PUTRAJAYA: The Higher Education Ministry has assured that no students from the B40 group will be left behind in accessing education due to registration fee issues.
Its deputy minister Datuk Mustapha Sakmud said the ministry has requested the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) to allow students to register at public institutions of higher education for the upcoming October intake first, with financial matters to be addressed later.
"This proposal comes from the Higher Education Ministry, Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir. We do not want any group, especially the B40, to be deprived of access to education in our country because of registration fee problems.
"Therefore, what he (Zambry) stressed is that universities should initially accept these students for registration, and we will manage the registration issues afterwards,” he told reporters when met at the ‘Kepimpinan Muda Kebangsaan Karisma: Pemikir Madani’ programme here on Thursday (Sept 19).
Mustapha said this step is intended to facilitate the admission process for students, particularly those facing financial challenges.
As for students applying for PTPTN loans, he said an advance loan of RM1,500 will be provided to assist them before registering at IPTA and polytechnics.
"Many students may not be aware of this. So, for those who are unsure or facing difficulties in registering, don’t worry. The Minister has assured that students can register first, and matters regarding fees will be sorted out later.
"We also hope that universities are informed of this and will ensure that no student is excluded due to registration issues. We do not want students to be hindered from pursuing their education because of this problem,” he said.
Earlier on Thursday, Zambry said all public university administrators should admit students from poor and disadvantaged backgrounds and defer their registration fees and also urged them to facilitate early financial aid through the PTPTN for those in need. - Bernama
