Minister of Higher Education, Labour and Skills Development Dr Ali Haidar has said the Government has begun reviewing stipend amounts allocated to Maldivian students studying abroad.

Speaking on the Tharujamaanaa Eku podcast with the Chief Spokesperson at the President’s Office, Heena Waleed, the Minister said one of the most frequent concerns raised by students is that current stipend levels are insufficient to meet living costs in some host countries.

Dr Haidar said the Ministry sets stipend rates for each country when issuing student loans and scholarships, with rates determined based on economic conditions and cost of living in the respective destinations. However, he noted that the rates currently in use were established around seven years ago.

Since then, the Minister said, economic conditions and living costs in many countries have changed significantly, making a review necessary. He said the Government is now reassessing the stipend structure to better reflect present-day costs faced by students overseas.

Stipend rates have remained unchanged for several years, during which time students have repeatedly highlighted sharp increases in living expenses in a number of popular study destinations. The review aims to align stipend levels more closely with current realities.