American University to give Maltese free admission to bolster dwindling student population

The American University of Malta, a private institution granted prime public land in Bormla’s Dock No. 1, is about to bolster its dwindling student population by offering Maltese applicants free education.

Constrained by contractual requirements to reach a sizeable population to retain its siting, AUM – owned by Jordanian construction company Sadeen – has announced Maltese nationals will pay no tuition fees when studying at the American University of Malta.

“Following discussions made by the board of trustees of the American University of Malta and proposals made by the management, it was agreed that Maltese nationals who wish to study at the AUM shall not be subject to pay any tuition fees.”

The only fees that remain for Maltese nationals are the registration and admission fees.

“This decision comes in line with the University’s commitment and vision toward the Maltese community, to be a high-quality educational institution, and a viable option for Maltese nationals to study at the University.

“This means that Maltese nationals will be able to enrol in courses offered by the American University of Malta at a significantly reduced price than any other foreign student.”

According to the controvrsial 2015 agreement wth Sadeen, the government had promised to help AUM reach full capacity if it struggled with student enrolment by selecting students itself to enrol in the University. “If there is a shortfall in the full intake of more than 5% for a period of three academic years the government shall be entitled to designate a number of students to make up such full intake for each year that full intake is not reached,” an addendum reads.

Sadeen has not yet been able to meet the conditions imposed in the original 2015 contract with the government, which requires AUM to complete a €104 million investment by April 2024, and has only managed to enrol less than 200 of the 10,000 students it promised to attract.

AUM had to increase its student intake to 350 by 2018, 710 by 2019 and 1,220 by September 2020, with 4,600 students enrolled by its tenth year of operations.

AUM had less than 200 students on the books by 2022, and less than 30 members on its academic staff.

In a statement AUM claimed it had been engaging with the community on a regional level and the national level. “We have heard several comments, concerns, and feedback about the current university operations. Although we are a private institution, we remain committed towards our service to the community at large,” AUM President Dr. Michel Najjar said.

“At AUM we feel proud and privileged to serve from Malta, the island where beauty, splendour, history and culture combine to generate a wonderful learning environment. We look forward to welcoming more Maltese nationals and be part of the experience provided by the American University of Malta. We strive to give all of our students a special platform to develop their minds, their hearts and their souls.”