More than 1,800 Maldivian students are currently studying overseas on government loans and scholarships, with 60 percent based in Malaysia, according to figures from the Ministry of Higher Education.
Information obtained by Mihaaru News under the Right to Information Act shows that 1,274 students were selected from 720 applicants for student loans in 2023. Of those selected, 1,079 loans were utilized while 195 were not taken up.
The following year, 500 additional loan slots were opened and 1,382 students qualified. So far, 881 of those loans have been used, with 501 yet to be taken up.
The government has decided to grant loan opportunities to all eligible applicants.
According to the ministry, a total of 1,819 students are currently studying abroad on loans and scholarships across 37 countries. The largest share with 1,102 students are enrolled in Malaysia.
Other countries include:
- United Kingdom – 90
- Belarus – 77
- Spain – 71
- Australia – 70
- Philippines – 64
- Egypt – 32
- Nepal – 28
- Sri Lanka – 27
- United States – 23
- Russia – 22
- United Arab Emirates – 21
- China – 20
- India – 18
- New Zealand – 17
- Thailand – 12
- Hungary – 7
- Bangladesh – 5
- Georgia – 4
- Germany – 4
- Pakistan – 4
- Canada – 3
- Czech Republic – 3
Countries with one Maldivian student currently studying on loans or scholarships are Austria, Azerbaijan, Cuba, Cyprus, Hong Kong, Japan, Iceland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Africa and Turkey.
