Scholarships and Student Financial Aid in Malta

State stipends and grants

Malta funds full-time students in post-secondary and tertiary education, up to first degree level, through a state scheme that pays an annual grant plus a stipend every four weeks, according to Eurydice . This support runs alongside your tuition and applies to students who meet the eligibility rules for full-time study. Eligibility typically depends on full-time enrolment status and satisfactory academic progress each year, since the scheme supports continuous full-time study rather than part-time or occasional attendance.

Confirm your own eligibility and the current payment amounts directly with Malta's education ministry before you build this income into your budget, since amounts and rules get reviewed periodically.

Get Qualified tax scheme

Get Qualified is a government scheme referenced on the University of Malta fees and funding page that gives students a tax-based benefit for completing approved post-secondary and tertiary courses. It targets courses linked to Malta's skills priorities rather than every degree, so check whether your specific course qualifies before you apply. Schemes structured this way typically work as a tax credit or refund tied to your income tax return after you complete the course, rather than a payment made during your studies. Check the exact mechanism and course list with Malta's tax authorities or the scheme's own administrator before you rely on it to cover any part of your fees upfront.

University of Malta scholarships and research funding

UM offers scholarships and research funding tied to specific programs, mainly at postgraduate and doctoral level, where fees already drop steeply for EU/EEA students: EUR 600 a year for a full-time doctorate against EUR 11,000 a year for non-EU/EEA students. Check your department and course page directly for research bursaries or project-linked funding attached to your field, since UM does not run one central scholarship list that covers every course.

Funding for MCAST and ITS students

Students at MCAST and ITS generally qualify for the same state stipend and grant structure as UM students, since Eurydice describes this support as covering post-secondary and tertiary students broadly, not UM alone. Confirm your specific eligibility with your college's student services office, since course type and level affect the details.

Erasmus+ funding for exchange students

If you study in Malta on exchange through your home university rather than enrolling directly, Erasmus+ mobility grants cover part of your costs while you study at UM or MCAST. These grants typically cover part of your travel and monthly living costs abroad, on top of any funding you already get from your home country. Apply through your home university's international office, not through UM directly, since Erasmus+ grants get set, paid, and administered by your sending institution.

Building your own funding plan

Treat state support, tax-based schemes, and university-level scholarships as separate layers rather than one combined package, since each has its own eligibility rules, timing, and application route. Work through the checklist below in order, starting with the support you qualify for automatically.

• Start with the state stipend and grant scheme if you qualify as a full-time student.

• Check your course page on the UM site for course-linked scholarships or research funding.

• Ask whether your course qualifies for the Get Qualified tax scheme before you enrol.

• Look at your home country's own study-abroad grants and loans, since some let you carry national support into Malta.

• Keep receipts and enrolment confirmations, since tax-based schemes need proof of enrolment and completion before they pay out.

• Contact UM's Student Advisory Services directly for the current list of scholarships open to your applicant category, since award names and amounts change between academic years.