Malaysia’s new scholarships help students focus on studies
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In Malaysia, the government is providing scholarships to students from low-income families through the BAeK PTPTN initiative.
Ahmad Fitri Mohd Nor, a student with seven siblings, initially planned to work part-time to pay for his education. However, he received RM26,600 (approximately $5,600 USD) from BAeK PTPTN, allowing him to concentrate on his studies without needing additional employment. The BAeK PTPTN program aims to make higher education more accessible by converting eligible student loans into full scholarships.
Irwana Mahad, a student at UiTM Puncak Alam, also received a scholarship covering almost all of her RM18,000 tuition fees (approximately $3,800 USD). Before receiving the scholarship, Irwana worked during breaks to earn extra money. The Ministry of Higher Education and PTPTN introduced BAeK PTPTN to ensure financial difficulties do not prevent students from poor and very poor families from pursuing higher education at public universities. The program initially covered 5,800 students, but has since expanded to support 10,000.
To qualify, students must be Malaysian citizens under 25, enrolled in a PTPTN-registered course, have an active Simpan SSPN account, and have no outstanding PTPTN loans.
