Attorney-General and Minister for EconomyAiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum has directed the Board and CEO of the Tertiary Scholarship and Loans Board (TSLB) to urgently review the suspension of National Topper’s Scheme (NTS) students following its unilateral and arbitrary decision to raise GPA requirements.

The Attorney-General met today with the TSLB Board and CEO, the Dean of the FNU College of Medicine, and the Solicitor General’s office, along with a number of representatives of recently-suspended NTS students.

“The TSLB made a hasty decision ­­­– without government’s approval or consultation — to raise the requirements for student’s academic performance under the National Topper’s Scheme. Before they had any real idea of what was happening, some students found themselves unfairly suspended. Rather than rush to change the GPA requirements and suspend those students, the TSLB should have consulted with government, educational institutions, and students. That error should be remedied by the TSLB as soon as possible. I want to thank the students who opted for a solutions-first and facts-based approach by raising this issue with us directly – and I look forward to meeting with them again to talk through other issues affecting their education,” said the AG.

During the meeting, a number of issues were also raised on the implementation of other TSLB polices. The AG will be holding further discussions with the CEO and the Board of TSLB to review matters such as GPA requirements, the notification process, and probation and suspension protocols to ensure that decisions affecting students adhere to due process and reflect the values of fairness and transparency.

TSLB has been directed to urgently provide a detailed brief by early next week.

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