The Government has opened applications for the President’s Scholarship and the High Achievers’ Scholarship.

Under the President’s Scholarship scheme, eligible applicants include students who have completed higher secondary education in the Maldives. Candidates must have either five A-Level passes at A* or equivalent, along with A* passes in both Dhivehi and Islam in the HSC examinations, or an A* average across all subjects in the Al-Shahada Al-Thanawiya, in addition to an A* in Dhivehi. Students from Arabiyya School who place first in Al-Shahada Al-Thanawiya are also eligible. Applicants must also obtain at least a C pass in English at O-Level or an equivalent qualification.

Changes have been introduced this year to the criteria for the High Achievers’ Scholarship, although these will not apply to students who completed their studies last year.

Under the revised criteria, the High Achievers’ Scholarship is awarded to students who achieve one A* in Dhivehi or Islam and at least four A grades across five subjects at A-Level or equivalent. Alternatively, students who obtain one A* and A grades in the required subjects under the Al-Shahada Al-Thanawiya set by the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Skills Development are also eligible. A minimum of a C pass in English at O-Level or equivalent is required.

The scholarships covers full-time undergraduate programmes of three to four years, as well as six-year programmes in medicine and dentistry. It also includes professional licensing programmes completed alongside a bachelor’s degree within a three- to four-year period.

The Ministry of Education stated that, under the scholarship policy, students must arrange to begin their studies within 18 months from the date applications are announced. Recipients of both scholarships are required to submit their applications before 30 September next year.