What is a PTPTN loan?
The National Higher Education Fund (Perbadanan Tabung Pendidikan Tinggi National, PTPTN) was set up with the aim of providing education loans to students pursuing their studies at local higher education institutions (HEIs). This loan will enable students to fully or partially pay their fees and their subsistence for the duration of their study. Since 1997, PTPTN had disbursed loans to 1.95 million students, totalling more than RM43.60bil.
Are all students eligible for the PTPTN loan?
Here is a list of criteria to be eligible for the loan.
- Applicants must be a Malaysian citizen
- Applicants must be 45 years and below at the time of application
- Applicants must pass Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) with credits in any 3 subjects
- For community college certificate holders, the applicants must have an offer to pursue a polytechnic diploma , and the applicants must pass SPM and obtained a CGPA of 3.0 and above at certificate level; for polytechnic diploma holders, the applicant must have an offer to pursue first degree studies at public or private HEIs
- For HEI or polytechnic students, the courses that they want to pursue must have the approval from the Higher Education Department (for HEI courses) or the Department of Polytechnic Education (for polytechnic courses) respectively
- For private HEI students, they must pursue courses which have obtained the Accreditation Certificate from the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA). The course's and Accreditation Certificate approval period must still be valid on the date of application
- All students must possess entry requirements determined by the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) to pursue the course. For students with qualifications that differ from that stipulated, verification that the said qualification is equivalent to the required qualification must be obtained from the departments or agencies specified above
- The remaining period of study upon application must exceed one year
- Applicants require two guarantors that must be the parents of the borrower
- Applicants must have no other sponsor, and
- Applicants must have an SSPN savings account before applying for PTPTN loan
Do all higher education courses qualify for the PTPTN loan?
Unfortunately, no. The loan is not available for pre-university courses like A-levels or IB. In addition, the loan is open to students according to their level of studies and type of institution:
| Level of Study | HEI Category |
|---|---|
| Full-time diploma | Public and private HEIs; and polytechnics |
| Part-time diploma | Public universities, polytechnics and private HEIs* |
| Distance learning diploma | Public universities |
| Advanced diploma | Public universities and polytechnics |
| Full-time first degree | Public universities and private HEIs |
| Part-time first degree | Public universities and private HEIs* |
| PJJ first-degree | Public universities |
| Full-time/Part-time/PJJ master degree | Public universities |
| Full-time/Part-time/PJJ doctoral degree | Public universities |
| Full-time/Part-time/PJJ professional course | Public universities |
* Education loans are only available for students of OUM , UNITAR, Wawasan Open University and Asia E University
What is the sum of loan I will be offered?
The loan amount per year varies and it depends on the course taken and at which institution. See the chart below for details.
| INSTITUTION | LEVEL OF STUDY | FIELD OF STUDY | LOAN AMOUNT PER YEAR | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES and POLYTECHNICS PUBLIC HEIs and POLYTECHNICS | FULL-TIME | ||||
| FULL | PARTIAL | TUITION FEES | |||
| Doctoral degree | Science/Arts | Maximum of RM26,000 * | Maximum of RM26,000 * | Maximum of RM26,000 * | |
| Pharmacy, Dentistry and or Medicine | Maximum of RM26,000 * | Maximum of RM26,000 * | Maximum of RM26,000 * | ||
| Master degree | Science/Arts | Maximum of RM10,000 * | Maximum of RM10,000 * | Maximum of RM10,000 * | |
| Pharmacy, Dentistry and Medicine | Maximum of RM10,000 * | Maximum of RM10,000 * | Maximum of RM10,000 * | ||
| Professional course | Science/Arts | Maximum of RM6,000 * | Maximum of RM6,000 * | Maximum of RM6,000 * | |
| First degree | Science | RM7,000 | RM3,500 | RM2,100 | |
| Pharmacy, Dentistry or Medicine | RM7,000 | RM3,500 | RM2,300 | ||
| Arts | RM6,500 | RM3,000 | RM1,100 | ||
| Advanced diploma | Science | RM7,000 | RM3,500 | RM2,100 | |
| Arts | RM6,500 | RM3,000 | RM1,100 | ||
| Diploma | Science/Arts | RM5,000 | RM2,500 | RM1,000 | |
| PART-TIME / DISTANCE LEARNING | |||||
| Doctoral degree | Science/Arts | - | - | Maximum of RM26,000 ** | |
| Pharmacy, Dentistry and Medicine | - | - | Maximum of RM26,000 ** | ||
| Master degree | Science/Arts | - | - | Maximum of RM10,000 ** | |
| Professional course | Science/Arts | - | - | Maximum of RM6,000 ** | |
| First degree | Science/Arts | - | - | Maximum of RM6,500 ** | |
| Diploma | Science/Arts | - | - | Maximum of RM5,000 ** | |
