Applicants to the Malta Arts Scholarships, which help local artists pursue courses abroad, have voiced concern that results are being announced too late to benefit students.
A number of applicants expressed their worry that the current structure, which sees applications closing in February and results announced towards mid-August, does not take into account the logistic realities of moving to a different country with what effectively amounts to less than three weeks of preparation.
“University courses typically start in the second week of September,” an applicant, who preferred not to be named, said. “Since the scheme was launched four years ago, results have always been announced mid-August. This appears to be the case this year too. The timing does not leave sufficient time to get organised, which somewhat defeats the point of the scholarship.”
Although many courses start in September, in reality campus activity for a fresh academic year typically kicks off as early as summer, with student accommodation being allocated very early on a first-come, first-served basis. Off-campus accommodation tends to push up living expenses astronomically, something that a scholarship student can ill-afford.
But accommodation is not the only pressing issue; specialist courses of the kind that this scholarship caters for often require a high level of preparation, with a pre-course reading list that students are expected to be familiar with by the time lectures start.
“Of course, I can still start reading the course material despite the fact that the scholarship results have not yet been announced. However, humanly speaking, it is difficult to give the same commitment – not to mention justify the financial investment – as we would if we were guaranteed the funds that will make our course placement definite,” the student said.
Even bigger challenges are faced by applicants when it comes to the actual moving to a foreign country.
“The education department can hardly expect someone to carry out all the necessary arrangements, and to close off all pending affairs, in under a month,” the student said. “I myself am determined to find a way to attend this course even if I do not get the scholarship, so I have already started making arrangements.
“However, I know a number of other applicants who do not have that luxury – if they don’t receive the funding, they will have to give up on the course.”
The problem seems to be inherent to the scholarships’ structure itself. Regulations for 2014 lay down that only courses starting between January and December of this same year are eligible.
“Seeing the likelihood that I won’t make it in time for this year’s course, I asked the university I’m applying for to give me an open letter of acceptance that would be valid even for the 2015/2016 academic year. I figured that if I were awarded the scholarship, I could use the funds next year. This would allow me enough time for preparation and I would be in time to avail myself of campus accommodation and myriad other facilities.”
There is no logical reason why students are made to wait so long before the scholarships are announced
Upon enquiring about this possibility, however, the student was told that this was not allowed. Funds awarded this year need to be used this year.
“Essentially, I’d need to start the whole process from scratch next February, which defeats the point of being early.
“If my course started in January this year, I would have had to take a gamble, move country and hope for the best. And, eight months after the course starts, I would still be waiting for results. Whoever created the framework originally can’t have been familiar with the reasoning behind awarding a scholarship.”
Most applicants, in fact, rely on the scholarship and do not have access to alternate funding. One student who falls in this category is adamant that the current structure only benefits those who have other financial means.
“Those who have other resources to tap are perfectly placed to benefit from these scholarships. They are in a position to make the move regardless of whether they get funding or not – when they eventually receive the funding towards the end of the year, it’s all gravy.”
The student adds that he does not have this luxury.
“If the scholarship falls through, I will opt for an alternative course in Malta. I’m just thankful that my course starts in September, not earlier. Of course, even if I’m awarded funding, the scholarship is unlikely to cover all the expenses. But I have made my calculations and I am happy to take out a loan to finance the rest. If I don’t get any funding, it’s a different story.
“My parents are not in a position to help me and finding a full-time job while I’m studying is not only unlikely, but also inadvisable from a study point of view. Surviving on just the student loan will be impossible.”
Because of this, the student adds, at this stage it is impractical and useless to start making preparations to leave the country.
“If I start shipping belongings and confirming accommodation now, but then I do not get the scholarship, I would have run into the expense for nothing. Not to mention that there will be a certian loss of credibility that would jeopardise my future chances with the university. So right now I’m in the frustrating situation of not knowing whether I will be living in Malta or in London in eight weeks’ time. It’s like my life is on hold.”
The uncertainty has affected everything, from the student’s current job to personal relationships.
“Put it this way, if I find myself packing for London in a few weeks, things will be less than ideal. I have missed out on a couple of career opportunities in Malta because of the uncertainity. I cannot very well take on a new job only to quit two months later. It is not fair on my new employer and it would certainly do my reputation no favours. If I am awarded the scholarship, the sacrifice will have been well-worth it, of course. But if I don’t, it will be a shame that I was made to miss these opportunities for nothing.”
The student adds that these issues can easily be avoided by hastening the adjudication process.
“If this were something unavoidable, I would accept it as part of the price that needs to be paid. But this is not the case; there is no logical reason why students are made to wait so long before the scholarships are announced, particularly since the process kicked off in February.”
These words are repeated by yet another student, who is currently pursuing the second year of studies in the UK. The scholarship results, the student says, were only communicated to applicants a week after the start of the first semester.
“I got a decent placing in the interviews. However, that year only four students were awarded a scholarship, out of 73 applicants. Not only was it a blow, but it was also communicated to us very late in the day. I also feel that the way applicants are judged exacerbates the problems. Everyone is put in the same category, whatever discipline they may practice. I don't see how a dancer can be compared to, say, a singer. The scholarships should be divided according to area of expertise.”
This particular student decided to stay on – however, the resulting financial burden was “crippling”.
The Malta Arts Scholarship, which is administered by the Education Ministry, was launched in 2010 with an annual investment of €200,000. Unlike other scholarships like Master It and Steps, which target a variety of subjects, the scheme is specifically geared to help local artists pursue a full-time course at a recognised instititution abroad, specialising in the creative arts. The course applied for must be between eight months and four years long.
Up till last year, 43 artists have already been helped to pursue specialisation courses in art, dance, computer games design, music; computer animation, creative writing; fashion design, theatre music, photography, restoration and opera singing among others.
Applicants go through a rigorous selection process before final selections are made by a ministry-appointed board. Questions sent to the Education Ministry remained unanswered at the time of going to print.