Doha, July 09 (QNA) - The Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MOEHE) held an introductory workshop on Thursday for top-performing Qatari high school graduates to present the 2026–2027 government scholarship program and explain the academic opportunities and benefits available.

Speaking at the event, Assistant Undersecretary for Higher Education Affairs, Dr. Hareb Mohamed Aljabri, said the workshop was designed to help outstanding students better understand the scholarship system and the advantages available to them.

He noted that the initiative was introduced after the Ministry found that some eligible students in previous years had missed out on scholarship opportunities because they were unfamiliar with the application process or mistakenly believed that academic excellence alone guaranteed an Amiri scholarship.

Aljabri said the government scholarship program consists of three tracks: the Amiri Scholarship, the Overseas Scholarship, and the Domestic Scholarship. He explained that applicants for the Amiri Scholarship must secure unconditional admission to one of the world's top 24 universities or one of the designated Amiri universities in Education City, noting that academic excellence alone does not qualify a student without university admission.

The Amiri Scholarship provides a monthly stipend of QR 20,000, two annual business-class return tickets, recognition of study years as years of service, and a one-time pre-departure allowance of QR 40,000.

Aljabri added that top-performing students enrolled in the Overseas Scholarship Program may pursue any field of study, regardless of whether it appears on the Ministry's approved list of majors. Other scholarship recipients are limited to the approved disciplines. The Overseas Scholarship includes a monthly stipend of QR 14,000, airfare, and a pre-departure allowance.

He identified nuclear engineering as one of the country's priority fields, saying scholarship recipients in the discipline are eligible for additional incentives, including monthly financial support of up to QR 20,000, appointment at pay grade 9 upon employment, recognition of study years for service and pension purposes, and other scholarship benefits.

He also said clinical psychology remains a priority specialization because of the growing demand within Qatar's healthcare and social sectors.

On medical scholarships, Aljabri explained that they operate under separate regulations. Students receive a monthly stipend of QR 18,000 during the first four years of overseas study, increasing to QR 30,000 from the fifth year onward, in addition to service-year recognition and other benefits linked to the length of the program.

He added that the top ten Qatari graduates in the science, humanities, and technology streams, as well as the top three graduates from specialized schools, are eligible to study any discipline at accredited universities in Qatar through the Domestic Scholarship Program without being restricted to the approved list of majors.

Aljabri noted that Qatar University reserves 30 places for the Amiri Scholarship Program under its own admission criteria. Students who have already been awarded Ministry scholarships do not compete for those places because they qualify under separate scholarship schemes.

During the workshop, Dr. Aljabri answered questions from students and parents on financial guarantees, student visas, university admissions, online applications, postgraduate study opportunities, and other scholarship-related procedures.

Aljabri said applications for overseas scholarships will remain open until August 15, while applications for domestic scholarships at local universities will be accepted from November 15 to 30. He encouraged students to explore scholarship opportunities offered by both the Ministry and other national institutions to support their academic and career ambitions. (QNA)