Pres Solih promises to cancel student loan debt, depending on service

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has pledged to cancel a portion of student loan debt, depending on the extent of the students’ contributions to the country.

In a campaign rally in GDh. Vaadhoo on Wednesday morning, President Solih said that developing an educated and smart young generation was one of his top priorities.

He said that it will continue to be one of his top priorities if elected for a second term.

President Solih said he has opened scholarship offers from across the world, and promised that eligibility for educational programs will depend on merit alone.

He promised to introduce a policy where a portion of student loan debt can be cancelled, based on the students’ contributions to the country.

He also promised to extend the grace period for repayment of student loans to six months, to allow students more time to find employment.

The president made more educational pledges, including identifying human resource needs of islands when making land-use plans, facilitating educational tourism, and establish a campus of an international hospitality school in Maldives.

He also promised to introduce career guidance sessions for the 16-18 age group, and make the country a popular site for ocean-based research.

All this is important for a happy life, he said.