The National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) has set aside RM210 million under the PTPTN eKasih Children’s Scholarship (PTPTN Baek), which will benefit 10,000 students from poor and hardcore poor households this year.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir said the allocation marks a significant increase compared to the RM120 million announced under the 2026 Budget by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in October, which initially targeted 5,800 recipients.
He said the expansion was outlined under the Malaysia Higher Education Plan 2026–2035, which now doubles the number of beneficiaries under the initiative aimed at supporting students from low-income families.
Zambry said eligible applicants must be registered under the eKasih database and enrolled full-time in diploma or bachelor’s degree programmes at public higher education institutions starting Jan 1 this year.
He also urged higher education institutions and the public to help identify students who meet the criteria so they are not left out of the programme.
PTPTN chairman Datuk Seri Norliza Abdul Rahim said that as of May 31, a total of 402 students nationwide had already benefited from the scholarship, involving allocations of RM8.79 million since its introduction.
She added that the scholarship is open to Malaysians aged 25 and below who are enrolled in PTPTN-registered courses, maintain an active Simpan SSPN account, have no outstanding loan arrears, and have at least one semester remaining in their studies.
Recipients are entitled to annual financial support of RM4,750 for diploma programmes, RM6,180 for bachelor’s degrees in arts, and RM6,650 for science-based degrees.
Norliza said applicants must first apply for a PTPTN loan through the myPTPTN portal, which will be approved before they are assessed for scholarship eligibility.
Successful candidates will be notified via email and through the myPTPTN application, and must submit their acceptance documents at any PTPTN office within 14 days of receiving the offer letter. Payments will be disbursed every semester.
Among the recipients were students who expressed relief and gratitude, saying the financial assistance would ease their families’ burden and allow them to focus fully on their studies.
One recipient, a student from Tanjung Sedili, said the scholarship helped ease financial pressure on her family following her father’s passing in 2019, while another Cyber Security student from Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka (UTeM) said it would reduce the financial strain on his father, who supports several children.
The scholarship presentation tour will continue in Melaka next week, where more students are expected to receive the award.
