Government Says Student Grant Increase Will Be Paid In Full

The Government says students receiving maintenance grants will receive the full 5.4% inflation increase announced in the 2026 Budget through their second and third payments, including backdated amounts.

Minister for Education John Cortes said the first payments had been arranged before the increase was announced and could not be amended in time. He said students would receive the full amounts through the next two payments.

A statement from the Government follows below:

HM Government of Gibraltar wishes to reassure students in receipt of a Government Maintenance Grant that the inflationary increase announced by the Chief Minister in the 2026 Budget that this will be applied to payments 2 and 3, including back payment for the sums that could not be applied to the first instalment. 

The GSD are once again playing on people’s emotions to try and create headlines for themselves. Indeed, Mr Reyes has already received assurances from the Minister for Education that students will receive the full amounts that they are expecting, along with an explanation as to why the first payment could not include the inflationary adjustment. 

The Minister for Education, the Hon John Cortes, said: “Unfortunately, the first payments had already been arranged by the Department for Education in advance, and could not therefore include the inflationary increase announced at Budget time. As has been explained to Mr Reyes, students will receive their full amounts through the next two payments. Mr Reyes, himself an Education professional, should know better than to play on the emotions of students and parents to try and make headlines.”