The Ministry of Higher Education is expected to increase financial allocations for students studying abroad and their accompanying families by 100 percent, according to sources.
The sources added that the decision has been made on directive from higher authorities to the ministry as a gesture to assist beneficiaries of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program and their accompanying families meet the living requirements while studying abroad. The new cap for study fees of scholarships will stand at $16,000 compared to the current $8,000.
The decision comes within the framework of the bigger initiatives launched by King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz educational program to help students abroad to overcome any hardships and difficulties they face.
The sources said a committee, which included in its members representatives from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Finance, Higher Education and Education, approved the decision following extensive studies.
The committee has submitted its recommendations based on field reports that clearly indicated an increase in the tuition fees in all countries where Saudi students study, including the United States, the UK, Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, and a number of Asian countries.
The committee found that $8,000 is not enough to cover study expenses, which made the Saudi cultural attachés in these countries at times extend compensations to students on scholarships via King Abdullah Foreign Scholarship Program while other government bodies bear the cost of scholarships' studies of students.
100% raise in scholarship amount approved
