Prime Minister Robert Abela announced on Thursday that by the end of this week, families will receive a €500 grant for every child below the age of 20 who remain on in education beyond obligatory schooling.
Spread over 3 years, the total grant of €1,500 will be given to parents with children continuing their studies beyond compulsory education. If students live independently, the payment will go directly to the student.
He explained that this measure supports all families but will particularly benefit middle-class families.
"The Government's message is clear: Invest in your children's education, and the Government will support you," he said.
Abela said that education remains the key for more individuals to achieve their aspirations and that the educational sector is one of the five pillars of the Government's economic vision.
The newly announced measure will benefit students attending full-time or considered full-time courses without means testing. Over 800 families will receive payments for more than one child, and foster parents and adoptive parents will also receive payments.
According to the 2024 budget, those with children aged 16 to 19 studying were to benefit and receive payments of €500 per year for a maximum of three years, but the measure has been extended to include students who repeated a secondary year, took a gap year, or started post-secondary studies later due to illness or other circumstances. The criteria have been expanded to include anyone who had not turned 20 at the start of the academic year.
Students attending government educational institutions do not need to apply. Information is being collected and processed automatically. Students attending a recognized higher educational institution by the Maltese Authority for Advanced and Higher Education (MFHEA) but not a government institution can also benefit by filling out a declaration on the Social Security website.
When this measure was announced, the Minister for Social Policy and Children's Rights, Michael Falzon, and the Minister for Education, Clifton Grima were also present.
Falzon said that this measure is another link in a chain of social measures supporting families.
"We believe in continuing to invest in post-secondary and tertiary education. We do this because we are close to the people and understand their needs well. That is why we have crafted a package of truly good measures from a socially minded Government," Minister Michael Falzon said.
"This Government has always believed in and invested in human resources, the country's greatest resource. That is why we ensure this investment starts early, during the students' educational journey at our country's educational institutions. In recent years, we have not only introduced measures, increased stipends, and provided scholarships and grants, but also implemented incentives to support the students and their families, including the reform in Prescribed and Priority Stipends at the University of Malta and MCAST," Grima said.