Over the past days students at various educational institutions in Malta and Gozo have received their increased stipends following the cost of living adjustment unveiled in the Budget.

This policy measure ensures that in the coming years, unlike what happened in the past, stipends are not allowed to decline in real terms. Stipends will now manage to keep up with any increases in the cost of living on an annual basis.

Repeater students at sixth form level have also received their first stipend, which covers January, while University students will receive their January stipend in the coming weeks as applications are being processed following the decision to extend the measure to students at the University.

Stipends for repeating students are not given automatically; each student’s performance will be reviewed and a decision will be based on effort. Students falling short of acceptable standards in the previous scholastic year, such as those not attending class or not sitting for examinations, will not be eligible for a stipend in their repeating year.

The aim of this initiative is to help students following an academic setback, not those who repeat a year for trivial reasons. This policy was enacted following talks with the KSU. The Students Maintenance Grants Board will be issuing the decision-making parameters on this, together with the KSU.

Stipends are increasing and not decreasing as some media have incorrectly reported. Any deductions made to stipends are due to students not attending classes and are done on a pro-rata basis. This policy has been in place for some years.

The Ministry for Education and Employment said it is committed to strengthening stipends and the increase in stipends as well the introduction of stipends for repeating students are pledges that have been delivered in under a year and are a showcase of this government’s commitment to education and to help the hard-working and the ambitious.