With an investment of € 1 million, students will be provided with free internet for the second year immediately after Year 11 in their post-secondary studies.
With an investment of € 1,000,000, more than 3,300 students will enjoy free internet for a year. This measure will benefit students who are eligible for a stipend, from government, independent and Church schools, Junior College and MCAST, who will continue immediately after Year 11 (Form 5) and who are in first year in their post-secondary studies.
This was announced by the Minister for Education and Sport Clifton Grima and the Minister for the Economy and Industry Silvio Schembri.
The aid will be granted in the form of vouchers which will be distributed electronically from today and which can be redeemed from Monday 7 February and are valid until 15 July 2022. ministers stressed that even considering last year’s initiative, it means that in this legislature the government has invested over € 2 million and reached more than 6,400 students which means that it has reached 6,400 families.
Education and Sports Minister Clifton Grima said this is the second year the measure has been implemented, and the ministry continues to support students and their families. “This measure is further confirmation of the commitment of this government to encourage students to continue their studies after compulsory education.”
Minister Grima referred to this year’s budget and said that like the previous budgets, it was also one that introduced incentives to support the students, to give them support in the most delicate moment of their lives when they are thinking about their future, including a sudden 10% increase in stipends.
“With the initiative we are announcing today we will be helping more than 3,000 families by reducing their internet service costs for a whole year and so with the facts they will have more money left in their pockets. Moreover, the initiative for the second time shows the full commitment of the government to reach everyone, “stressed Minister Schembri.
Minister Schembri added that it is crucial that Malta continues with its efforts to accelerate the digital transformation of the economy and for this to really happen, future generations are being addressed and reached immediately. Today’s initiative is an important step in addressing these challenges as the government sees to it that no one cuts back while strengthening the foundations of the digital economy in our country.
Students will receive a € 300 free internet voucher via email. They have to take it to one of the major internet service providers. With this voucher, they will be able to buy online from the service providers they redeem, and immediately the money of this voucher will be forwarded to the service provider immediately through the system designed by -MIMCOL. Each student can choose any internet scheme offered for this voucher value. The free internet voucher can be used to top up an active internet account that the student already has.
More information on freeinternetvoucher.edu.mt or education.vouchersmimcol.com, or call 153.
