Undergraduate - Afterschool.my

Transcription

TUESDAY, MARCH 27, 2012
SCHOLARSHIPS
& LOANS
In collaboration with
Undergraduate
FAMILIARISE
YOURSELF
WITH
SCHOLARSHIP
TERMS
In collabration with
Undergraduate
HOW DOES
PTPTN
WORK?
PAGE 2
PAGE 6
FUNDING WOES?
The answer could be within
BROWSER
SCHOLARSHIP
RECIPIENTS SHARE
THEIR STORIES
PAGE 14
MALAYSIAN
CORPORATIONS
REWARD TOP
STUDENTS
PAGES 4&12
A QUICK LOOK
AT LOAN
OFFERINGS
IN MALAYSIA
PAGES 10&11
PAGE 2 | NEW STRAITS TIMES
UNDERGRADUATE FOCUS
Created especially for you
T
he SPM and STPM results were
released on 7 and 21 Mar respectively, and according to a report by
the Education Ministry, the overall SPM
results were the best recorded in the
last five years.
Now, armed with their results, the
world of tertiary education awaits
hopeful students. But for many, this
path beyond school is a cloud of uncertainty and filled with mystery. What
course? Which university? Can I afford
it?
In the attempt to clear this fog, the
New Straits Times, in collaboration with
Afterschool.my, a higher education
website, created Undergraduate Focus, a
series of newspaper pullouts, which will
provide students with the information
they need to make their tertiary education decision process easier.
There are 11 issues in the series, each
focusing on a different topic, starting
with this issue, and another 10 being
published until the end of July.
This first issue, Scholarships and
Loans, talks about funding for tertiary
education. There is a focus on the Top
8 Scholarships available in Malaysia
and interviews with some of its recipients, as well as stories on loans and
funding. Readers can also find some 20
scholarships that are currently open for
applications.
The second issue focuses on the
different pre-university programmes
available to students, highlighting both
government and private options. For
students who just received their SPM
results and are confused about which
programme to take before pursuing
their degree, this upcoming issue would
be for them.
The subsequent eight issues will
each focus on different fields of study.
These issues are targeted at students
who have no idea which course to pursue for their undergraduate studies.
The issues include overviews of fields
of focus, the different courses available
in each field, career prospects as well
as a list of institutions that offer these
courses.
The last issue concentrates on the
different branch campuses in Malaysia
as well as how to go about getting a
UPCOMING UNDERGRADUATE FOCUS PULLOUTS
Pre-University
25 Apr
Engineering
2 May
Business, Accounting & Finance
9 May
Medical Sciences
23 May
Computer & Technology
30 May
Hospitality & Tourism
6 June
Sciences
13 June
Architecture, Design & Multimedia
27 June
Mass Communication, Journalism and Law
4 July
Branch Campus & Foreign Degree
11 July
foreign degree. This issue highlights the
ever-growing list of foreign institutions
opening their branch campuses in the
country.
What’s unique about the Undergraduate Focus series is that it is accompanied by career talks that match
the topics in the series. Look out for
announcements about these career
talks, which will be publicised in the
different issues of the pullout.
The publication dates for the series
of Undergraduate Focus pullouts and
their corresponding topics are as above. Do mark your calendars and head to
the newsstand.
If you‘d like to advertise in the
Undergraduate Focus please call
S.N. Rajah at 012 3333 352 or
email snrajah@pam.my
Info, advice at your fingertips
Scholarships are financial aids provided
to eligible students that need not be
repaid. As education is a costly investment, a scholarship is an important
consideration for students who wish
to further their studies. There are a few
different types of scholarships available
out there.
MERIT-BASED SCHOLARSHIPS: Awar-
ded based on the performance of a
student, the most prestigious meritbased scholarships reward well-rounded students who excel in both academics and co-curricular activities. There
are also merit-based scholarships that
recognise a student’s specific achievement in his academic, athletic or extracurricular activities.
Academic scholarships are awarded
to students who graduate at the top of
the class and in the highest percentiles
of standardised school examinations.
Athletic scholarships are awarded
to students who achieve athletic excellence, combined with some academic
considerations. Most students awarded with athletic scholarships must
have represented the state or country
in a sporting event.
Artistic scholarships are awarded
to students with creative abilities in
music or other art programmes and
normally require an audition or interview.
NEED-BASED SCHOLARSHIPS: These
are awarded based on fiscal consideration of the students and his family’s
financial means. They aid students
from low-income families to continue
their studies and improve their standard of living.
Afterschool.my does not
just answer questions, it
advises students on the
best course of action. It
is not just about giving
information in answer to a
question – it is advice from
the editors of Afterschool.
my; it is a professional
service and not just a forum
like other websites.
NEXT STEP: Afterschool.my is a website that assists school leavers in making
decisions about their higher education
future. Operating under the tagline
‘Higher Education Advisor’, the website was established in 2009 and has
gathered a steady following.
The website is perfect for current
SPM students, current STPM students,
post-SPM and STPM students as well as
parents. It aims to provide career advice
to students, to aid in their further education choices.
The team at Afterschool.my constantly keep an eye on education
updates in the news, policy changes in
the country as well as the latest from
institutions of higher learning. As
such, the website does not host static content. It is active and is regularly
updated whenever new information is
available.
The website has information on
anything and everything a school leaver would need in order to make an
informed decision about their next
Know what
the terms
mean
MINORITY SCHOLARSHIPS: Some
scholarships are awarded to students
who must first qualify by gender, ethnicity, disability, nationality or other
specific factors. This type of scholarship is usually offered to encourage members of minority groups to
further their education and increase
the representation of a minority group
in the education system, as well as to
attract them into new fields of study.
step in education. Furthermore, special
attention is paid to the dilemma faced
by school leavers – where, what and
how to fund higher education.
Afterschool.my features lists of
different courses available in Malaysia
and institutions that offer the courses.
In that section, students can also find
information on careers that can be pursued if they take a particular course, as
well as the potential and salary scale of
these jobs.
Another significant section is scholarships where the latest scholarships
and loans are regularly updated. Within
this section, there is also a focus on the
top scholarships, interviews with scholars about their experiences as well as
tips for current hopefuls.
The website is also useful for cur-
rent SPM students, with an SPM revision guide and question analysis that is
updated and revised annually.
Afterschool.my stands apart from
other education portals mainly because
it encourages students to ask any questions about higher education, which
the team then does its best to answer as fast as possible. Furthermore,
Afterschool.my does not just answer
questions it advises students on the
best course of action. It is not just
about giving information in answer to
a question but advice from the editors
of Afterschool.my. It is a professional
service and not just a forum.
Students can also ask their questions on the Afterschool Facebook fan
page.
Afterschool.my’s Facebook fan page
was established in January 2010 and
in three years has amassed a total of
103,604 ‘Likes’. This is where the team
posts news that appear on the website,
as well as answer the bulk of questions
posted by students. They also encourage other students to help answer
some of the questions and comment
on the posts, which makes the wall very
interactive.
Constantly evolving, Afterschool.
my also recently launched its Bahasa
Malaysia counterpart, where students
are able to get information and ask their
questions. Go to www.afterschool.
my to get information on courses and
the latest scholarships and education
news, or go to www.facebook.com/
Afterschool.my to ask any higher
education-related question.
CAREER-BASED SCHOLARSHIPS: Most
career-based scholarships are offered
by corporations with a particular interest in fields of study that are based on
the type of business the corporations
deal with.
Many corporations offer these scholarships to attract potential
employees from the group of scholarship holders, while other scholarship
providers, like the government, may
offer them in order to meet the shortage of graduates in critical fields.
UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIPS: These
are offered only to students who have
gained admission to a course offered
by the university. Some of the awards
are course-specific while others may
be granted to any student who meets
the requirements of the offer.
More on Page 7
tuesday, MaRCH 27, 2012
NeW stRaits tiMes | PAGE 3
PAGE 4 | NEW StraitS tiMES
tuESday, March 27, 2012
undergraduate focus
Top scholarships
for high achievers
Azurin rAhim
F
or many school leavers the decision to continue
studying depends very much on their financial situation. Undeniably, public institutions of
higher learning offer good courses with affordable
prices but places are limited, and so, many are forced
to look for opportunities elsewhere.
Unfortunately, private and overseas options
are a tad too costly to pursue without any external
funding. This is where scholarships come into the
picture.
In Malaysia, there is a wide range of scholarships
that are available for qualified students. Some may
only offer funding for academic fees but some offer
full scholarships, which also cover living expenses.
There are eight scholarships in particular that
stand out and seem to be popular choices among
students: Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam (JPA), Majlis
Amanah Rakyat (MARA), Bank Negara Malaysia
(BNM), Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), Telekom
Malaysia Berhad (TM), Securities Commission (SC),
UEM Group Berhad and Sime Darby.
Below is a brief look at these top eight scholarships.
Bank Negara Malaysia
A statutory body wholly-owned by the
Malaysian government, Bank Negara
Malaysia’s various roles include conducting
monetary policy, stabilising the financial
system, issuing currency, managing the
country’s reserves and being a banker and
adviser to the government.
BNM offers scholarships in two different levels. The first is a pre-university
scholarship that awards recipients with
funding for pre-u courses such as the Cambridge A-Levels, the American Foundation Programme and the South Australian
Matriculation.
For recipients of this particular scholarship, BNM may extend its
offer to include funding at the
bachelor’s degree level, provided the student manages
to fulfil the criteria set by the
bank.
The second scholarship level
is an undergraduate (honours)
scholarship that offers aids
both for local and overseas
programmes of study.
Who should APPly: Students with good
academic records who are interested in
pursuing careers in finance are encouraged to apply for these scholarships. BNM
prioritises outstanding students, not just
in the academic front, but also in terms of
extra-curricular activities. Another important criterion is that the applicant should
have a good command of both written and
spoken English.
SPM leavers who wish to apply for the
pre-university scholarship should have
passed the SPM 2011 examinations with
at least 8As (consisting of A+ and A only)
and should not be more than 19 years of
age on 1 July.
Those who are interested in the undergraduate scholarship should fulfil these
academic requirements:
securities Commission Malaysia
The statutory body responsible for regulating and
developing Malaysia’s capital markets, the Securities
Commission’s main objective is to make sure that the
securities and futures market are always fair, efficient,
secure and transparent. It also helps the local market
develop itself, both innovatively and competitively.
The SC offers two scholarships: a predegree scholarship, which sends its recipients to any local university to undergo
pre-university programmes, and a tertiary scholarship, where scholars will pursue
degrees in reputable universities, either
locally or overseas.
Who should APPly: Most scholarships
prioritise students who have outstanding
academic records. The SC is no different.
Hopefuls need to have a minimum of 9As in the SPM
2011 examinations if they wish to apply for the predegree scholarship or at least 3As and 1B+ for STPM,
3As for A-Levels or a CGPA of at least 3.5 for diploma
or matriculation if they wish to apply for the tertiary
level scholarship.
