PTPTN Expands eKasih Scholarship to RM210 Million, Targets 10,000 Students from Low-Income Families
KULAI: The National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) has significantly expanded its eKasih Children’s Scholarship (BAeK) scheme, increasing the total allocation to RM210 million and widening its reach to 10,000 students from poor and hardcore poor households nationwide.
The enhanced initiative is aimed at ensuring greater access to higher education for students from financially disadvantaged backgrounds, allowing them to pursue their studies without being burdened by tuition fees and other education-related expenses.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir said the latest allocation represents a substantial increase compared with the RM120 million announced under Budget 2026 last year.
The earlier allocation was expected to benefit around 5,800 students, but the revised figure more than doubles the number of recipients under the government’s broader education agenda.
“The latest announcement under the Malaysia Higher Education Plan 2026-2035 increases the number of beneficiaries to 10,000 students from poor and hardcore poor families.
“This reflects the government’s commitment to ensuring that no deserving student is left behind due to financial limitations,” he said after presenting scholarship awards to two recipients in Johor.
Also present at the ceremony were PTPTN chairman Datuk Seri Norliza Abdul Rahim, chief executive Ahmad Dasuki Abdul Majid and Johor PTPTN director Mazni Ruslan.
According to Zambry, eligible students must be listed in the national eKasih database and enrolled full-time in Diploma or Bachelor’s Degree programmes at public higher education institutions beginning Jan 1 this year.
He urged universities and members of the public to help identify students who qualify for the scholarship so that more young Malaysians can benefit from the programme.
The scholarship is among several initiatives introduced to improve access to higher education and reduce the financial burden on families struggling with rising living costs.
Meanwhile, PTPTN chairman Norliza said that as of May 31, a total of 402 students across the country had already received the scholarship, involving an allocation of RM8.79 million since the programme was launched earlier this year.
She said the scholarship is open to Malaysian citizens aged 25 years and below who are enrolled in PTPTN-approved courses and possess an active Simpan SSPN account.
Applicants must also have no outstanding PTPTN loan arrears and must have at least one semester remaining in their studies.
Recipients pursuing Diploma programmes are entitled to receive RM4,750 annually, while students undertaking Bachelor’s Degree programmes in Arts and Humanities will receive RM6,180 each year.
Students enrolled in Science-based degree programmes will receive RM6,650 annually.
Norliza explained that students are first required to apply for a PTPTN education loan through the myPTPTN application.
The loan application will be approved initially to ensure students can continue their studies without disruption before being considered for the BAeK scholarship if they meet all the eligibility criteria.
Successful candidates will be notified via email and through the myPTPTN platform.
They are required to submit their acceptance documents at any PTPTN branch within 14 days of receiving the offer letter, with scholarship payments subsequently disbursed every semester.
Among the recipients honoured in Johor were 20-year-old Alin Nairien Wong Mohd Allif Wong and Muhammad Amar Khoo Arif Khoo, 21.
Alin Nairien, who is pursuing a Diploma in Event Management at Politeknik Ibrahim Sultan, said the scholarship would ease the burden carried by her mother and elder brother following the death of her father in 2019.
“This scholarship helps lessen the burden on my family and motivates me to work harder so I can make them proud one day,” she said.
Muhammad Amar, a Cyber Security undergraduate at Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM), said the assistance would help reduce the financial responsibilities borne by his father, who currently supports him and his two siblings.
The PTPTN BAeK scholarship presentation programme is scheduled to continue in Melaka next week, where more deserving students are expected to receive the financial aid.
