USM PENANG, 6 April 2023 – The National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) has allocated RM231,000 to ease the financial burden of 462 students from low-income/underprivileged families studying at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM).

 

In a statement issued, PTPTN, a corporation under the Higher Education Ministry, said the allocation was one of its initiatives through the KPT-PTPTN Prihatin Study Assistance programme to help underprivileged students.

"Each USM student from the poor and hardcore poor families is eligible to receive a one-off assistance of RM500, which will be deposited into their bank account.

"This programme is also implemented in collaboration with the Implementation Coordination Unit (ICU) of the Prime Minister's Department and USM to ensure that the recipients, who are all PTPTN borrowers, are from the eligible target group," it said in a statement today.

The presentation ceremony was held at the university's Al-Malik Khalid Mosque, here last Sunday, in conjunction with USM's breaking of fast event, which was attended by the Higher Education Minister, Dato’ Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin and several top officials from the Ministry of Higher Education.

Also present were USM Board of Governors chairman, Dato’ Seri Dr. Awang Adek Hussin; USM Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dato’ Ir. Dr. Abdul Rahman Mohamed; and PTPTN Chief Executive, Ahmad Dasuki Abdul Majid.

Meanwhile, Awang Adek who lauded the latest initiative by PTPTN via the KPT-PTPTN Prihatin Study Assistance programme to ease the financial burden of the needy students, said, “Students of this generation are very blessed to have PTPTN and the support from the government who are always concerned about their welfare while pursuing higher education.”

"I hope that this latest initiative will motivate students to continue to achieve great success in academics and personality, thus becoming the pride of their parents, university and nation," he added.

PTPTN was established in 1997 to provide education loans to Malaysian citizens so they could continue their studies at local public or private institutions of higher learning recognised by the government, and has since helped countless students fulfill their dreams of furthering their education at the tertiary level.

Text: Tan Ewe Hoe/Photo: Mohd Fairus Md Isa