Good interpersonal and leadership skills and being
active in co-curriculum and sports are added advantages, and the SC also puts an importance in being
able to speak and write well in both Bahasa Malaysia
and English.
Short listed applicants will be called in for an interview and a series of other assessment processes. SucFor more on top scholarships turn to page 12
cessful applicants will ultimately receive funding for
full academic fees, books, living allowance, subsistence
and other miscellaneous allowances.
FiElds oF study: Being a financial institution, the SC
naturallyawardsitsscholarshipsinthesamefield.One
of the courses that the SC gives scholarships to is investment banking, a field that deals with the ins and outs of
corporate finance.
Since the government liberalised the
Malaysian banking industry and made way
for foreign banks to open more branches
here, job opportunities have expanded,
which means that graduates of this field will
have an easy time trying to find jobs.
SC scholars should not have any trouble
here as they will be expected to serve under
the commission for a stipulated period once
they complete their education.
Besides investment banking, the SC’s scholarships
are also open to those who are interested in studying accounting, business administration, economics,
finance, international business, Islamic finance and
banking and law.
dEAdliNE: The SC scholarships are currently open for
application until 3 Apr. However, applicants are only
allowed to create login IDs until 1 Apr, so interested
parties should send in their applications as soon as
possible.
To apply for the scholarships or to get more information, visit: www.sc.com.my
• STPM/A-Levels:Obtainedatleast
2As and 1B
• Diploma/Matriculation:Obtaineda
CGPA (Cumulative Grade Point
Average) of at least 3.50
sime darby Berhad
A multinational corporation based in
Malaysia, Sime Darby was originally
known for its plantations. The company
is now also involved in property, motors,
industrial equipment and energy and utilities. Sime Darby has also started spreading
its influence over the private
healthcare industry.
In 1982, Sime Darby set up
its trust entity, Yayasan Sime
Darby, which works closely
with the group to disburse
its funds in five key areas of
concern: community development, youth, sports and
recreation, education, arts
and culture, and environment
and protection of ecosystems. This is the
body that handles Sime Darby’s scholarships and ensures that they are given out
fairly and indiscriminately.
This year, Sime Darby is offering three
scholarships under its Excellence category: The Local Undergraduate Scholarship
Programme, China Pre-University Scholarship Programme and China Undergraduate Scholarship Programme.
Who should APPly: The scholarships are
open to high-flyers and well-rounded stu-
• AustralianMatriculation:Obtained
a TER (Tertiary Entrance Rank) of
at least 85 per cent
• AmericanFoundationProgramme:
Obtainedascoreofatleast1200
for the SAT1
• Degree:ObtainedaCGPAofat
least 3.50 for the latest
examinations
Scholarship recipients will be bonded
to BNM upon graduation; for each year of
scholarship, students will be bonded for
twoyears.Onaverage,scholarsusually
have to serve under BNM for eight to 10
years.
FiElds oF study: BNM’s schol-
arships are awarded mostly in
the financial field. A particularly interesting course that BNM
offers its scholarships to is Islamic Finance.
There has been a growing
interest in this field in recent
years. In recognition of this
fact, the government launched
the Malaysia International Islamic Financial Centre (MIFC) as
part of an initiative to establish Malaysia as
an international Islamic Finance hub.
The career opportunities for graduates
in this field are excellent. Most graduates
will enter the banking industry and work
in the Islamic arm of banks. BNM scholars
will find themselves working under the
Islamic Finance arm of BNM as part of
their bond.
Besides Islamic Finance, Bank Negara
also offers scholarships in economics,
accounting, actuarial science, banking and
finance, financial engineering, law, syariah
and mathematics.
dEAdliNE: The Undergraduate Scholarship
closed its applications on 20 Mar, but SPM
leavers can still apply for the pre-university
scholarship which is open for eight days
after SPM results. This means that the
deadline is tomorrow. All applications are
online, so there is still time.
To apply for the scholarship, or to get
more information on the Bank Negara
Scholarships, go to www.bnm.gov.my.
dents. Specific requirements can be found
on its website, but the scholarships are
open to SPM leavers, STPM leavers and
equivalent as well as those who are currently pursuing their degrees in selected
institutions. For those interested in applying to study in China, proficiency in Mandarin is an added advantage.
FiElds oF study: For its Chi-
na scholarships, the fields of
study are limited to business
and engineering. Local scholarship recipients can also take
science courses: agriculture,
food technology, plantations technology, plantation
management and biotechnology.
Sime Darby scholars are bonded to the
company, but career possibilities outside
of that are endless, since the scope involves so many different fields at once.
dEAdliNE: All three scholarships are still
open for applications. The China undergraduate scholarship closes on the 31
Mar whilst the other two will close on
20 Apr.
To apply for the scholarships or for
more information, visit: www.yayasansimedarby.com.
undergraduate focus
A study loan that
has students at heart
PTPTN gives many tertiary education opportunities
S
ince its inception in 1997, around
two million students have benefited from more than RM42.35
billion in study loans given out by the
National Higher Education Fund Corporation or Perbadanan Tabung Pendidikan Tinggi Nasional Malaysia (PTPTN).
Based on the number of SPM and STPM
leavers, which totalled to 500,000 last
year, it is estimated that there were at
least 300,000 new students enrolled
in higher education institutions in the
previous year. Out of this, more than
200,000 students received PTPTN loan
last year alone.
The media does occasionally report
PTPTN’s woe with loan defaulters,
which totalled 104,083 debtors as of
late last year. PTPTN has taken extreme
measures including issuing court summonses and blacklisting defaulters from
leaving the country in order to ensure
sufficient funds are available.
Last year, 11,762 students had their
study loans converted to scholarships
that were worth RM33.07 million in
total because these students earned
first class degrees.
whAt is it?: PTPTN is a study loan programme open to students pursuing studies at the diploma, first degree, masters and doctorate levels and professional courses at recognised local public
universities (IPTAs). Students taking a
diploma or first degree programme in
polytechnics or local private colleges
(IPTSs) are also eligible to apply.
Since 2007, the loan has been
available for students who are pursuing part-time studies in IPTAs or polytechnics, as well as long distant studies in IPTAs, Asia E University, Open
University Malaysia or Wawasan Open
IPTS
University.
The PTPTN loan is open for application by all Malaysians aged no more
than 45 years old at the date of application. The applicants must obtain a pass
in SPM with minimum three credits,
and be enrolled in a local university with
their remaining period of study upon
application exceeding one year.
how it works: To apply for the loan,
the applicant must first have an individual account in a bank specified by his
institute. Effective January 1, a National Education Savings Scheme (SSPN)
account is compulsory before a student
can apply for the PTPTN loan.
An SSPN account can be opened at
the PTPTN One Stop Centre in KL Sentral or through an SSPN agent such as
Bank Simpanan Nasional, CIMB Bank
Berhad, Agro Bank, Bank Islam Malaysia
Berhad, Bank Kerjasama Rakyat Malaysia Berhad, and Maybank.
Before applying for the loan, the
applicant must purchase a PIN number from any BSN outlet to access the
online application system. Successful
applicants will have to print the loan
agreement and several other specified
documents to be submitted to their
institution to officially accept the loan
and complete the application process.
All applicants who receive the
PTPTN loan must take insurance coverage. PTPTN handles the appointment
of the insurance company and the premium payment is deducted from the
total loan before being transferred to
the borrower.
Upon confirmation of the loan, the
funds are transferred in batches every
semester through the applicant’s learning institution, which will make the necPolytechnics
Long-Distant Studies
IPTA
√
Part-time Courses
√
√
Diploma
√
√
√
First Degree
√
√
√
Master
√
Doctorate
√
Professional Courses
√
IPTA and
Polytechnics
IPTS
First Degree
Programme
Full Loan
(maximum)
Partial Loan
(maximum)
Fees Loan
(maximum)
pharmacy, dentistry
or medicine
RM7,000
RM3,500
RM2,300
Science
RM7,000
RM3,500
RM2,100
Arts
RM6,500
RM3,000
RM1,100
Science
RM16,500
RM13,500
RM10,500
Arts
RM16,000
RM13,000
RM1,000
essary deduction for the fees incurred.
The remainder of the funds will then
be transferred to the applicant’s bank
account by the learning institution.
After the first batch of the loan is
transferred, the subsequent semester’s
disbursement will be done based on the
confirmation from the borrower’s institution. The student must still be active
and have passed the previous semester
with a GPA of 2.0 or above and have not
received any other sponsorship.
Loan advance (WPP) may be given
to students whose parents’ monthly
income is less than RM4,000 who have
received offers to study at the diploma
or first degree level at IPTAs and polytechnics. The WPP is deducted from the
total loan given to a student to allow the
student to prepare before registering
into the IPTA.
loAn covErAGE: Depending on the
evaluation of the financial background
of the student’s family, the student may
receive a full loan, partial loan or fees
loan.
Full loans are given to students
whose parents earn less than RM4000
monthly, while partial loans and fees
loans are given to students whose
parents’ monthly income is between
RM4,000 to RM5,000, and more than
RM5,000, respectively.
The maximum annual loan that can
be offered depends on the course taken
by the student. For first degree programmes, the maximum annual loan
can be summarised as follows:
• Students who undergo twinning
programmes can still apply for PTPTN.
• PTPTN only provides the loan for
the duration of study that is carried out
in the country. For example, in a 2+1
programme where a student studies
two years locally and a year abroad,
only the two years spent locally will be
covered by PTPTN.
PTPTN does not cover foundation
courses except those offered by UNITEN, MMU, UTP and UNIRAZAK. Students enrolled in pre-university courses
such as A-Levels, AUSMAT, and International Baccalaureate are also not eligible
to apply for the loan.
rEPAymEnt tErms: The loan repayment can be made six months after
graduation or as soon as the borrower
secures a career. Repayment includes an
administrative cost of 3 per cent calculated based on the monthly balance.
In January this year, Ujrah conversion
was introduced as an alternative to the
administrative cost. Ujrah is offered at
a flat rate of 1 per cent for all borrowers
except those who have been fined or
with a loan repayment balance of less
than RM1,000.
If the borrowers continue their
studies on a full-time basis, they may
apply for a deferment for the period of
the study. However, the administrative
cost is still charged during the period of
deferment and will result in a greater
sum in the future.
Although PTPTN sets a fixed
monthly instalment for the loan repayment, borrowers can repay an amount
greater than that. If borrowers settle
their loan earlier, they are eligible for a
rebate. If the total loan amount is paid
off within six months upon the completion of the borrower’s studies, no
administrative cost will be imposed. The
PTPTN loan can also be converted to a
scholarship for borrowers who complete their full-time first degree with first
class honours or the equivalent starting
1 January 2010.
Borrowers who fail to repay their
loans get blacklisted and will be barred from leaving the country until the
remaining loan balance is settled. To get
off the blacklist, the payment must be
made seven days before the scheduled date of going overseas. There are
several methods for repayment, including payment via cheque, bank draft or
money order, online payment, counter
payment, as well as salary deduction.
othEr loAns: As the cost of higher
education is not cheap, not many students can afford it without some kind
of education funding. A student loan is
a financial aid for education that must
be repaid with an interest.
