Sarawak will begin offering free tertiary education for all Sarawakians enrolling in State-owned universities starting in 2026, under the Free Tertiary Education Scheme (FTES). The initiative will start with an allocation of RM250 million and cover 64 undergraduate degree programmes in its first year.
Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the scheme aims to ensure that access to higher education is based on merit and potential rather than financial limitations.
“Beginning 2026, all Sarawakians who enrol in Sarawak-owned universities will receive free education under the Free Tertiary Education Scheme. This transformative initiative is designed to build a future-ready workforce and ensure that financial constraints do not hinder access to higher education,” he said when presenting the 2026 Sarawak Budget during the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUS) sitting today.
The Premier added that the list of 64 programmes was finalised after consultations with State-owned universities and Yayasan Sarawak.
Abang Johari also announced the establishment of the Yayasan Sarawak International Secondary School (YSISS), which will offer the Cambridge curriculum as part of the State’s efforts to align its education system with global standards.
“A total of RM36 million has been allocated for the school’s operations and administration, while another RM13 million under Alternative Funding is set aside for preliminary works to expand its campuses to Bintulu and Miri, complementing existing campuses in Kuching and Sibu,” he said.
For early childhood education, the State Government has allocated RM22 million to SeDidik for operational and developmental needs, and RM14 million under the Annual Special Grant for registered early childhood institutions across Sarawak. An additional RM4 million will support TADIKA and TASKA fee subsidies, benefitting 4,000 children from households earning RM7,000 and below per month.
Sarawak will also continue strengthening the Dual Language Programme (DLP)—which uses English as the medium of instruction for Science and Mathematics and is benchmarked against Cambridge standards—with RM6 million allocated for its implementation.
On infrastructure, Abang Johari noted that the State has committed RM1 billion as an advance payment on Federal loans for the rebuilding and rehabilitation of dilapidated schools statewide. To date, RM700 million has already been disbursed to the Federal Government.
He said this long-term commitment reflects Sarawak’s determination to accelerate improvements to educational facilities and create safer, more conducive learning environments for students and teachers across the State.
