453 students, including 59 additional students, confirmed for loan

Higher Education Ministry has released the permanent list of scores for the student loan scheme, which shows that 453 students, including 59 who hadn’t made it on the tentative list, have been confirmed for loans.

In a press conference on Thursday, Higher Education Minister Dr. Ibrahim Hassan said that the 59 additional students were selected for the loan following a review of application forms and complaints.

It increases the number of students selected for the loan to 453; 379 of whom are new students and 74 of whom are students already enrolled in courses.

Dr. Ibrahim said the complaints were reviewed by an appeals committee set up for the purpose.

“If the committee made a decision following review of a complaint, loans were also granted to other students who fall under the same circumstances,” he said.

Priority was given to students who lack financial means.

While the Higher Education Ministry did not, as general rule, grant slots under the scheme for courses available in Maldives, applications were opened for students who wished to complete MBBS and pilot courses from overseas as they were priority fields.