Besides PTPTN, there are also private institutions that offer student loans
at various rates and with different
repayment methods. Some of these
loans can be converted into a scholarship or carry a discounted rate as a way
to encourage borrowers to maintain
excellent grades.
Students can get in touch with other
companies or organisations that give
out loans through their higher education institution’s Student Affairs Division.
JPA has a website that provides information about study loan opportunities:
www.jpa.gov.my. More information
about PTPTN can be found at www.
ptptn.gov.my.
You might realise now that education, although not cheap, is still affordable if you are willing to put in the work
to apply for a study loan and be committed to the repayment responsibility
upon graduation. Doing so will not only
allow you to attain higher education
and better career prospects but also
permit others the same opportunity in
the future.
Merit scholarships for SPM high achievers
shAPinG livEs: Tunku Abdul Rahman
College (TAR College) has a long history of supporting deserving students
through its merit scholarships and student loan funds. The college strongly
believes that quality education should
be made available to everyone regardless of social or financial standing.
The TAR College Merit Scholarship
started in 1997 and has since benefited
more than 12,000 students, enabling
them to achieve their aspirations and
shape their lives. The amount of scholarships awarded last year in terms of
tuition fee waiver reached RM 8.0 million.
The scholarship is offered to SPM
high achievers who score a minimum
of 7As. Students who obtain 9As and
above stand to receive a 100 per cent
waiver of tuition fees for the duration of
their chosen programme. The application process is simple - students who fulfil the eligibility criteria are offered the
scholarship automatically upon admission and there is no bond to serve.
TAR College also offers 20 scholarships through The Star Education Fund
and 10 through Nanyang Tertiary Education Fund to students who wish to
pursue diploma and advanced diploma
programmes.
The college also has a total of 24 student loan funds set up by philanthropists, corporations and the alumni with
the objective of helping needy students
complete their tertiary education.
For more information on TAR College scholarships and student loans,
visit: www.tarc.edu.my.
NEW STRAITS TIMES | PAGE 7
UNDERGRADUATE FOCUS
B
esides loans offered by the
government and private corporations, students can seek out bank
loans to further their studies. Most local
banks provide them in the form of personal loans that require individuals to
repay them upon graduation.
The repayment duration is about 15
to 20 years depending on the bank’s
terms and conditions. Examples of
banks offering personal loans for education are CIMB Bank, Maybank and
RHB Bank.
Other banks offer specific loans
for education rather than the general
personal loans. Below are two specific
education loans.
BANK RAKYAT EDUCATION FINANCING-I FALAH: Bank Rakyat offers a
loan programme to finance individuals
who wish to further their studies locally
or overseas. This loan will cover the full
cost of tuition fees, cost of living and
also the purchase of study materials
The bank loan option
The maximum amount an applicant
can loan is RM200,000 with a guarantor. However, unlimited financing can be
provided in certain cases that are subject to collateral value such as landed
property and Bank Rakyat’s Investment
Certificates. The maximum duration to
repay the loan is 15 years.
For more information visit: www.
bankrakyat.com.my
such as text books.
The eligibility for the loan scheme is
flexible; it is open to all Malaysians aged
18 and above and not exceeding 65
years at the end of the financing peri-
Finding the right fit
From Page 2
When applying for a scholarship, there are several things to note.
First, students must ensure the legitimacy of the scholarship opportunities. There are hundreds of scholarships offered by governments,
corporations and non-profit charitable trust funds. Unfortunately there
are also scams trying to take advantage of students who are looking for
financial assistance.
Students should:
• Beware of scholarship offers that request an advanced applicati
on fee or payment to become a short listed candidate.
• Not trust scholarship providers that guarantee scholarship
awards to all applicants.
• Be careful of solicitations from people claiming to represent the
government or scholarship organisations.
• Do some background research on the organisation, especially if
it is not a well-established scholarship provider.
• Once the validity of the scholarship provider is confirmed, be
aware of the conditions set by the scholarship giver before
submitting the application.
TIME: A scholarship application is usually
time-sensitive, so applicants must always
be on the lookout for the opening of a
scholarship offer and its closing date.
The entire selection process may
take a while, and the disbursement of
the scholarship grant may take even
more time. Consider these factors and
plan ahead as the whole process can be
time consuming. Having some financial resources in the meantime may be a
good idea.
SCHOLARSHIP COVERAGE: Most scholarships require that the student
not hold another existing scholarship, although some might allow it.
Not all scholarships are full scholarships that cover the school fees and
provide monthly stipends. Partial scholarships may cover only schoolrelated expenses, while students will still need to cover their own living
expenses.
REQUIREMENTS: Most scholarship offers have a minimum academic
requirement. As scholarships are competitive, many applications may
include an interview, essay submission or audition as part of the selection process.
Besides academic considerations, scholarship providers normally
favour students who show leadership values or have a community
service record. Bond requirements may also be part of the scholarship
agreement, typically requiring the student to work with the scholarship
provider upon graduation for a stipulated amount of time or in remote
locations.
There are plenty of scholarship opportunities available, each offering
something different. To be a truly successful applicant, the student must
weigh his options carefully before applying for a scholarship that is just
the right fit.
od. Besides that, applicants must have
a fixed income and as for students who
do not possess any income, they can
apply through their parents, spouses,
siblings or legal guardians.
OCBC BANK TUITION FEE LOAN: Students enrolled in NUS (National University of Singapore), NTU (Nanyang
Technological University) or NIE (National Institute of Education) can apply
for OCBC Bank’s Tuition Fee Loan
provided by Singapore’s Ministry of
Education. This loan offers up to a 90
per cent subsidy of tuition fees and an
interest-free loan where interest only
starts upon graduation. Repayment of
the loan starts upon graduation or not
later than two years after. The repayment period can be stretched up to a
maximum of 20 years.
There are no age restrictions for this
loan scheme and only full-time or parttime undergraduates from NUS, NTU
and NIE are eligible to apply. However,
selected postgraduate courses at NTU
are allowed to apply. The application
period is available at the start of the
semester.
ocbc.com
undergraduate focus
Aid from various foundations
F
oundations, or yayasan in Bahasa
Malaysia, are non-profit organisations that provide funds and support to other entities or to charitable
organisations.
There are quite a few foundations
in Malaysia; almost every state has a
foundation that supports the development of its community. Most of them
provide bursaries or study loans to
deserving students.
Yayasan Selangor Education
Loan
The loan is also advertised in newspapers in January and July every year.
It is open for candidates hoping to
pursue a course in local public or private institution of higher learning for
certificate, diploma and degree level.
Discipline: Any.
Amount: Unspecified.
How to apply: Obtain application forms from the Yayasan Selangor
headquarters.
Submit together with relevant
documents to address provided.
Visit www.yayasanselangor.org.
my for more information.
Deadline: Ongoing.
Yayasan Perak State Education
Bursary
Priority is given to applicants
from families with an income below
RM1,500.
Discipline: Any.
Amount: RM300 for certificate/
matriculation, RM500 for diploma
course, RM1,000 for degree programme, RM1,200 for professional
degree.
How to apply: Obtain application
form at Yayasan Perak or download
from the website www.yayasanperak.com.my.
Submit to address provided or email
to admin@yayasanperak.com.my
Deadline: Ongoing.
Yayasan Negeri Sembilan Education Loan
Application is open to students who
are residents of Negeri Sembilan, or
with one or both parents born in Negeri
Sembilan, or with one or both parents
having resided in the state for eight
years continuously. Total family income
must not be more than RM6,000.
Students may pursue a course at any
local institution, public university, or at
Yayasan Negeri Sembilan Institute of
Technology.
Discipline: Any
Amount: Unspecified
form at Yayasan Negeri Sembilan or
download from the website www.
yns.gov.my
Submit to address provided.
Deadline: Unspecified.
Yayasan Pahang Education Loan
Application is open to students who
are residents of Pahang, or with one or
both parents born in Pahang, or with
one or both parents having resided in
the state for 10 years continuously.
Yayasan Pahang has several Education Assistance programmes covering a
number of levels and disciplines.
Discipline: Several specified at certificate, diploma, bachelor’s degree,
master’s and PhD levels. Visit www.
yp.org.my for a comprehensive list.
form at Yayasan Pahang or download
from the website.
Submit to address provided.
Yayasan Pelajaran Johor Education Loan
Applicants must be born in Johor
or be a Malaysian citizen who has lived
in the state for at least five consecutive years. They must have received an
offer from a local or foreign university
or institute of higher learning.
Discipline: Any.
Amount: RM2,500 for certificate,
RM3,500 for diploma, RM5,500 for
degree or PhD.
form at Yayasan Pelajaran Johor or
apply through the e-form from the
website www.ypj.gov.my
Deadline: Ongoing.
Yayasan Sabah Education Loans
These loans and bursaries are offered once a year to students wishing
to pursue higher education opportunities locally and overseas. They are
advertised in local dailies in March and
April.
Discipline: Any.
form at Yayasan Sabah offices.
Visit www.ysnet.org.my for more
information.
Deadline: Ongoing.
Yayasan Terengganu Education
Loan
Applicants must be born in Terengganu.
Discipline: A-Levels.
Undergraduate degrees in Islamic
Studies or Arab language in universities
in the Middle East and Jordan, twinning
programmes, aviation engineering,
aviation technician, UiTM special programmes.
form at Yayasan Terengganu. Visit
www.ytrg.terengganu.gov.my for
more information.
Deadline: Ongoing.
Yayasan Sarawak Education
Loan Schemes and Revolving Fund
Scheme
There are two types of loan schemes – for local institutions of higher
education, and for overseas ones. A
full list of financial aids for education
is available on the website.
Discipline: Any.
Amount: Unspecified for loans for
studying at local institutions, a maximum of RM100,000 or RM30,000
annually for studying at overseas institutions.
How to apply: Download application forms at yayasansarawak.org.my
tuesday, march 27, 2012
undergraduate focus
Business
graduate wins
best student
award
M
ore than 500 students of Olympia College were awarded recently
with their bachelors and master’s degrees by Datuk Saifuddin
Abdullah, the Deputy Minister of Higher Education.
Eleven graduates from various disciplines also received prestigious
awards named in honour of Malaysia’s founding fathers and distinguished political figures for their accomplishments in their respective fields
of study.
“I’m thrilled to receive this prestigious award,” says Loo Soo Peng, a
21-year-old, recipient of The Yang Amat Berbahagia Tun Abdul Ghafar Bin
Baba’s Award – Best Student Award for Diploma in Business Management
Programme. “Through the business programme, I was able to explore
the business environment. I have enjoyed the classes tremendously and
the study environment at Olympia College. I am planning to take up my
degree soon.”
