Government opens 955 scholarships across 51 allied health professions

The Ministry of Higher Education has opened applications for the Allied Health Professional Scholarship Scheme, offering training opportunities across 51 allied health fields. 

In this context, allied health refers to non-doctor, non-nurse healthcare professions, and is not related to Allied Insurance despite the similarity in name. 

Applications must be submitted through the ministry’s Kuri Portal before 1:30 pm on Thursday, December.

The scheme includes 955 scholarship slots across Master’s, Bachelor’s and Diploma programmes, with placements available both locally and overseas. According to the ministry’s training-needs list, the largest shortages are in counselling (143 positions), social work (139 positions), physiotherapy (85 positions), and radiography (90 diploma-level technicians).

Diploma-level needs alone exceed 950 positions, highlighting a major gap in mid-level health workers. Several fields also require specialist tiers, including Chief, Senior and Advanced Paramedics, Senior Clinical Embryologists, Senior Dietitians, Senior Optometrists and multiple medical laboratory specialisations.

Applications are processed on a first-come, first-served basis, and slots close automatically once filled. Candidates must upload complete academic transcripts, certificates, fee structures, university offer letters and licensing-body recognition. Those holding foreign qualifications must obtain MQA validation before submission. Awarded students must sign both the Ministry’s scholarship agreement and the Service Bond Agreement issued by the Ministry of Health before requesting their first payment.

Last year, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Higher Education discussed training 1,500 allied health professionals over the next five years. The government aims to train people in the most demanding fields within this period, aligning scholarship opportunities with national workforce requirements.