The Student-Athlete Support Programme (SASP) was first launched at the University of Malta in the academic year 2017/18 following UM's participation in an Erasmus+ project with other European universities during the previous two years.
The programme is aimed at supporting student-athletes studying at UM who, at the same time, compete in a sporting discipline at national and/or international level. Our ultimate goal is to provide student-athletes with the possibility of striking a balance between their academic and sporting commitments and consequently excel, to the best of their abilities, in both.
Selected student-athletes are assigned a sport mentor from their faculty/institute/centre/school, who is normally their first point of contact, and would be able to assist with any affairs the student-athlete may be concerned with throughout the course of their studies at UM. This may include, when and if possible, matters of an academic and/or administrative nature, such as clashes between international competitions and examinations, clashes between lectures and training, distribution of workload and time management.
Eligibility
To be eligible for acceptance on the Student-Athlete Support Programme (SASP), applicants must:
Selection Criteria
To be accepted on this programme, the student must satisfy one or more of the following criteria:
Team Sport (e.g. Basketball, Football, Water Polo, etc…)
To be eligible under team sports, the student must:
(a) form part of the National Team or National Training Squad; or
(b) be an athlete forming part of a Club Team that has qualified to compete in a competition organised by the European Federation or International Federation; or
(c) be a registered and active player competing at the highest national level of their specific sport.
Individual Sport (e.g. Athletics, Judo, Swimming, Tennis, etc…)
To be eligible under individual sport, the student must:
(a) be a National Team athlete; or
(b) be selected by the Sport Federation/Association to represent their country and compete in an international competition recognised by one of the following bodies:
Coaches and Officials
To be eligible as a coach or official, the student must:
(a) be a National Team coach or official (Junior or Senior); or
(b) be a Club Team coach or official whose team has qualified to compete in a competition organised by the European Federation or International Federation.
Supporting Letter
A letter of evidence by the respective National Sport Association/Federation must be submitted with the application, verifying the athlete’s level and involvement.
How to Apply
Applications for the Student-Athlete Support Programme academic year 2025/26 are now open. Students can apply by filling out the Google Form linked below:
https://forms.gle/