Olympia College offers master’s and undergraduate degrees, diplomas as well as certificate programmes and a range of courses including
commerce, business studies, business management, IT and computing,
hotel management, secretarial studies, accounting and finance, English
language and MBA.
For more information visit: www.olympia.edu.my
Guest of Honour Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah, Deputy Minister
of Higher Education, presenting The Yang Amat Berbahagia Tun
Abdul Ghafar Bin Baba’s Award – Best Student Award for Diploma
in Business Management Programme to Loo Soo Peng at the Raffles
Education Group’s recent graduation ceremony.
The Tun Abdul Ghafar
Bin Baba Award
The late Tun Abdul Ghafar Baba (pic)
was born in Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan
on 18 Feb 1925. He graduated from the
Sultan Idris Training College in Tanjung
Malim, Perak in 1946 and began his
career as a teacher. Tun Ghafar’s involvement in politics started in 1945 and
in 1951, he joined UMNO Malacca and
was its Chairman in 1959 when he was
elected as Malacca’s Chief Minister.
Tun Ghafar was always active in social
activities especially in the Red Cross. In
1995, he received the SSM award, which
carried the title ‘Tun’ and the Yayasan
Tun Ghafar was established in 1997 for poor and needy students to
further their studies. The nation lost a great leader when Tun Ghafar
passed away in 2006.
NeW straits times | PAGE 9
UNDERGRADUATE FOCUS
UNDERGRADUATE FOCUS
Act quickly, a scholarship could be yours
COMPILED BY JARON CHEN
Japanese Government (Monbukagakusho: MEXT) Scholarship (Undergraduate) 2013
Students who have
always dreamt of studying in Japan are given an
opportunity through the
MEXT Scholarship offered
by the Japanese Government itself. The scholarship
offers exemption of fees for
all tuition and examinations
and a monthly allowance is provided.
This scholarship covers a wide field of
disciplines ranging from humanities to
sciences. Successful applicants will be studying at Japanese universities and spend
their time there until the completion of
their studies.
Discipline: social science and humanities – law, politics, economics, business
administration, pedagogy, sociology, literature, history, finance, Japanese language,
etc.
• Nature Sciences A – mathematics,
physics, chemistry, electronics, electrical
engineering, information engineering,
mechanical engineering, naval architecture,
agriculture engineering, civil engineering,
architecture, environmental engineering,
applied chemistry, chemical engineering,
industrial chemistry, textile engineering,
metallurgical engineering, mining engineering, mercantile marine, biotechnology, etc.
• Nature Sciences B – agriculture, agricultural chemistry, animal science, veterinary medicine, forestry, food science, fisheries,
pharmacy, hygienic, nursing, biology, medicine, dentistry, etc.
Amount: Estimated monthly allowance
of 117,000 yen (RM4,300, subject to change)
will be given to each grantee during the term
of his scholarship. Fees for the entrance examination, matriculation and tuition at universities will be exempted.
How to apply: Attach certified copy of
academic certificates with the fully completed form and send to the address provided.
For more information visit: www.uk.embjapan.go.jp
Closing date: 13 Apr.
Samling Scholarship Programme
The Samling Scholarship Programme has
awarded a total of 64
scholarships since the
beginning, to students in
Malaysia pursuing engineering, forestry science, wood technology
and communications.
With the aim of driving Malaysia’s talent
and skill force to greater heights, the scholarship programme assists deserving students
to realise their academic aspirations through
sponsorship of tuition fees.
Discipline: agriculture, forestry, wood
science and technology, plant resources,
electrical engineering , electrical power engineering, mechanical engineering, business
information system, interior design
Amount: RM7,500 per academic year for
science, IT and arts; RM10,000 per academic
year for engineering.
How to apply: Email Lisa Tan, tanct@
samling.com.my to enquire further.
Closing date: 30 Sept.
YAYASAN PROTON Scholarship
Programme
This scholarship is only
valid for Malaysian citizens
who pursue their higher
education in public universities in Malaysia and selected
private universities. The scholarship covers sponsorship for
tuition fees for the entire degree
programme duration.
Discipline: automotive engineering,
mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, manufacturing engineering, mechatronics engineering, software engineering,
accountancy, finance, economics, business
administration (marketing/management &
others) , information technology
Amount: Full academic and tuition fees,
subsistence allowance, accommodation
(terms and conditions apply), laptop, internship programme at PROTON, guaranteed
employment opportunity upon completion
of studies (subject to terms and applications
applied).
How to apply: Download the application
from at www.proton.com/pdf/yayasan/
yayasan_Proton_2011_Application_
Form.PDF
Indicate ‘Scholarship Programme’ at the
top left corner of the envelope and mail it.
IJM Scholarship 2012
The IJM Scholarship is
aimed towards students
who need financial aid in
furthering their studies.
Students under the scholarship will be enlisted into
IJM or any of its subsidiaries as
employees upon graduation, which ensures
them a stable job without risks of unemployment.
Discipline: accounting, architecture, estate management, engineering (civil, mechani-
cal, electrical, chemical and industrial), housing, building and planning, quantity surveying , applied science (polymer science/ mineral
science), economics/business administration,
agricultural science/ agribusiness.
Amount: RM10,000 per academic year
How to apply: Apply online at: www.ijm.
com/v2/
The Sun-MAPCU Higher Education
Scholarship Fund 2012
The Sun collaborates
with the Malaysian Association of Private Colleges
& Universities (MAPCU) to
provide scholarships worth
RM5.13 million. Tuition
fees from participating
institutions will be fully waived to assist students financially.
Successful applicants have to maintain
good overall academic results throughout
the duration of their scholarship and must
participate in the institution’s co-curricular
activities.
Discipline: Participating institutions and
courses offered can be viewed at The Sun‘s
website.
How to apply: Download application
form at www.thesundaily.my
Submit application form and required
ASEAN Scholarships
The ASEAN Scholarships are awarded
by the government of
Singapore to students
in the ASEAN region to
nurture their potential and
talents to be top leaders in their
future. The ASEAN Scholarships will award
the Singapore-Cambridge General Certificate
of Education Advanced Level (GCE A-Level)
certificates, which enable outstanding students to apply for the ASEAN Undergraduate
Scholarships.
These scholarships are offered by the
National University of Singapore, Nanyang
Technological University, Singapore Management University or Singapore University of
Technology and Design.
Discipline: All fields of study.
Amount: Exemption from school and
examination fees, allowance of S$2,400 per
year (RM5,700), accommodation (board and
lodging), one time return transport to and
from Singapore, others (medical benefits,
setting-in allowance).
How to apply: Apply online at isams.
moe.gov.sg
Khazanah Watan Scholarship 2012
The Khazanah Watan
Scholarship is aimed at
talented and high-achieving Malaysians, offering
them the opportunity to
pursue higher studies in
selected local universities
in Malaysia.
This scholarship intends to develop young
minds into the best talents in Malaysia, competitive locally and internationally in business
and research. Students in this programme
will contribute to advancing the reputation
of Malaysian universities.
Discipline: business, economics, finance,
investment, law, actuarial science, biosciences, bio-engineering, bio-informatics,
bio-technology, molecular biology, food
technology, engineering, electronics, microelectronics, material sciences, nanotechnology.
Applicants for the scholarship will study
at one of the following Malaysian universities:
Universiti Multimedia, Universiti Tenaga
Nasional, Universiti Islam Antarabangsa, Universiti Malaya, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Universiti Sains
Malaysia, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.
Amount: Not specified.
How to apply: http://www.khazanah.
com.my
Project CHange – The Crowe Horwath
Scholarship
Project CHange is a scholarship provided
by sponsoring companies
for young Malaysians to
pursue higher education.
Scholarship receivers will
not be bounded to the
sponsoring company after graduation as
the purpose of this scholarship is to provide
Malaysians with a better future.
Regardless of race and religion, Project
CHange is open for all deserving Malaysians
hoping for an equal education.
Discipline: All fields of study.
Amount: Tuition fees of up to RM10,000
per year.
How to apply: Download PDF form from
www.change.my
Fill the form, attach the appropriate
documents to change@crowehorwath.com.
my OR mail it.
Closing date: 30 Mar.
UTM Endowment Scholarship 2012
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM)
encourages students to apply
for this scholarship to fulfil
their pursuit of higher education at their institution.
Application and submission is simple and outstanding applicants will be awarded RM12,000 every year throughout their
studies to cover their tuition fees and living
costs in the university.
Discipline: Not available.
Amount: RM12,000 a year.
How to apply: Download application form
from web.utm.my or collect it at Pejabat Hal
Ehwal Mahasiswa UTM
Submit application form with certificates
to address provided.
Khazanah Global Scholarship
The Khazanah Global Scholarship is offered to bright students to
study in selected institutions of higher learning
around the world. Upon
graduation, students will
then be enrolled in training and job attachments
in Khazanah selected organisations around Malaysia.
A full scholarship that covers tuition fees,
living expenses and accommodation will be
given to successful applicants for as long as
the course takes.
Discipline: business, economics, finance,
investment, law, actuarial science, biosciences, bio-engineering, bio-informatics,
bio-technology, molecular biology, food
technology, engineering, electronics, microelectronics, material sciences, nanotechnology.
Amount: Full scholarships are offered,
including full academic fees, living expenses,
accommodation as well as development and
training support
How to apply: http://www.khazanah.
com.my
University of Southampton Scholarship 2012
The Malaysia campus of the University
of Southampton
offers this scholarship to highly
qualif ied s tudents. Applicants
must meet the minimum score of 6.5 in IELTS
to ensure their proficiency in the English language is good before applying.
The University of Southampton requires
applicants to meet the university’s English
requirements and the UK Border Agency
English language to ensure smooth processing of the student during their transfer to
Southampton.
Discipline: Engineering.
Amount: Refer to www.southampton.
ac.uk
form from the website.
Complete and submit application form
with relevant documents via email: admissions@southampton.ac.uk, or fax: 0044 2380
595490.
Closing date: 30 June.
The Tunku Abdul Rahman Scholarship
This scholarship is named
after Tunku Abdul Rahman
to commemorate our first
prime minister’s services
to Malaysia. Receivers of
this scholarship are entitled
‘Tunku Scholars’ and it is
only awarded to excellent
students with high leadership qualities.
This scholarship only covers studies in
public universities and bonds the receivers
to work for the country for a minimum of
five years after graduation.
Discipline: Not stated.
Amount: Not stated.
How to apply: Apply online at yayasantar.org.my
The ASEAN Undergraduate Scholarship at NUS
The ASEAN Undergraduate Scholarship
(AUS) is offered by NUS
to undergraduates who
have high academic
merits and outstanding co-curricular activities. This scholarship is offered to students
who are ASEAN citizens but not Singaporeans.
Short listed students will be called in for
an interview through their applications for
NUS admission and it is open for all faculties
in NUS.
Discipline: architecture, arts and social
sciences, business admin, engineering, computer science, dentistry, environmental studies, industrial design, law, medicine, pharmacy, science.
