarships through their higher secondary examinations will be permitted to pursue studies in any field of their choice. However, students who qualify for these opportunities in subsequent years will be required to adhere to the regulations set forth in the newly formulated policy.
Under this scholarship program, the government has decided to provide students enrolled in local institutions with a special monthly allowance of MVR 6,000, in addition to the standard stipend rates.
Under the eligibility criteria for the President's Special Scholarship, students completing their higher secondary education must achieve an "A*" grade in at least one A-Level subject. Furthermore, the regulations mandate that students must secure an "A*" in a total of five subjects, including Dhivehi and Islamic Studies in the HSC examinations. Additionally, candidates are required to have attained a minimum of a "C" grade in English at the O-Level or a higher examination.
While the President's Scholarship is a prestigious opportunity that many Maldivian students strive for with great ambition, the recent decision to restrict the choice of study fields has sparked widespread concern among students and parents. Many students have expressed that these limitations pose a significant hurdle to their future aspirations and warn that such measures could diminish the overall motivation to pursue higher education.
