An investment in education is crucial to self development, however if you are struggling financially to pay for tuition fees, there are options out there which you can consider. You can opt by getting through with scholarships, or if that is not possible you can apply for a PTPTN loan if you are a Malaysian resident.
What is PTPTN?
Perbadanan Tabung Pendidikan Tinggi Nasional, or PTPTN, is a government institution that provides study loans for Malaysian students’ tertiary education. PTPN will either finance the full tuition fee, or just partially – depending on individual cases and of course, if your course is eligible for a fund at all.
This is one of the top choices that university students often look to when seeking out student loans, largely because of its low interest rate. Moreover, if you happen to graduate from your degree with a First Class Honours certificate, your loan will be converted into a scholarship, meaning that you will be exempted from paying back your loan at all!
Who is Eligible for the Loan?
So, how do you know that you are eligible for the PTPTN student loan? Here is the list of requirements you need to meet in order to be granted the loan:
- Malaysian citizen
- Aged 45 years and below
- An open SSPN-i savings account
- Have a university offer letter (both public and private institutions)
- Your course is approved and accredited by MQA (read more about this below!)
- More than one year left of remaining study period
- No other sponsors.
Is Your Course Eligible for a PTPTN Loan?
While the PTPN student loan is available for all Malaysian university students that fulfils the requirements stated above, you should also take a look into whether your course is among the list of those that PTPN covers.
First and foremost, what is MQA?
MQA is the Malaysia Qualifications Agency, which is a government body under the Ministry of Higher Education. This department is the only one that controls a universities’ accreditation status, regulates curriculums, and sets the standard operation procedures for both private and public learning institutions. This body is also responsible for accrediting individual programmes in universities.
To find out if your course is accredited:
- Visit the website of Malaysia Qualifications Register
- Choose the type of institution you are planning to study in and search for your university.
- Check the results and click on the details – that should show you all the MQA accredited courses.
A brief list of the courses that PTPN covers are as listed below:
- Diploma (Full-time): IPTA, Politeknik dan IPTS
- Diploma (Part-time): IPTA, Politeknik dan IPTS*
- Diploma (PJJ): IPTA
- Advanced Diploma: IPTA dan Politeknik
- First Degree (Full-time): IPTA dan IPTS
- First Degree (Part-time): IPTA dan IPTS*
- Masters (Full-time/Part-time/PJJ): IPTA
- PhD (Full-time/Part-time/PJJ): IPTA
- Professional Courses (Full-time/Part-time/PJJ): IPTA
*Take note that loans are only prioritised for students under UNITEM, UNITAR, Wawasan Open University, and Asia e-University.
For more information on this section, contact us now!
How Much Can PTPTN Cover?
Your financial support from PTPTN relies on three things:
- Your household income
- The institution you are in
- The course you are pursuing
PTPN loans are provided in what is known as “needs-based”. This means that the lower-income families will be able to ask for larger amounts; private institutions would require a larger loan compared to public institutions; science-based courses would require more compared to an art-based course.
For private institutions, below is a table that shows you the summary of loans provided per-year:
University Course | Household Income | ||
<4,000 | <8,000 | >8,000 | |
Foundation | RM6,800 | RM5,100 | RM3,400 |
Diploma | RM6,800 | RM5,100 | RM3,400 |
Diploma (Pharmacy, Dentistry, & Health Science) | RM12,750 | RM9,560 | RM6,380 |
Degree (Science) | RM14,030 | RM10,520 | RM7,010 |
Degree (Humanities | RM13,600 | RM10,200 | RM6,800 |
Degree (Pharmacy, Dentistry, & Health Science) | RM17,000 | RM12,750 | RM8,500 |
Degree (Medicine) | RM50,000 | RM37,500 | RM30,000 |
*For more information on how much the PTPTN can cover for your course, contact us now!
How Do You Apply for a PTPTN Loan?
So how do you actually apply for the PTPTN Loan? Below here is a list of 5 easy steps you need to take to be eligible for the loan:
Step 1 | Open an SSPN-i account
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Step 2 | Open a savings account at a panel bank
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Step 3 | Purchase a PTPTN number from Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN)
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Step 4 | Open PTPTN’s website to apply online. |
Step 5 | Complete the application form on the website. |
For more information on this area, feel free to reach out and contact us now!
Do remember that securing a PTPTN loan does not mean that your financial responsibilities are fully covered. The loan that is granted to you may only cover a part of your tuition fees. So, to ensure that you avoid any surprises, do the math carefully to see how much the PTPTN loan will be able to sponsor, and how much you would have to carry on.
Good luck!
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About The Author
Karisse Hannah
Journalism and Advertising major. Passionate about reading and writing, and an advocate for the truth.