Amount: Tuition fees, annual living allowance of S$5,800 (RM13,900).
How to apply: Apply online at www.nus.
edu.sg
HELP MIC Scholarship Award 2012
The HELP MIC Scholarship is a collaborative
initiative between the
HELP Group of Colleges
and the Higher Education Bureau, the National MIC Youth that provides deserving Indian
youths in Malaysia opportunities to further
their studies in higher education.
The scholarship is awarded fully, covering tuition fees or partially depending on
the type of course and qualifications of the
applicants.
Discipline: accounting, computing/ICT,
finance, business, engineering (mechanical,
electrical), communication, management,
marketing, hospitality, culinary arts, psychology.
Amount: Full and partial scholarships.
How to apply: Call 012-309 7102 or
email higheredu@pemudamic.org.
Closing date: None.
Simpson Scholarship Fund
The Simpson Scholarship Fund is awarded
to ACCA students for five years based on their
performance. Students with distinction and
suff icient merit in ACCA examinations are
awarded the scholarship.
Students who are given the scholarship
will have their tuition and
examinations fees waived
for five years.
Discipline: Accounting.
Amount: examination fees, annual student
subscription fees, annual
affiliate subscription fees, membership
admission fee.
How to apply: Write an essay entitled
‘How the award of a scholarship will help me
realise my full potential’.
Send essay (www2.accaglobal.com/
scholarship/apply/check) and submission
form (www2.accaglobal.com/scholarship/
apply/submissionform2012.doc) including
two references to: simpsonscholarship@
accaglobal.com.
Closing date: 4 May.
Axiata Young Talent Programme –
International Baccalaureate Pre-University Programme
The International Baccalaureate Pre-University
Programme enrols successful applicants into a
two-year International
Baccalaureate programme at the International School of Penang.
Successful students under the scholarship
will then be awarded their next scholarship
for undergraduate studies.
Discipline: Not specified.
Amount: Full duration of the pre-university courses, which includes tuition fees, text
books, boarding, travel and laptops.
How to apply: axiata.com/axiata-ytp/
pre-university
International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Scholarship
British Council
is offering the IELTS
Scholarship to Malaysians who wish to study
abroad. The short listed candidate is required to prepare a 10-minute presentation on
a suggested topic and will be interviewed by
judges from the British Council. Successful
candidates will have to attend an event to
receive their award officially.
Amount: RM10,000.
How to apply: Visit www.britishcouncil.
org/malaysia for more information or e-mail
kualalumpur@britishcouncil.org.my.
Closing date: 31 July.
Lion-Parkson Foundation Scholarship
2012
Once known as the LionASM Foundation, the scholarship was first awarded
in 1990. The foundation
now offers scholarships and
interest-free education loans
for students pursuing their undergraduate
degrees in Malaysian public and private insti-
tutions. The award will be given to Malaysian
students pursuing full time undergraduate
studies.
Amount: Not specified.
form at www.lion-parksonfoundation.com.
my or www.lion.com.my.
Send the completed form to address
provided.
Taylor’s World Class Scholarship 2012
The Taylor’s World Class Scholarship 2012
is a collaborative award between Taylor’s and
multinationals to students with exceptional
academic records. Besides offered tuition fee
waiver, students under this scholarship have
the opportunity to intern and
train with global brands.
This is the seventh consecutive year Taylor’s is offering
the scholarship award and
scholars gain global recognition through the training
they receive with international brands.
Participating Schools: School of
Architecture, Building and Design, School of
Communication, School of Computing and
Information Technology, School of Engineering, School of Hospitality, Tourism and
Culinary Arts, Taylor’s Business School, The
Design School @ Taylor’s
Amount: Full tuition fee waiver for stipulated tertiary programs conducted at Taylor’s
University in Malaysia
How to apply: Apply online at studentcentral.taylors.edu.my
The Star Education Fund Scholarship
Awards 2012
The Star Education Fund was initiated in
1994 to provide educational fund for deserving Malaysians. Collaborating with various
local and overseas educational institutions,
The Star offers the scholarship awards every
year.
Discipline: For list of courses and institutions go to
thestar.com.my/edufund/
tier2/
Amount: Full and partial
scholarships.
How to apply: Download
application form at thestar.com.my
Submit application form and required
Closing date: Two weeks after SPM
results (4 Apr).
The AMCHAM-MACEE Scholarship
Programme 2012
The AMCHAM-MACEE Scholarship Programme is a collaborative award between the
American Malaysian Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM)
and the Malaysia-American
Commission on Educational
Exchange (MACEE) that is
given out annually to Malaysian students.
Students who plan on
pursuing their undergraduate
studies in the United States are encouraged
to apply. The scholarship is offered to Malaysian students who are accepted to a recognised university in the US for four years of
studies.
Discipline: All
Amount: USD20,000 over four years of
undergraduate study (USD 5000 a year).
How to apply: Apply online at macee.
org.my
Closing date: 30 May.
MREPC Scholarship Award 2012
T h e M al ay si an Rubber Export
Promotion Council
under the Ministry of
Plantation Industries
offers their scholarship award to Malaysians seeking an opportunity to work with
MREPC.
Students interested in the rubber exports
sector are encouraged to apply as MREPC
does not only offer tuition fees waiver and
living allowances but internship and employment opportunities upon graduation.
Discipline: engineering – chemical,
mechanical, electrical/electronic, industrial; polymer technology; environmental
Studies; economics/marketing/business
studies/statistical analysis/information
technology.
Amount: Tuition fees (full or partial),
living allowance, internship opportunities,
employment opportunities with industry
upon graduation
form at www.mrepc.com
Submit application with recent passportsized photograph, certified copies of academic transcript and/or certificates and
relevant documents.
■ For full links to these scholarships, go
to nst.com.my/nation/extras, and search
for this article.
Go to www.afterschool.my for further scholarship listings.
undergraduate focus
Opportunities in specialised fields
From Page 4
tenaga nasional Berhad
Malaysia’s largest utility company,
Tenaga Nasional Berhad’s core business
is generating, transmitting and distributing electricity. TNB also has subsidiaries that conduct other activities, such
as the manufacturing of transformers,
switchgears and cables.
TNB also owns University Tenaga Nasional
(UNITEN), a university that
combines academic education and technical skills
under one roof.
Under its trust body, Yayasan Tenaga Nasional (YTN), TNB provides financial assistance to deserving students in
terms of scholarships and study loans.
The foundation was established in
1993, and to date it has sponsored
more than 8,820 students to study
both locally and abroad.
Jabatan Perkhidmatan
Awam
The Public Service Department
of Malaysia, Jabatan Perkhidmatan
Awam’s main role is to plan, develop
and manage human resources. The
JPA basically develops policies, strategies and manages public agencies and
human resources.
JPA offers two main scholarships for undergraduates:
Program Ijazah Luar Negara
(PILN), a scholarship that sends
excellent students overseas to
pursue their first degree, and
Program Ijazah Dalam Negara
(PIDN), which is offered to students
who received offers from public universities once the Unit Pusat Universiti (UPU) application results have been
announced.
Prior to this year, JPA offered the
PILN scholarship to SPM students.
However, an announcement was made
last year that their policies may change
and that the scholarship may only be
offered at the pre-university level,
instead of SPM.
telekom Malaysia
Malaysia‘s leading integrated communications company Telekom Malaysia
(TM) is a government-linked company
that provides communications, information and entertainment services to
the public.
TM also strives to involve itself in
education and research and has played
a big part in contributing to the development of the communications super
highway and the Multimedia Super
Corridor. In 1997, TM set up the Multimedia University (MMU), a well-known
institution of higher learning.
In 1994, TM established Yayasan TM,
a trust body that handles TM’s scholarship allocations as well as its numerous
community programmes. Under Yayasan TM, the company disburses several
scholarships to deserving students:
• Overseas Preparation Scholarship
• Pre-university Scholarship at
Multimedia University
• Diploma Scholarship at Multimedia
University
YTN is currently offering two
scholarships: the Overseas Universities Programme and the Universiti
Tenaga Nasional Programme. The
former gives the opportunity for both
SPM and STPM leavers to pursue their
education overseas whilst the latter is
only offered to SPM leavers to study
at UNITEN.
Who should APPly: TNB
is looking for applicants
who have just received
their SPM and STPM
results. SPM leavers must
not be more than 19 years
of age whilst STPM leavers
must not be more than 21 years old this
year. TNB scholars are students who
are active in co-curricular activities and
have strong leadership qualities. Those
with excellent results are prioritised –
TNB only considers students who have
obtained all As in subjects related to
their chosen field of study.
As of today, there is still no news
regarding their decision. They are still
in deliberations over this issue and
estimates that a formal announcement
may be made by the PM in the near
future.
Who should APPly: JPA scholars are
generally well-rounded individuals,
students who not only maintain excellent academic results
(stringent requirements means
that applicants should score at
least A- in subjects related to
their chosen field) but also
make it a point to be active in
co-curricular activities.
FiElds oF study: Previously, JPA offered its PILN scholarships in a wide
range of disciplines to an equally wide
range of study locations. Among the
courses offered were: medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, optometry, education,
engineering, actuarial science, accounting, ICT, Islamic economy, banking and
finance, pure sciences, professional arts
and arts.
PIDN scholarships were offered to
• First Degree Scholarships at
Multimedia University and Local
Public Universities
Who should APPly: TM looks for
students with outstanding academic
achievements who are also active in cocurricular activities. The Overseas Preparation Scholarship and Pre-University
Scholarship at MMU are only open to
SPM students. The Diploma Scholarship at MMU is open to SPM
students and those who have
already commenced studies
at the university. The First
Degree Scholarship at MMU
and local public universities
are open to candidates with diploma,
matriculation, MMU Alpha, STPM and
other relevant qualifications.
After the closing date, applicants
who are short listed will be called for
an assessment programme, after which
a second short listing will be conducted. Successful candidates will then be
called in for an interview before final
selections are made.
FiElds oF study: The scholarships
offered by TNB are limited to the fields
that are connected to TNB’s business
activities. Naturally, the main field is
engineering, specifically electrical
power engineering.
With the growing demand for
electrical power engineers, graduates
from this field would have no trouble
getting jobs in practically every branch
of industry and commerce. Of course,
TNB scholars will be bonded to the
company for a few years, depending
on the course they take.
TNB also offers scholarships in
mechanical engineering, civil engineering, accounting, electrical and electronic engineering, computer science,
information technology, and finance
and business studies.
dEAdlinE: Both scholarships offered
by TNB are open for applications until
28 Mar. Interested applicants may apply
online at yayasan.tnb.com.my/sam
courses which were grouped into four
categories:
• Critical: medicine, dentistry and
pharmacy
• Priority: pure science, forestry
science, allied health sciences, environmental management science,
agricultural science, biotechnology,
information technology, and science
and technology.
