The Students’ Maintenance Grants’ Board - SMGB

The Students’ Maintenance Grants’ Board (SMGB) shall be appointed by the Minister for a duration of three (3) years, which may be further extended. The Board is composed by a chairperson and seven (7) members.  The Minister also appoints a Secretary to the Board. The Board is composed as follows: -  

Mr Horace Laudi                   Chairperson

Ms Patricia Borg                    Secretary

Mr Godfrey Testa                  Board Member

Mr Josef Buttigieg                 MCAST Representative

Dr Christopher Micallef         Jobsplus Representative

Ms Romina Sammut              UM Rector’s Office Representative

Ms Katya Unah                      Ministry for Finance Representative

Mr Jeremy Mifsud Bonnici    KSU Representative

Ms Rohasia Zammit              MCAST Students' Representative

Duties and Procedures

The Students’ Maintenance Grants’ Board’s main functions are to:

a.  oversee the effective allocation and payments of Students’ Maintenance Grants to students;

b. offer guidelines and regularly review procedures in the management and Implementation of all the stages leading up to payments of Students’ Maintenance

    Grants to students;

c.  oversee the effective assessment, review and payment of Supplementary Stipends and

    Grants Allowance to eligible students;

d.  manage, assess and implement any other scheme which the Hon. Minister for

     Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation may launch from time to time;

e.  process reports submitted from educational institutions and apply any sanctions

     when necessary;

f.  oversee the management of payments and take action to recover any overpaid

    Students’ Maintenance Grants;

g.  recommend changes to already-existing policies to improve the support the

     student receives.

The Board is responsible for the issuing of guidelines for sui generis cases and memos regarding procedures which need to be followed.

Board Meetings

Board meetings are held monthly and are minuted.  Minutes are duly signed by the Chairperson and by the Secretary of the Board.  Due to General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), updated minutes of each Board Meeting cannot be published, but they are kept for reference at the Students’ Maintenance Grants’ Office.

The Students’ Maintenance Grants’ Board works in liaison with the Students’ Maintenance Grants’ Unit, where all communication and correspondence is received and processed. 

Decisions are communicated in writing to the student via post and to the respective Stipends' Office.

The Students’ Maintenance Grants’ Board has always strived to implement initiatives to simplify and enhance the students' experience when applying for Students’ Maintenance Grants. 

Published on 30 September 2023​