KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is studying the feasibility of providing free higher education to students, said Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Dr Mohamad Arifin Arif.
Responding to calls from Lamag Assemblyman Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin, Arifin noted that while primary and secondary education is already free, the State is exploring tertiary-level support.
Existing programmes like BUDI and ILTP already provide aid and scholarships. In 2024, 306 students from Ranau benefited from BUDI, with 29 supported in 2025 so far.
window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []};googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.defineSlot('/22826383987/dailyexpress_inline', [1, 1], 'gpt-passback').addService(googletag.pubads());googletag.enableServices();googletag.display('gpt-passback');});Arifin also highlighted incentives for top achievers and outlined 13 education initiatives under the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) programme.