KUWAIT CITY, March 5:  The Ministry of Higher Education announced on Wednesday amendments to certain provisions of the foreign missions regulations, set to be implemented starting from the current academic year, 2025/2026.

In a press statement, the ministry explained that this step is in line with directives from Dr. Nader Al-Jalal, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research. The amendments aim to enhance the foreign missions policy, ensuring higher academic achievement for scholarship students, which will better qualify them for the labor market, reduce academic failure, and improve the overall quality of graduates. The changes also seek to ensure fairness in the distribution of opportunities among scholarship students.

Acting Undersecretary of the Ministry, Lamia Al-Malhem, said that these amendments followed a comprehensive review of the scholarship policy and its outcomes in recent years. The review assessed the targets and desired results of the policy, analyzed academic standards and requirements from international universities, and considered reports from cultural offices abroad.

Al-Malhem explained that one of the key amendments involves replacing the preparatory English language stage with a new requirement. Students will now need to obtain a score of at least 5.5 in the IELTS (International English Language Testing System) before joining the mission headquarters, in addition to meeting the university's specific score requirement for their chosen specialization. Students will have one full calendar year from the announcement of their acceptance results to meet this requirement.

This decision follows an analysis of academic failures, which revealed that some students, despite passing the preparatory language stage, did not acquire sufficient language proficiency to succeed in their academic studies. These students struggled with specialized courses, which led to academic failure.

Additionally, changes have been made to the Excellence Scholarship criteria. Under the new regulations, students wishing to maintain their Excellence Scholarship must achieve a GPA of at least 2.67 on a 4-point scale (or its equivalent) during the study phase. This amendment is part of the Ministry’s ongoing efforts to enhance the quality of graduates and promote academic excellence.

In another important amendment, applicants for scholarships are now required to have never previously received a scholarship or grant for a bachelor's degree in Kuwait, unless they refund the amount spent on their previous scholarship. This change is designed to optimize the use of available resources and ensure they are directed more effectively towards supporting students.

Al-Malhem emphasized that these revisions to the foreign missions regulations aim to improve the quality of education, reduce linguistic barriers that may hinder academic progress, and reduce high rates of academic failure. The goal is to prepare distinguished national talent capable of competing in both local and international labor markets.

She urged students wishing to study abroad to prepare early to pass the approved English language tests to ensure acceptance into prestigious universities and join the mission headquarters.

Al-Malhem also encouraged students to stay informed by following the Ministry’s official social media accounts, where they will receive important announcements and academic guidance. This includes the Ministry’s upcoming “Guide Me” campaign, which will launch soon alongside the annual admission plan for the current academic year.