• Professional: veterinary science,
law, architecture, actuarial science,
quantity surveying, land surveying,
urban and regional planning, and
accounting
• Others: Arts – international relations, Islamic studies, political science
and economics
dEAdlinE: Formal announcements
have yet to be made on the status of
the PILN scholarships. Students can
expect the PIDN applications to be
open around the time that the UPU
results are announced.
Follow updates on this story at www.
afterschool.my or on its facebook
fanpage.
TM scholars are required to serve
under TM or any of its subsidiaries
for a stipulated amount of time once
their studies are completed. If a scholar
fails to comply with the contract, he is
required to reimburse the full amount
as funded by TM.
FiElds oF study: TM’s scholarships are
offered in three main fields: engineering, IT and management. The courses
being offered are business
administration, economics, marketing, finance,
accounting, software, computer science, multimedia,
communication engineering, electronic engineering, electrical
engineering and telecommunication
engineering.
dEAdlinE: The scholarships opened
for applications on 26 Mar. Applicants
have around two weeks to send in their
applications before it closes.
Interested parties may apply online
at ytm.tm.com.my
uEM Group
A wholly-owned subsidiary of
Khazanah Nasional Berhad (one of
the Malaysian Government’s investment arms), UEM is
Malaysia’s top engineering conglomerate. UEM focuses on
four core businesses:
expressways, township
and property development, engineering and construction and asset and
facility management.
Under its non-profit group, Yayasan UEM, the company receives and
administers funds for education,
scientific research and charities. The
foundation acts as UEM’s corporate
social responsibility arm, carrying out
its social welfare activities.
UEM offers two scholarships yearly: The UEM Overseas Scholarship
Programme, where recipients will
undergo a pre-university programme at Kolej Yayasan UEM and then
continue their studies at reputable
universities overseas, and the UEM
Local Scholarship Programme, where
recipients are funded for their studies
at local universities.
Who should APPly: Students who
are highly proficient in both spoken and written English and possess
excellent co-curricular and academic
records are welcome to apply.
UEM looks for outstanding students in order to produce elite scholars
who would ultimately create a supply
of quality manpower as well as future
leaders of the country. SPM 2011 students should have at least 7As in relevant subjects in the examinations.
Majlis Amanah Rakyat
An agency under Malaysia’s Ministry of Rural and Regional Development, Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA)
is responsible for encouraging and
facilitating social and economic development in rural areas. Its main objective is to provide assistance
to Bumiputeras to participate
in any commercial and entrepreneurial activities.
MARA offers two scholarships to Bumiputeras only:
for Overseas Programmes
(PILN) and Local Programmes (PIDN).
Who should APPly: As with all
scholarships, MARA prioritises good,
well-rounded students. In previous
years, the scholarships were only offered to SPM students who obtained at
least A- in the subjects related to their
chosen fields of study.
Successful applicants will receive
funding for full academic fees, various
allowances (subject to course taken)
and a return air ticket (for overseas
scholars only).
Scholars who are
funded for overseas
studies will be bonded with UEM for five
years while local scholars will be bonded for
three years. Throughout the scholarship programme and the bonded
period scholars will receive leadership
training and take part in development
activities and job attachments within
the UEM Group of Companies.
FiElds oF study: UEM offers scholarships in several fields:
• Business, specifically in finance,
business management and
accounting
• Built environment, especially in
quantity surveying, town planning,
land surveying, building services
and building management.
• Engineering, specifically in civil or
mechanical.
• Arts and social science, specifically
in corporate communications and
international relations, psychology
or sociology.
dEAdlinE: The UEM Overseas Scholarship opened its online applications
on 25 Mar for 10 days. The deadline
will be on 3 Apr. The Local Scholarship
will only be open for applications in
September.
SPM 2011 students who are interested in the Overseas Scholarship
Programme may apply through www.
uem.com.my
FiElds oF study: Last year, MARA
offered its PILN scholarships for the
following courses: medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, optometry, education, engineering, actuarial science,
accounting, ICT, Islamic economy,
banking and finance, pure sciences,
professional arts and arts.
dEAdlinE: MAR A’s PILN
scholarship is still under
deliberation, and no formal
announcements have been
made yet. Those who are
interested in the PIDN scholarships can start applying as
soon as it opens after the UPU
application results are announced,
estimated to be some time in June.
For more information, visit: www.
mara.gov.my
Follow updates on this story at www.
afterschool.my or on its facebook
fanpage.
There are a number of scholarships available for
students other than these eight. While they may not
offer huge amounts of funding or send their scholars
overseas, they are still helpful for students who are
unable to finance their own education fully.
Applying for a scholarship may be a tedious process,
but research and perseverance are essential for success.
undergraduate focus
Scholarships
offered by private
institutions
MAHSA UnivErSity CollEGE
Foundation in Science (FIS) Scholarship: Applicants must be a Malaysian citizen aged 24 years or less and have performed well academically
in their SPM. The amount of funding the student receives is relative to
their academic performance:
• 10 or more straight A+ – RM 5,250
• 10 or more As – RM 3,150
• 9As – RM2,200
• 8As – RM2,000
• 7As – RM1,800
• 6As – RM1,600
Haji Abdullah Scholarship: Full and partial scholarships are given to
students who are Malaysian citizens aged 24 years or less, and possess
SPM, STPM, UEC, A-Levels, SAM or Matriculation qualification.
Visit www.mahsa.edu.my for more information on MAHSA’s scholarship programmes.
olyMPiA CollEGE
The Olympia College Principal’s Scholarship for Deserving Students
Scholarship: This scholarship is given to students wishing to pursue a
diploma course in business studies, information technology, business
management and hospitality management, or a Bachelor of Arts in
business management.
Diploma programme:
• 8 or more credits in SPM – RM3,500
• 6 credits and above in SPM – RM2,500
• 3 credits in SPM, with total household income of less than RM3000
– RM1,500
Bachelor of Arts in business management:
• Diploma with CGPA of 3.8 and above – RM8,000
• 3 principle passes and above in STPM – RM4,000
Olympia also offers other scholarships. For more information, visit:
newolympiaweb.olympia.edu.my
nilAi UnivErSity CollEGE
Nilai UC High Achiever Scholarship: All scholarships are available to
students who wish to pursue foundation, degree or selected diploma
programmes.
Students who meet the following criteria are given a 100 per cent
waiver for tuition fees and accommodation:
• 9As in SPM/O-Levels
• 3As in STPM
• 6As (6 best subjects) in UEC
• 3As in A-Levels
• TERI/UAI 90 in SAM/ HSC/ AUSMAT
• 90 (6 best subjects) in ICPU
Nilai UC Merit Scholarship: Available for students who wish to pursue foundation, diploma or certain degree programmes:
6As in SPM/O-Levels – 30 per cent waiver of tuition fees for foundation course and 10-25 per cent waiver for degree programme, or 25
per cent waiver for diploma course
A 10-25 per cent waiver on tuition fees of degree programmes is
available for students who meet these criteria:
• CGPA of 3.0 (3 best subjects) in STPM
• 14 points (6 best subjects) in UEC
• 2As 1B in A-Levels
• TERI/UAI 80 in SAM/ HSC/ AUSMAT
• 80 (6 best subjects) in ICPU
Nilai UC offers four scholarship programmes altogether and several
financial aid schemes. For more information visit www.nilai.edu.my
inti intErnAtionAl UnivErSity And CollEGES
INTI-Laureate Merit Scholarship: This scholarship is for students who
wish to pursue diploma, 4+0, AUC, A-Levels, NSW HSC, SAM, foundation
or degree programmes
INTI Leadership X-cellence Scholarship: For students who meet
the minimum academic requirements and have participation in extracurricular activities as well as meet the following criteria:
• Have a special talent such as singing, dancing, acting, playing a
musical instrument, art
• A strong record of leadership
• Financial need
INTI offers seven different scholarships altogether. For more information, visit: www.newinti.edu.my
Go to www.afterschool.my for further scholarship listings.
Teaching option
a great pick
S
chool leavers who are interested in
pursuing a career in teaching may
consider the Teacher Training Course for SPM Leavers (KPLSPM) by the Education Ministry of Malaysia, which offers
the Bachelor of Education Programme
(PISMP).
This full-time, fully-funded teaching
course involves an 18-month (three semesters) preparation programme and a fouryear degree programme (eight semesters).
It is structured to train teachers in Institutes of Teacher Education (IPG) and other
recognised institutions. Upon graduation,
the teachers are placed in primary schools
to teach various fields of study.
Malaysians aged not more than 20
years on 30 June with a distinction in
any three SPM subjects, at least a credit
in Bahasa Melayu, History and one other
subject, as well as a pass in English are
eligible to apply. Applicants must also be
mentally and physically healthy, and active
in co-curricular activities.
The application for the June intake is
already available online at www.moe.gov.
my. Applicants should first purchase a PIN
number from any BSN Bank for RM6 to
access the online application. Applicants
short-listed at this stage will attend an
interview and sit for a Teaching Personality Inventory (INSAK) in May. Successful
candidates will then be offered a place in
an IPG in June. The closing date for the
online application is 5 Apr.
If you are passionate about education and would like to contribute to the
future of Malaysian schoolchildren, this
programme is suitable for you.
undergraduate focus
Scholarships made the difference
S
even scholars talk about their
journey in obtaining their scholarships.
gauge the applicant’s career interest
in Sime Darby and how he will fit into
the Sime Darby culture.
“Your chances of being awarded
Azmil zulkifli: A recipient of the the scholarship are rather high once
Yayasan Sime Darby scholarship, you are called up for the face-to-face
Azmil believes what set him apart interview, “says Azmil.
from the other appliAzmil’s advice for
cants was his boldness.
would-be applicants is
“I dare to be different
to do a lot of research
and I am not afraid
about the institution
to convey my opinion
from which they wish
even if everyone else
to apply the scholaris saying otherwise,”
ship.
he says.
“It can be a mentally
Azmil says that besiand physically exhausdes Yayasan Sime Darting process so practice
by, he also applied for
plenty of patience and
scholarships from other
remember to be your“It can be a
institutions including
self and have fun.”
Bank Negara, JPA, the
mentally and
nG: Jean, who is
Securities Commissiphysically exhaus- aJEAn
Yayasan TM scholar,
on, Telekom Malaysia
ting process so
found out about scholand TNB.
arship applications
H e w as of fered
practice plenty
through online sources
scholarships from a
of patience and
and from her family and
few other institutions
remember to be
friends.
but believes he made
yourself and have
“I downloaded the
the right choice with
application form for
Yayasan Sime Darby.
fun.”
free from the Yayasan
“Yayasan Sime DarAzmil Zulkifli,
TM website and subby takes good care of
Yayasan Sime Darby
mitted the compleits scholars. We are
scholar
ted scholarship form
suppor ted not just
by express post,” she
monetarily but also
says.
mentally and emotioTogether with her
nally. Additionally, they
application, Jean subhave a Scholar Developmitted a list of certified
ment Programme for
true copies of her docuboth local and overseas
ments in order for the
scholars to gather and
application to be fully
acquire skills to better
processed.
prepare us for the worLater Jean was asked
king world,” elaborates
to attend an interview
Azmil.
that took place over a
Azmil says that he
course of three days at
applied for the Yayasan
a university hall. Jean
Sime Darby scholarship
describes the programonline as there is no
“The only time
me as a fun, friendly
paper application and
and interactive one.
no payments. “Even the
you fail is when
“I really enjoyed the
notification of the interyou give up.”
programme we had
views are done via email
Jean Ng,
group activities and all
so applicants should be
Yayasan TM scholar
members performed
on full alert,” advises
as a group to prove
Azmil who is currently
their leadership and
pursuing a Bachelor of
communication skills.
