Children’s Allowance – Special Student Allowance

Overview

This new benefit is aimed to help parents and foster parents whose children continue their post-secondary education, irrespective of receiving their stipend from the Education Department or otherwise. In certain instances, this benefit shall also be awarded directly to students who are living on their own. In any case of claims by parents, foster parents and students themselves, the children or students should be aged between sixteen (16) and nineteen (19) years but has not yet reached twenty (20) years. This refers to students who have not yet reached the age of twenty (20) years before the commencement of the scholastic year. However, if the student turns twenty (20) years within the scholastic year, the allowance is still due. The student must be following a post-secondary education course from the period starting from September 2023 onwards.

What you’ll get

The Special Student Allowance payment will be five-hundred euro (€500) per year for a maximum period of three (3) years:

• To parents / foster parents as long as the eligible child/children continue to live with their custodial parents; or
• To students who qualify for this benefit who are living on their own.

Please click here for a Schedule of Benefits Rates.

Eligibility

General eligibility criteria

• For parents who are ordinary Maltese residents for at least the last five (5) years, of children who are between sixteen (16) and nineteen (19) years but has not reached twenty (20) years at the start of the scholastic year and continue with full-time education in Malta, whether receiving a stipend or not.
• For foster parents who are ordinary Maltese residents for at least the last five (5) years, of children who are between sixteen (16) and nineteen (19) years but has not reached twenty (20) years at the start of the scholastic year, and continue with full-time education in Malta, whether receiving a stipend or not.
• For students who are fostered by an Institution that is subsidised by the Government’s PSP Scheme, which students are ordinary Maltese residents for at least the last five (5) years, who are between sixteen (16) and nineteen (19) years but has not reached twenty (20) years at the start of the scholastic year , and continue with full-time education in Malta, whether receiving a stipend or not.
• For students who are ordinary Maltese residents for the last five (5) years, who are living on their own, and who are between sixteen (16) and nineteen (19) years but has not reached twenty (20) years at the start of the scholastic year, and continue with full-time education in Malta, whether receiving a stipend or not.
• The student must be attending a higher educational institution that is recognised by The Malta Further and Higher Education Authority (MFHEA).
• This benefit is not means-testedHence the student may have a part-time employment while still being a full-time student.
• The parents of children who already are in receipt of the Children’s Allowance for children aged between are between sixteen (16) and nineteen (19) years but has not reached twenty (20) years at the start of the scholastic year of age may still be eligible.

Documentation required

General documentation:

• There are no documents required to qualify for this allowance.
• However, for those students attending a post-secondary course in a Post-Secondary Private Education Institution licensed by the Malta Further and Higher Education Authority (MFHEA) need to attach a declaration by the Head of the Institution with the application. Click here to download this declaration.

How to apply

The Department of Social Security shall collect the necessary information about post-secondary students from the Department of Education. Hence no application is required if eliġible student/s are attending a post-secondary course in a statal higher-educational institution.

However, an application is required to be submitted by parents of students or by eligible students attending a post-secondary course in a Private Education Institution that is licenced by the Malta Further and Higher Education Authority (MFHEA). The applications were accepted up until 31st July 2024.