Sabah plans free education and loan subsidies for students

SABAH Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor has unveiled plans to provide free education at two state-owned higher learning institutions, while also easing the burden of student loans through a new subsidy scheme.

Hajiji said the initiative would cover tuition fees at University College Yayasan Sabah (UCSF) and Kolej Teknologi Yayasan Sabah (KTYS).

He added that the state government also intends to subsidise repayments for PTPTN and Yayasan Sabah loans.

“This initiative will benefit more than 100,000 borrowers. I am optimistic that this policy is practical for the State Government to implement in line with Sabah’s financial position in the future,” he said during Sabah Undergraduates Convention in Penampang on Sunday.

Hajiji said these plans are part of a wider focus on human capital under the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) Development Blueprint.

Since 2021, more than RM1.3 billion has been channelled into education, the largest allocation in the state’s history.

Among the existing measures are a one-off RM600 travel subsidy for students studying in Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak and Labuan, and RM300 assistance for those studying within the state.

In 2025, scholarships worth RM136 million, the biggest since independence, were awarded, while a new Sabah State Education Fund was created to help students facing financial challenges.

Hajiji said the assistance were made possible because state revenue had risen to nearly RM7 billion, the highest on record. - September 21, 2025