Five scholarship schemes worth €2.3 million were launched on Friday by Education Minister Owen Bonnici and Parliamentary Secretaries Clifton Grima and Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi.
The schemes are the Endeavour Scholarship Scheme, Tertiary Education (TESS) Scholarship Scheme, Malta Arts Scholarship Scheme, Malta Sports Scholarship Scheme, and the new Veterinary Studies Scholarship Scheme. Around 500 persons are expected to benefit.
Bonnici said the schemes will enable a large number of students to realise their dreams and further their studies.
He referred to the new Veterinary Studies Scholarships scheme and said that €500,000 from national funds have been allocated towards this scheme.
Grima stated that the government was consistently working towards promoting sport as a profession and discipline in Malta. Between 2013 and 2020 the government distributed €850,000 in bursaries in the sports sector. The number of individuals working in the sports sector was also on the increase
Zrinzo Azzopardi said that the programme Endeavour, financed through European Funds, was intended to provide opportunities for more people to specialise in their area of expertise. This project gave aid to some 1,000 persons to continue their studies.
In its totality, it will be investing €11 million in more education and training.
What are the schemes?
Veterinary Studies Scholarship Scheme
Courses leading to a doctorate in Veterinary Medicine (MQF Level 7) are to date not available locally. Through the scheme, students will get the opportunity to follow the course for a doctorate in veterinary services (MQF Level 7), and get a financial package covering the duration of the whole course until completion.
Endeavour Scholarship Scheme
€1,000,000 are being allocated for the Endeavour Scholarships Scheme in 2020. This is to support good quality tertiary education and to ensure that the Maltese labour market is supplied with the right individuals and to guarantee that it is in a better position to compete at an international level. It is part-financed by the European Union Operational Programme II – Cohesion Policy 2014 – 2020.
TESS Scholarship Scheme
€370,000 from national funds are available for the Tertiary Education Scholarship Scheme. TESS is another scheme open to postgraduate students, at level MQF Level 7 and MQF Level 8. It aims to provide funding opportunities for students to pursue higher education study programmes and encourage students towards further levels of academic research.
Malta Arts Scholarship Scheme
€330,000 from national funds will be distributed via the Malta Arts Scholarships Scheme. The Malta Arts Scholarships Scheme aims to provide more opportunities to support individuals who are exceptionally talented in the creation and/or promotion of Expressive Arts. Theatre, music, dance, design, creative writing, film, the visual arts or any combination thereof shall be given priority.
Sports Scholarship Scheme
€130,000 from national funds are being invested towards the Sports Scheme. The promulgation of sports at a professional level will promote the development of high-performance athletes who will eventually represent Malta in international competitions. The elevation of the status of sport in Malta will not only bring about a wider international recognition with positive economic benefits for the tourism industry but will also encourage the uptake of sport and physical activity across the country resulting in overall improvements in health and well-being.