Students at various educational institutions in Malta and Gozo have received their increased stipends following the cost of living adjustment unveiled in the Budget, the Education Ministry said.

In said in a statement this policy measure ensured that, in the coming years, unlike what happened in the past, stipends would not be allowed to decline in real terms.

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

The ministry said that stipends for repeating students were not given automatically. Each student’s performance would be reviewed and a decision would be taken based on the student’s effort. Students falling short of acceptable standards in the previous scholastic year, such as those not attending class or not sitting for examinations, would not be eligible for a stipend in their repeating year.

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

The ministry said that any deductions made to stipends were due to students not attending classes and were done on a pro-rata basis. This policy had been in place for some years.