The government’s new foreign scholarship programme for top-performing Advanced Level students officially commenced on 12 March 2026 at the Ministry of Education, Isurupaya, with 32 students selected in its first phase.
The initiative, described by Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya as a national investment in education and the country’s future, aims to develop highly skilled human resources essential for rebuilding the nation.
An allocation of Rs. 4,001 million has been earmarked for the project, which plans to award 200 foreign scholarships between 2025 and 2033.
Of the 32 students chosen for the 2025/26 academic year, nine have already secured admission to leading universities in Australia and New Zealand, including Sydney, Melbourne, Monash, and Auckland.
The programme requires students to pursue undergraduate studies at universities ranked within the top 500 globally by QS, THE, or ARWU rankings. Each student will receive up to Rs. 20 million annually, with a maximum of Rs. 80 million over four years to cover their full undergraduate programme.
Prime Minister Amarasuriya emphasized that the transparent selection process reflects the government’s vision of education as a cornerstone for national progress, ensuring opportunities for Sri Lanka’s brightest students to gain world-class exposure and contribute to the country’s future development.
PM Harini Amarasuriya’s full statement:
Today brings a great satisfaction to the Ministry of Education. As the first phase of a promise we made in our policy statement, scholarships have been awarded today to 33 students who achieved outstanding results in the Advanced Level Examination to pursue higher education abroad. Implementing this programme was not easy. We had to engage in extensive discussions regarding student selection, maintaining transparency, and identifying universities with higher academic standards.
This is not an ordinary scholarship programme. It is a programme that defines the future vision of our country. It provides students with the opportunity to study at some of the world’s leading universities. Therefore, students selected for this programme must demonstrate not only academic excellence but also leadership qualities, personality, and resilience.
To build our country, we need good citizens. We must create a human resource capable of taking the country forward. Countries such as Singapore, China, and Malaysia have progressed by investing in human resource development. We must also follow that path.
Beyond becoming graduates, these scholarship recipients should become individuals capable of making a meaningful impact on society and serving as part of the broader social transformation of our country. This is a long-term investment we are making. We expect you to support fellow students, lead teams, and demonstrate strong character.
No matter the challenges you face, including the climate changes, cultural differences, or missing loved ones, you must remain determined and not abandon your journey. Use such challenges to develop your leadership qualities. Even difficult experiences can become opportunities. Learn from new cultures, technologies, and systems of knowledge. Become innovative thinkers who can apply that knowledge to the development of our country.
Follow after many experiences as possible. Develop communication skills, empathy, teamwork, and the ability to understand others. Thereby, you will be able to deliver the change we expect for the nation. We will never be left alone. In any challenging situation, we are ready to intervene and support you. We will facilitate the necessary coordination and assistance through embassies. If we are to take our country toward social transformation, it must be done through collective effort, protecting and supporting one another. We must create leaders who can guide not only Sri Lanka but the entire world toward a more humane future. (Newswire)