Management (Honours)
It also allows candidaprogramme at Universites to interact with one
ti Sains Malaysia.
another and enhance
There were three
their problem-solving
interviews that Azmil
and analytical skills,”
had to go through befoexplains Jean who grare he was awarded the
duated with a Bachelor
scholarship. The first
(Hons) of Electronics
round consisted of an
“The interviews
Engineering majoring
impromptu speech and
in Telecommunications
online assessment. Caninvolved friendly
from the Multimedia
didates shortlisted for
question
and
anUniversity.
the second round will
swer sessions.“
Jean believes that
have to undergo three
her confidence in her
assessments including
Rachel Decruz,
career path and goals
a group discussion,
Yayasan UEM
gave her a boost over
individual assessment
scholar
the other applicants.
and a competenc y“Along with that, I
based interview.
keep an open mind to
The third round
new endeavours and
is the final interview
where the applicant will have to ideas to enable diversity in skills and
undergo a face-to-face interview experiences to steer towards my
with a panel of assessors who will ambitions,” she explains.
While Jean acknowledges that there are
hundreds of applicants
who are high achievers,
she says that personality plays an important
part in making an applicant stand out from her
competitors.
“ Yo u h a v e t o
demonstrate your passion towards your career and convince them
you can make a difference in both society
and the organisation,”
she advises.
Finally, she encourages applicants to never
let rejection discourage them.“The only time
you fail is when you give
up.”
SyAzwAn zAinAl Abidin: Syazwan applied
for scholarships from
Bank Negara Malaysia,
Petronas, JPA and Khazanah. All but his BNM
applications got turned
down.
According to Syazwan, his application
process to BNM was a
fairly easy one and did
not cost him any money
at all. “In essence, there
were only two steps to
the process: an online
form application and
an interview. If we had
the requisite criteria,
the bank would arrange an interview. It was
a standard form asking
about the programme
of our choice and which
country we were planning to pursue in,” he
explains.
As Syazwan met the
stipulated criteria set by
BNM in his application
form, he was called in
for an interview. At the
interview, Syazwan had
to complete the four
elements set by BNM
– personal interview,
personal presentation,
group presentation and
essay writing.
“During the personal
interview round, I was
interviewed by three
interviewers and their
questions were mostly
about my hobbies and
passion and also why I
wanted to pursue law,”
explains the 23-yearold.
Following that, the
applicants were tested on their problem
solving skills and had
to come up with a proposal of the solution in
half an hour. The third
stage of the interview
“During the
personal interview round, I was
interviewed by
three interviewers
and their questions were mostly
about my hobbies
and passions and
also why I wanted
to pursue law.“
Syazwan Zainal
Abidin,
BNM scholar
“How you feel
will somehow
be manifested in
your actions and
if you are passionate enough,
your eyes will
shine and you will
enjoy the whole
process more.
Mohd Fahrulradzi
Bukhari,
BNM scholar
process consisted of a
group presentation.
“We were assigned
to a group of between
four and five people,” he says. “We were
asked to choose a product from a list provided and had to come
up with strategies to
market the product
and a budget incumbent to our marketing
strategy. Each individual had a unique role
to play was responsible for different parts of
the presentation.”
The final part of
the interview process
was essay writing and
applicants were asked
to write two essays –
one in English and one
in Bahasa Malaysia
within one hour and
the topics given were
fairly general and not
subject-specific, Syazwan says.
Syazwan feels that
in order to be a successful applicant, one
has to be pragmatic,
driven and possess
strong leadership skills:
“In addition to being
able to communicate
eloquently, an applicant
has to be able to think
critically and independently.”
dAyAnG nur nAdhir Ah bAhArin: JPA
scholarship recipient Nadhirah advises
would-be applicants to
apply for more than one
scholarship. She also
says that applicants
should be well prepared
for the interviews by
reading up on current
affairs both locally and
internationally.
“Also, get support
from friends, family and neighbours as
they are your backbone.
And lastly, have faith in
God.”
mohd fAhrulrAdzi
bukhAri: Fahrul was
“If the examiners
find the applicant
suitable, he will
then be called in
for an interview.”
Raja Adamullah
Fahdullah Shah,
Securities Commision
Malaysia scholar
fortunate enough to
have been awarded
a number of scholarships and after heavy
deliberation accepted
the scholarship awarded by Bank Negara
Malaysia.
The 19-year-old
economics students is
confident he made the
right choice with the
BNM scholarship as
considered the job prospects, the benefits as
well as the institution
he would be sent to before making
up his mind. As the application was
done online Fahrul found it to be a
hassle-free process.
Fahrul believes that his passion
is what set him apart from his fellow applicants: “How you feel will
somehow be manifested in your
actions and if you are passionate
enough, your eyes will shine and you
will enjoy the whole process more.”
rAchEl dEcruz: Yayasan UEM
scholarship recipient Rachel Decruz
applied for the scholarship online and
was later called for an interview.
“The interviews involved friendly
question and answer sessions. Among
the questions I was asked were why I
wanted to study law, what my interests are and what my strengths and
weaknesses are. I also had to write
an essay and complete a character
assessment,” she elaborates.
Rachel was then called for a second
interview before being awarded the
scholarship. In her opinion, an applicant would stand a great chance of
being awarded a scholarship if the
applicant is academically excellent, an
all-rounder, possesses good leadership skills and have the enthusiasm to
serve both UEM and Malaysia.
r A JA AdA mull Ah fAhdull Ah
ShAh: Adam found out about the
Securities Commission Malaysia
scholarship at a Securities Commission Investor Education talk that was
held at his previous university.
He also applied for several other
scholarships and received positive responses from them. However,
Adam opted for the SC because he
felt that they looked beyond just academic results.
“I felt that they really wanted to
get to know me as a person at the
interview,” he says.
In 2007, when Adam applied for
the scholarship, he had to fill in an
application form and attach a copy
of his curriculum vitae together with
all relevant academic and extra-curricular certificates as well as a short
essay.
“If the examiners find the applicant suitable, he will then be called
in for an interview. After the interview, the applicant will still have to
go through a few more stages of
assessments which are all dependent
on your performance at the previous
stage. The interviewers assess different qualities and character traits at
each stage,” he explains.
Adam believes that a scholarship
applicant must have the ability to
think critically on his or her feet and
be a good orator. “Also, they look
for people who are motivated team
players; individuals who bring the
best out of their peers – that’s the
essence of working well in an organisation such as the SC.”
He advises future applicants to
be presentable, calmly confident and
most importantly to speak up with
intelligence and humility. “Of course,
keeping in touch with current issues
also helps a great deal.”
tuesday, march 27, 2012
NeW straits times | PAGE 15
undergraduate focus
OUM affliate
encourages
life-long
learning
E
stablished on 1 July 2010, Granada International College is a private institute of higher
learning that is affiliated with Open University Malaysia. It aims to provide a superior learning experience to nurture students to become
independent and life-long learners.
Granada International College (GIC) is fully
aware that education is vital and seeks to ensure that future graduates are equipped with not
only the subject knowledge but also to ensure
they possess essential skills that will able them
to function well in their organisation.
In line with its vision, GIC aspires to be internally recognised as a premier international college with a global perspective, educating leaders
of the future. GIC offers a wide range of programmes at certificate and diploma levels.
At the moment, it offers Diploma in Management, Diploma in Human Resource Management, Diploma in Accountancy and Diploma in
Mass Communication. Besides that, GIC is also
looking forward to offering another diploma
programme — the Diploma in Office Management — by May.
GIC hopes to bring forth graduates
who are marketable and always ready
to fulfil the demands of the market.
Additionally, GIC will have a few
more courses to offer by September including the GIC Foundation
Programmes.
GIC recently welcomed its
first and second batch of diploma
students who enrolled for last
September’s and January’s intakes. The students
are all nurtured with excellent care and facilitated
to be independent learners.
At GIC, students are deemed as the stakeholders of the future. Instead of resorting to the
notion of providing them the wisdom, it provides
them with necessary guidance so that the knowledge is acquired not given.
GIC offers RM500,000 worth of scholarships that will be awarded to enrolling students
in recognition of their academic excellence and
their active contribution in extra-curricular
activities. This scholarship is awarded only to
outstanding students with strong leadership
abilities to further their studies at GIC.
For further information about Granada International College, visit: www.gic.edu.my
undergraduate focus
Paris fashion design
programme in KL
Catering to the growing demand
for an international fashion school, the One
Academy’s ESMOD Kuala Lumpur has joined the list
of internationally-renowned Paris-based ESMOD
around the world
Fashion Forward:
T
he One Academy has brought Paris fashion design to Malaysia with its collaboration
with one of the world’s top fashion schools,
ESMOD. The Paris-based fashion school is also
the first and oldest fashion design school in the
world. It collaborates with 24 schools in 15 countries.
Founded in 1841 by Alexis Lavigne, master
tailor and purveyor to the court of Empress
Eugénie, the school developed a unique teaching
method that is still used today. ESMOD is steeped in history – its founder invented the draping
mannequin and the modern measuring tape.
Malaysian students that have an interest in
pursuing a career in fashion will now have the
opportunity to study locally at ESMOD Kuala
Lumpur and build their careers as fashion designers, buyers in major fashion houses and marketing directors, among others.
“Celebrating fashion as a way of life and a
means of bringing cultures together — this has
been ESMOD’s mission since it was founded,” says
ESMOD International General Manager Christine
Walter-Bonini. “Fashion is exploring, discovering,
anticipating, imagining, and creating.”
ESMOD’s international network has been
transmitting ‘French expertise’ that foresees
current fashion events and that evolves to meet
the market’s needs for 170 years. Students from
ESMOD schools around the world follow the same
programme established in Paris.
Every year, around 1,000 students from 50
countries start their studies at ESMOD. Many
prominent fashion designers, including Jean Paul
Gaultier and Thierry Mugler honed their skills at
this school.
“ESMOD Kuala Lumpur offers the best Paris
fashion design education for all aspiring fashion
designers. Our mission is to nurture young fashi-
on talents in Malaysia by providing the most comprehensive syllabus that covers not only fashion
designing but pattern-making as well,” says the
One Academy’s principal Tatsun Hoi.