| Private HEIs | FULL-TIME | ||||
| First degree | Science | Maximum of RM16,500 | Maximum of RM13,500 | Maximum of RM 10,500 | |
| Arts | Maximum of RM16,000 | Maximum of RM13,000 | Maximum of RM 10,000 | ||
| Diploma | Science/Arts | Maximum of RM8,000 * | Maximum of RM8,000 * | Maximum of RM8,000 * | |
| Medical and Allied Health Sciences University or College | First degree (MBBS/MD) | Medicine | Maximum of RM 30,000 * | Maximum of RM 30,000 * | Maximum of RM 30,000 * |
| First degree (Allied Helath Sciences) | Pharmacy and Dentistry | Maximum of RM 20,000 * | Maximum of RM 20,000 * | Maximum of RM 20,000 * | |
| Diploma (Medicine and Allied Helath Sciences) | Pharmacy, Dentistry or Medicine | Maximum of RM15,000 * | Maximum of RM 15,000 * | Maximum of RM 15,000 * | |
| OUM / Wawasan Open University/UNITAR/ Asia e-University | PART-TIME | ||||
| First degree | Science | - | - | Maximum of RM4,200 ** | |
| Arts | - | - | Maximum of RM4,200 ** | ||
| Diploma | Science/Arts | - | - | Maximum of RM3,700 ** | |
This information is subject to any changes determined by PTPTN.
* The actual loan amount is determined according to the tuition fees and the cost of living based on the income of the applicant's father / mother / guardian, but not exceeding the maximum amount specified.
** The actual loan amount is determined according to the tuition fees only, but not exceeding the maximum amount specified.
Will I be able to get a full loan?
PTPTN loans are divided into three categories – full, partial and tuition fees only. This is determined by the applicant's monthly household nett income and number of dependants.
| Category of Education Funding | Monthly Household Nett Income (RM)* |
|---|---|
| Full | Not exceeding 4,000 |
| Partial | More than 4,000 but not exceeding 5,000 |
| Tuition fees only | More than 5,000 |
* The monthly household nett income will be subtracted with the number of dependents (1 dependent = RM250)
What is the interest rate of the loan?
The PTPTN education loans are subject to a flat rate of Upah (Ujrah) of 1% per annum.
In addition, students are required to obtain insurance on the amount borrowed and all the premium deductions will be made on their behalf by PTPTN. All PTPTN loan borrowers will undergo an insurance deduction for the purpose of protecting their loan based on their study period and loan repayment period. The insurance deduction will be done every semester when the loans are disbursed.
When will I receive the funds?
- The first time loan disbursement will be made only after the loan agreement is complete and received by PTPTN.
- The loan disbursement for subsequent semesters will only be made after PTPTN receives the student's status of study from the respective institutions.
- The loan disbursements will be credited into the student's account unless otherwise agreed upon.
When do I start repaying the loan?
You have a 6 month grace period after your graduation date, after which you have to start paying off the instalments for the PTPTN loan.
How long am I given to repay the loan?
The period of loan repayment is based on the total loan taken:
| Total Loan Amount (Principle) | Loan Repayment Period |
|---|---|
| RM10,000 and below | 5 years |
| RM10,001 – RM22,000 | 10 years |
| RM22,001 – RM50,000 | 15 years |
| RM50,001 and above | 20 years |
How do I apply for the PTPTN loan?
- Applicants need to apply through the PTPTN online loan application website at http://www.ptptn.gov.my
- Applicants can only apply according to the application period as determined by the respective HEIs. A guide to the dates to make an application according to the respective institutions can be viewed at the PTPTN website
- Applicants need to purchase a RM5.00 PIN at any Bank Simpanan Nasional branch
- Applicants must receive an offer of admission from the HEI before applying for the education loan.
- Applicants should have an individual account in the bank specified by the respective HEI with the exception of applicants who are currently studying at a HEI that provides the facility of pre-opening bank accounts for its students
- Successful applicants need to log on to the PTPTN online loan application website to print the listed documents
Are there incidents where a student does not have to repay the loan?
Students who complete their bachelor's degree studies with first class honours may be exempted from paying their loan. They also have to fulfil other conditions set out by PTPTN.
What will happen if I discontinue or cancel my PTPTN loan?
Borrowers who have failed, discontinued, changed their course of study or obtained other sponsors have to pay off the total amount of their loan. They will not be offered an installment scheme in these cases.
What happens if I fail to repay my loan?
Those who default in their loan repayment will be issued three reminders. After the third (final) reminder, the borrower will be issued a Letter of Demand. Subsequently, defaulters will not be permitted to apply for or renew their passport.
