The Mahapola Higher Education Scholarship Trust Fund (MHESTF) has provided significant financial assistance to a large number of students and 418,637 students had benefited from the scholarship scheme from 1981 up to 2025, Chief Government Whip and Minister Nalinda Jayatissa told Parliament yesterday. He said that 18,500 scholarships have been awarded to students in academic years of 2021, 2022 and for students in the 2022/2023 and 2023- 2024 academic years; the Mahapola Trust Fund will provide 19,500 scholarships to students.