ESMOD offers a unique and high level of
teaching. The fashion design and pattern-making
modules are mandatory to double the possibilities for easy professional integration. At ESMOD
Kuala Lumpur, students will eventually choose to
specialise in either womenswear or menswear.
“Graduates of the three-year Diploma in Fashion Design & Pattern-Making will be awarded a
certification from ESMOD International,” continues Tatsun. “It is a very practical programme and
students will be taught by lecturers with current
and up-to-date industry experiences. This new
programme will certainly serve as an essential
platform for young designers who aspire to achieve greater recognition and success in the world
of fashion.”
With The One Academy’s teaching philosophy
of ‘Masters Train Masters’ and practical-coaching
approach, students can expect to learn the art of
applying creative skills and creative thinking to
create haute couture fashion.
Students will also study fashion designing,
pattern drafting and undergo practical training
while learning to understand the tools of the
trade, application and technical quality in the
fashion industry.
“With The One Academy’s 20 years of success
in creating graduates who are able to meet the
international creative standard, we are confident
that we will be able to deliver a world-class fashion design programme as set by ESMOD International,” says Tatsun.
ESMOD Kuala Lumpur’s programme opens in
May. For more information, visit: www.toa.edu.
my or email esmod@toa.edu.my
UNDERGRADUATE FOCUS
Giving
education
dreams wings
T
ertiary education is an exciting phase in
life and is often filled with challenges.
The biggest challenge most people face
is in finances.
MAHSA University College provides students with a way to overcome these challenges through its scholarships - the Foundation
in Science Scholarship and the Haji Abdullah
Scholarship.
The Foundation in Science Scholarship is
an award for SPM leavers with 5As or more
looking to enrol in MAHSA’s Foundation in Science (FIS) programme. This scholarship awards
between RM1,400 and RM5,250 per student,
depending on the SPM results obtained.
The Haji Abdullah Scholarship is available
for deserving and needy students. Through
Two recipients of MAHSA’s Haji Abdullah
Scholarship speak of their experience:
“Applying for the scholarship was simple;
I just downloaded the application form from
MAHSA’s website. I was then invited for an
interview. Getting a positive reply was great
news.
“To be a successful applicant, you should
have good academic records, and a strong
desire to pursue your chosen course of study.
I believe this is what set me apart from other
applicants.”
— Sirin Fathima Madina Mohamed,
currently pursing a Bachelor of Medicine,
Bachelor of Surgery.
this scholarship, full and partial awards will be
offered to eligible students.
To be eligible for these scholarships, students must be a Malaysian citizen, aged 24
years or below, have good academic standing
and possess an SPM qualification. MAHSA also
requires information about the applicant’s
health and financial position of her family.
To apply for the Foundation in Science
Scholarship, students must first apply for a
place in the FIS programme. Applicants can
download the application form for the Haji
Abdullah Scholarship from MAHSA’s website.
For more information, visit MAHSA’s Open
Day on 7 & 8 April, or visit: www.mahsa.edu.
my
“I was encouraged by my father to apply
for the scholarship after he read about it in
the newspaper. Prior to applying for this
award, I had not applied for any others as it
was difficult to find scholarships for medical
students.
“Whether or not you receive a scholarship, financial management as a student is
definitely important for future and emergency use. I keep an eye on my own spending by writing down major expenditures
and making weekly allocations for smaller,
everyday needs.”
— Gan Ai Xin @ Phoebe Ngan Ai Xin,
currently pursing a Bachelor of Medicine,
Bachelor of Surgery.
undergraduate focus
Scholarships
with wide scope
at Nilai UC
H
igher education can be an expensive affair and beyond the means
of many families. This is why Nilai
University College (Nilai UC) offers
scholarships and financial assistance to
help deserving students achieve their
dream of higher education.
Families with a combined household
income of less than RM4,000 a month
can apply for Nilai UC’s Education for
All (EFA) Financial scheme. All that is
required to commence a programme
of the student’s choice (except Diploma in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering) is a payment of RM600. Tuition
fees will be covered by a full PTPTN
loan and shortfall in the amount will
be waived. Accommodation will also
be provided free of charge.
For those with a combined household income of above RM4,000 a
month, the same applies except that
any shortfall from the PTPTN loan is
to be paid in interest-free instalments
and free accommodation is not applicable.
“Our philosophy has always been to
produce well-rounded graduates. We
want our students to excel in their chosen academic field as well as have the
soft skills derived from participating in
extra curricular activities,” says Nilai UC
President Professor Emeritus Tengku
Datuk Shamsul Bahrin. “It makes sense
for us to use our scholarship schemes
to reward school leavers with similar
attributes.”
School leavers with exemplary
extra-curricular achievement at state,
national or regional level events will
be eligible for a 100 per cent waiver
on tuition and accommodation fees
under the Nilai UC Extra-Curricular
Excellence Scholarship.
Of course, Nilai UC also rewards high
scorers in the examinations. Students
who score 10As in SPM, 3As in STPM
or 6As in UEC will be eligible for the
Nilai UC High Achiever Scholarship.
Students who have been office
bearers in clubs, societies or uniformed
bodies will also be entitled to a 30 per
cent tuition fee waiver for foundation
programmes and/or a 10-25 per cent
tuition fee waiver for a degree programme under the Nilai UC Enrichment for Life award.
The Nilai UC Merit Scholarship similarly rewards students who score 6As
in their SPM or achieve a CGPA of 3.0
(three best subjects) in STPM or 14
points (six best subjects) in UEC.
“This scholarship scheme has something for almost every student who
excels in a particular field. Both academic and extra-curricular fields are
covered and we are confident that Nilai
UC will produce an even better grade
of graduates through this scholarship
scheme,” continues Professor Shamsul.
“I am happy to say we have received
many applications and I urge students
and their parents to visit our campus
to find out more.”
For more information visit the
Nilai UC campus, or visit: www.nilai.
edu.my
A unique corporate university
The School of Business and Management (SBM) at BERJAYA University
College of Hospitality (BERJAYA UCH)
recently launched its Bachelor of Business Management (Hons.) degree.
This degree benefits from robust
industry-academic collaborations,
allowing students to reap benefits
from the school‘s association with the
Academy of Responsible Management
(ARM) and the Swiss Malaysia Business
Association (SBMA).
The Bachelor of Business Management (BBM) degree offers a 3-year
study programme for students with
A-levels or equivalent pre-university
qualifications. The programme attempts to break away from conventional teaching methods. BERJAYA UCH’s
hopes to establish a synergistic part-
nership between academia and industry on all areas of programme delivery
and design.
Future graduates with a BBM degree
will be given first priority for jobs within
the Berjaya Group of Companies. BBM
degree students will possess job-relevant skills acquired through the BERJAYA Immersion Methodology. This distinctive method provides students with
a taste of the real working world, by
creating a learning environment that
simulates the professional workplace.
“These partnerships, together with
our existing affiliations with companies of the Berjaya Group, reaffirm the
School of Business & Management’s
vision of establishing itself as a ‘Corporate University’, focusing on bridging
the gap between theory and practice
through strategic academic-industry
collaborations,” says Dr. Rod Allan A. De
Lara, Dean of BERJAYA UCH’s School of
Business and Management.
“We believe this unique corporate university is the first of its kind
in Malaysia. Corporate universities
are usually an extension of a large
organisation’s research, training and
development arm. This one is different
in that we are an academic institution
that confers academic awards. Coupled with the network and resources of
the the Berjaya Group, we like to think
we are reinventing business education.
This is also our way of helping to build
a better society, and being recognised
as a world-class and respected leader in
academic and professional excellence,”
he continues.
Professionally-aligned course
with international flavour
ExcEllEncE: Manipal International
University (MIU) is a Malaysian multidisciplinary university whose professional
academic programmes are aimed at
producing innovative, entrepreneurial
and highly productive graduates.
The biggest contributing factor
to Manipal’s success is the experience,
passion and dedication of its faculty, as
well as its commitment to its students,
reveals the university‘s Vice Chancellor,
Dr M.P. Ravindra.
“Everyone in my team strives for
excellence in what they do. ‘Learning
To Learn’ is a philosophy that we live
by and a promise to students that the
faculty will engage, learn and share
knowledge with students so that there
is a continuous exchange of information,” says Dr Ravindra.
MIU’s courses are all professionally
aligned and incorporate collaborations
with major industry players, ensuring
students are kept abreast of industry
developments.
The university is also committed
to innovating methods of study. The
highly experienced faculty engages students using non-conventional teaching
methods, from ‘out-of-classroom’ lectures to field trips and industry visits,
helping to create a flexible learning
environment for students to initiate
their own paths to progress.
Great importance is also placed on
student career placement and counselling. Guidance counsellors are always at
hand to help students to realise their
potential. Twinning and exchange
programmes along with international
internships give students fantastic
opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills for success in a global
environment.
miu.edu.my
Science, technology scholarship for
interested students
oPPortunity: City University College
of Science and Technology (CityU)’s
new scholarship, the Major Dr Faiz
Khaleed Merit Scholarship Award, will
benefit high-achieving students from
underprivileged families.
Named after Major Dr Faiz Khaleed,
the Malaysian astronaut who is an inspiration to young people who want
to succeed in the area of science and
technology, the scholarship is offered
to students who wish to pursue any
programme that leads to a degree.
This includes foundation, diploma
and degree programmes at CityU for
the April and May intakes this year.
This scholarship runs parallel to the ‘I
BELIEVE’ campaign, which inculcates
positive thinking in students who wish
to achieve their dreams.
General eligibility requirements for
the scholarship are:
• FivecreditsinSPMincludingin
Maths and English
• Agedbelow22yearsold
• Fromalow-incomefamilybackground
Successful high achievers will be
awarded a full scholarship that covers
the whole programme fees. This merit
scholarship award is open to all Malaysians without any bondage or contract.
Applicants will be considered on merit
of:
• Academicperformance
• Co-curriculaparticipation
Named after Major Dr Faiz
Khaleed, CityU‘s scholarship will
enable deserving students to achieve
their dreams.
• Interest
SPM and STPM leavers are welcomed to apply for this scholarship for
the April and May intakes. A complete
application form should reach CityU
before 16 Apr. Eligible students will
be contacted for an interview. Students must bring along their SPM
results (original and copy), together
with other related certificates (originals
and copies) and two copies of the most
recent passport-sized photo.
For more information about programmes visit: www.city.edu.my
Printed and published by The New Straits Times (M) Bhd (4485-H) 31 Jalan Riong, 59100 KL. Regional Plants: No. 16, Jalan U8 40000 Shah Alam, Selangor. Lot 322 & 323, Prai Industrial Estate, 13600 Prai, P. Pinang, Lot PLO 2, Senai Industrial Estate, 81400 Senai, Johor, Lot PT 5319, Kawasan Perindustrian Ajil, 21800 Ajil, Hulu Terengganu.

Undergraduate - Afterschool.my

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