The Maldives Zakat Fund has extended the application deadline for 50 higher education scholarships to May 29, 2025.

These scholarships offer opportunities for both local and international study in fields related to Islamic education, including Quranic Sciences, Shariah, Islamic Finance, and Islamic Leadership.

The Ministry of Islamic Affairs has clarified that applicants are not required to have their scholarship application forms stamped by the Maldives Qualification Authority (MQA). Instead, they must complete MQA’s 'Application for Recognition of the Intended Programme' form and attach the official response from MQA to their application.

Of the total, 30 scholarships are available for overseas study in countries such as Malaysia, Brunei, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and other SAARC nations. The remaining 20 scholarships support postgraduate programmes at the Maldives National University (MNU) and the Islamic University of Maldives (IUM).

A separate provision includes one scholarship each for super-specialised medical fields such as urology, paediatric neurology, and neurosurgery.

The Ministry also confirmed that stipends will be granted to 10 students pursuing Islamic disciplines such as Shariah, Tafseer, Hadith, Uloom al-Quran, and Arabic, where tuition or fees are not fully covered by the host institution.