On our FAQs section we have compiled a set of answers to questions which are frequently asked by students.
The maintenance grant consists of:
A stipend, issued every 4 weeks payable from 1 October to 30 June, for a total of 10 payment
A yearly academic grant issued at the beginning of the academic year
A one-time grant issued at the beginning of the academic year to students following Undergraduate courses.
Amounts may vary according to whether the course one is following is considered as a general or prescribed course.
A general course is paid the normal stipend rate, whereas a prescribed course is paid in a special higher rate as approved by the Students Maintenance Grants Board and the Minister for Education and Employment. Refer to the list of prescribed and high priority courses issued by the Ministry for Education and Employment.
You are to apply through an online application at the beginning of your first year at UM, and confirm your application on a yearly academic basis. Applications are made available by the Ministry for Education and Employment in October. If you apply before the end of December, you shall receive your first stipend backdated as from the start of the academic year in December. If you apply for the maintenance grants past the deadline, your stipend will be approved as from date of submission of application.
You will be prompted to log in with your E-Id and password.
Fill in the online application, upload all required documents, and then submit.
For further information on how to apply, you can also watch this youtube video.
The documents required are:
School leaving certificates (if applicable)
Employment History
If in part-time employment: the 3 most recent payslips, or the contract/ declaration from your employer clearly indicating the number of hours per week you will be working during the current academic year.
If part-time self-employed: the list of required documents can be found here
If you are an Overseas student, you are also requested to submit the following: Identity card, Residence Permit, Exemption from Fees.
Should further documents be required, you will be notified accordingly.
Once submitted, the application will be vetted by the Stipends Office. Should any further documents be required, you will be notified accordingly via email/sms. If approved, you will be notified to log on the online application and confirm your application.
To confirm your application, simply
log on to studentgrants.gov.mt
insert your E-ID and password
click on confirm tab next to your course details.
Unless you confirm your application no stipends or grants will be issued.
Go to education.gov.mt
On the top right-hand corner, you will see your username. Click on the arrow next to your username and sign out.
High Priority Courses
Stipend: EUR 375.31 every 4 weeks
One-time grant: EUR 698.81
Yearly Grant: EUR 798.81
The one-time grant serves as an additional aid to first year students who are studying a full-time day at degree level course, and is issued with the yearly grant at the beginning of the academic year approximately 15 working days after that the student has confirmed the application. The yearly grant is issued at the beginning of every academic year while the student is reading for a full-time day course at University.
A student must be attending a full-time day course; in case of full-time postgraduate courses, only those courses which lead to a professional warrant are eligible.
A student has to have been residing in Malta for a period of not less than five years from the commencement of the course of studies
Not be in a full-time employment
If in part-time employment, one must not exceed the 30 hours of work per week during the academic year
Must not have graduated from a previous course (except for those courses which are considered as top-ups).
According to Subsidiary Legislation 605.06 Regulation 4(e), one cannot be in a full-time employment, or if in a part-time employment, one must not exceed the 25 hours per week during the academic year.
Students who are working as self-employed part-time have to upload on the maintenance grant application a set of documents depending on their mode of employment. The difference scenarios can be found here. The SMG Board will then vet your application accordingly.
Any student may apply for the maintenance grant, and each application is vetted according to the regulations. For further info kindly refer to previous question regarding eligibility.
Overseas students
who are Maltese citizens, or students with at least one parent being a Maltese citizen; or are of EU/ EEA nationality or with a family member of EU/EEA nationality (provided that the permanent residence is Malta); or are third country nationals who have been granted refugee and/ or long term residence status under the Status of Long-term Residents (Third Country Nationals) Regulations; and
have resided in Malta for a period of not less than five years from the commencement of the course of studies; and
have completed their term of compulsory education; and
are attending a full-time day course regularly and making satisfactory progress; and
in case of a full-time postgraduate courses, leading to a professional warrant; and
must have a residence permit, and (if applicable) the letter for the exemption of fees.
Repeating students are only eligible for the stipend, no grant is issued.
Additional year students are only eligible for the stipend on a pro-rata basis, that is, according to the number of credits per semester.
Students who are on an extension year are only eligible for the stipend on a pro-rata basis according to the number of direct teaching hours per credit they are registered for per semester.
Students who resign/fail /abandon their course are to refund the one-time grant or part thereof and/or any stipend received after the last day of attendance.
Students who abandon the course without submitting a resignation will be asked to refund both the stipend and grants.
The amount to be refunded is communicated through an official letter, and payment instructions are provided accordingly.
To change a course, one has to resign. Thus, one will be asked to refund the grant or part thereof and/or any stipend received after the last day of attendance. The amount to be refunded is communicated through an official letter, and payment instructions are provided accordingly.
The following academic year, if the refund has been settled, one may apply for the maintenance grant once the online applications are made available by the SMG Board. The application will be vetted accordingly.
As soon as your request for a suspension of studies is approved by the Faculty, you should inform the Stipends Office accordingly. The stipend will be put on hold, so that when you return to your studies the next year, you will start receiving it from where you left off. That is, for example, if the stipend is stopped in January, you will be eligible for the stipend as from February the following year. The grant will not be re-issued the next year. If you do not return from your suspension of studies, and decide to resign, you will have to refund part of the grant or part thereof and/or any stipend received after the last day of attendance.
The Maintenance Grant Board offers supplementary grants, which are additional monetary funds awarded to students facing certain circumstances of proven hardship, including financial difficulties. One may apply for these grants every academic year through the same online application used for the normal maintenance grant. One must substantiate the application by providing relevant documentation.
For further information on how to apply for the supplementary grants, you may also watch this youtube video.
Refer to the list of the required documents for specific cases available on our website.
Supplementary allowances are divided into two:
Supplementary Stipends: these are credited every 4 weeks in addition to the stipend.
Supplementary grant: this is given once per academic year to Diploma and General courses.
Supplementary applications are vetted by the Student Maintenance Grants (SMG) Board, and take a bit longer to be reviewed than the normal maintenance grant application. Once the applications are vetted, students will be informed accordingly. Should the SMG Board require any further documents, students would also be informed via email or sms.
Contact us via email: stipends@um.edu.mt. All correspondence must be sent through your UM email address.
Otherwise, you can call at our office. Our opening hours are:
Winter
Mondays & Fridays: 08:30 to 12:00
Wednesdays: 14:30 to 16:00
Summer Mondays & Fridays: 08:30 to 12:00
Wednesdays: 08:30 to 12:00
Refer to our website um.edu.mt/stipends to find all the information you require.
Should you wish to contact the Student Maintenance Grants Board you may either call 153 or log on to the online maintenance grants application and use the 'Contact Us' option, and your query will be sent directly to the Students Maintenance Grants Section at the Ministry for Education and Employment.
Students who are not attending the University of Malta should either call the free-phone 153 or may log on to the online maintenance grants application and use the 'Contact Us' option, and your query will be sent directly to the Students Maintenance Grants Section at the Ministry for Education and Employment.
