A NON-PROFIT organisation is offering RM5mil worth of scholarships and financial assistance, in partnership with 10 universities and colleges.
The partnership, called the HOPE initiative (Harnessing Opportunities for Pathways in Education), will offer 57 financially disadvantaged Malaysian students an opportunity to pursue foundation, diploma and bachelor degree programmes across multiple disciplines.
The universities and colleges will offer tuition fee waivers between 50% and 100% to qualified students, while Amma Foundation will provide financial grants or interest-free study loans to finance part of the fees.
Universities and colleges participating in Amma Foundation’s HOPE Initiative are Asia Pacific University of Innovation and Technology (APU), Brickfields Asia College (BAC), HELP University, IACT College, Mahsa University, Reliance College, Sunway University, Sunway College, University Malaysia of Computer Science & Engineering (UniMy) and Veritas University College.
Malaysian students who have completed their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM)/O-Level or equivalent and the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM)/foundation/pre-university programmes may apply for foundation, diploma or bachelor degree programmes in disciplines such as medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, engineering, computer science, cybersecurity, robotics & automation, psychology, law, business, finance, media and communications, early childhood, hotel management and culinary arts.
Amma Foundation president Datuk Surendran Menon said, “The cost of quality tertiary education in Malaysia continues to soar and is often beyond the means of many Malaysians.
“Amma Foundation wants to help increase access by creating various routes and opportunities for financially disadvantaged students to achieve their educational goals.
“To reach a wider target audience, we created the HOPE initiative to provide financial aid to students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and support students with academic resources, mentorship and career development opportunities,” he said.
A fundraising dinner raised RM500,000 in pledges for Amma Foundation.
Many guests also pledged to support this initiative over the next three years.
At its next nationwide roadshow, the foundation will identify and shortlist well-deserving Malaysian students from B40 and M40 households.
Applicants must be Malaysian citizens below 25 years old with household incomes within the B40 and M40 income ranges.
Applicants must show academic excellence and commitment to the pursuit of higher education and demonstrate leadership potential and strong community engagement.
