The Government is working towards ensuring 100% of Moroccan students receive a university scholarship, the Moroccan Minister of Education Said Amzazi told Parliament on Monday.
In response to a question about broadening scholarship eligibility in Morocco, Amzazi noted that 95% of students attending university currently receive a scholarship.
Maghreb Press Agency (MAP) reported that, according to Amzazi, 382 000 students received a university scholarship during the 2018-2019 academic year.
The number of scholarship recipients increased by 4% from 2017-2018; an extra 27 000 scholarships per year, he added.
The Ministry’s scholarship budget has increased from MAD 540 000 in 2012 to over MAD 1.8 million in 2019.
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Each province of Morocco has a quota of scholarships to allocate to students who have completed their high school baccalaureate certificate. They can award scholarships to 80% of applicants, which means 20% of applicants currently miss out.
Scholarships are awarded based on financial need, Amzazi clarified.
University education is seen by many as a ticket to a better life, in Morocco, or overseas. However, figures released by the Moroccan statistics agency (HCP) in April show the difficulties that Moroccan university graduates then face when finding employment.
On average 17.2% of Moroccan university graduates were unemployed last year, with figures rising to 25.9% for students with postgraduate qualifications.
