Kota Kinabalu: More than 90 per cent of Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) graduates who borrowed from the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) have begun repaying their loans.
As of July 31, 2025, PTPTN Chief Executive Ahmad Dasuki Abdul Majid said 64,848 UMS borrowers had completed their studies, with 90.42 per cent already servicing their loans, contributing to collections of RM642.73 million.
In total, 83,440 UMS students have received PTPTN loans worth nearly RM1.67 billion.
“This is clear evidence of PTPTN’s significant contribution in helping UMS students pursue their dreams in higher education while ensuring sustainability of the fund for future generations,” he said at the MoU signing between PTPTN and UMS, Wednesday.
Ahmad Dasuki also said UMS is the 20th public university to formalise cooperation with PTPTN, covering areas such as graduate skills development, education outreach, promoting Simpan SSPN savings and research on loan repayment awareness.
The MoU also encourages UMS’ support for initiatives like myWaqafPTPTN, a collaboration with Yayasan Waqaf Malaysia to expand PTPTN’s education fund sources, particularly for scholarships and easing repayment burdens for needy students.
During the event, PTPTN also presented RM14,395.21 in financial aid to Mohammad Nizamuddin Fransisco Antalan, an Agriculture Science undergraduate, under the PTPTN Loan Settlement Assistance Scheme.
The assistance, channelled through Maybank Islamic’s zakat fund, helped a graduate from the asnaf group settle his study loan.
UMS Vice Chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Kasim Mansor welcomed the collaboration, saying it would benefit not just students but also staff, alumni and the wider university community.
“This MoU is not only about financing education but also focuses on graduate development, information sharing, saving culture and corporate social responsibility,” he said.
The signing marks the beginning of more joint initiatives between UMS and PTPTN, both committed to producing graduates who excel academically while also being financially responsible.
