Higher Education Ministry, on Tuesday, has launched ‘Kuri’, an online portal aimed at resolving challenges faced in disbursing funds to Maldivian students studying abroad on government scholarships and loans and digitalizing services provided to these students.
The launch follows mounting complaints from students regarding delays in disbursing funds.
The portal was inaugurated by Higher Education Minister Dr. Ali Haidar during a ceremony held on Tuesday.
Higher Education Ministry launches 'Kuri' portal aimed at resolving challenges in disbursing funds to students and digitalizing services on February 3, 2026. (Photo/Higher Education Ministry)
Speaking during the ceremony, Minister Haidar said the Ministry has been tackling with huge challenges in disbursing funds to students studying abroad at the expense of the government.
He attributed the delays to the ‘weak’ system in place, acknowledging this has negatively impacted the education of the students.
He added that the portal had been introduced as a permanent solution for all these issues.
In this regard, he said the portal marks an important step toward strengthening the administration of the higher education sector. He added that it will enable higher education-related processes to be carried out more responsibly, offering a convenient solution for both students and parents.
“The government has placed a high priority on delivering student-centric, reliable, and efficient educational services through this system. This system is set to play a pivotal role in mitigating the financial challenges faced by students,” he said.
According to the Minister, funds will be disbursed to students without any delays upon completing the relevant documents via the portal.
Higher Education Ministry launches 'Kuri' portal aimed at resolving challenges in disbursing funds to students and digitalizing services on February 3, 2026. (Photo/Higher Education Ministry)
He further noted that the portal enables students to monitor their financial transactions in real-time, while also streamlining the process and reducing the time required to determine eligibility.
Highlighting that the portal was developed under a policy that prioritizes education within the state budget, the Minister emphasized that one of the government's primary objectives is to ensure that no student's education is hindered by financial constraints.
Although a portal has been introduced to resolve students' financial challenges and other grievances, the specialized mobile application titled 'Higher Education Management System'—intended to address the difficulties faced by students studying abroad under government sponsorship—remains incomplete despite the initial October deadline having passed. Consequently, a new timeline for its completion has been established.
He added that the portal allows students to track their financial transactions in real time, while streamlining procedures and reducing the time needed to assess eligibility.
Emphasizing that the portal was developed under a policy that highly prioritizes education within state budget, the Minister said one of the government’s key goals is to ensure that financial difficulties do not obstruct students’ education.
While the portal has been introduced to address students’ financial concerns and other grievances, the dedicated mobile application, the Higher Education Management System, intended to support students studying abroad under government sponsorship, remains incomplete despite the initial October deadline having passed.
When questioned by Sun in November, Higher Education Ministry said the app is currently in the testing phase, adding that the work will be completed by the end of the month.
Notably, the government spends MVR 1.5 billion annually on student loans. The funds are issued to the students on a biannual basis.