The Ministry of Education (MoE) recently stopped upgrading scholarships on its electronic portal, sparking fears among Saudis enrolled in the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program.

The previous system allowed undergraduate students to continue their studies for Masters and Ph.Ds., a local publication reported.

Meanwhile, reports circulated that the ministry has decided that students who study at their own expenses would not be included in the scholarship program. No official statement has been issued in this regard.

Students on scholarships in the US and Europe said they were informed about the decision to follow up on their study through e-mails sent by cultural missions. They called on the ministry to clarity if a decision in this regard has been made.

The need is particularly urgent as some of these students have spent two years studying on their own expenses, hoping to join the program in order to cover the costs of their study, and to provide their health insurance, lodging and living expenses in addition to the airline fares.