The Star

Saturday November 5, 2011

PTPTN to stop giving loans for expenses from 2013

TEMERLOH: The National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) plans to stop giving loans for expenses to students from institutions of higher learning in view of its increasing burden.
Its chairman Datuk Ismail Mohamed Said said the board at its meeting on Oct 31 decided to reduce its huge burden due to the large number of borrowers.
“However, loan financing for tuition fees will be given as usual,” he told reporters after presenting Welfare Department aid to the elderly and poor in Kuala Krau parliamentary constituency in Simpang Peragap near here.
Ismail, who is also Kuala Krau MP, said that to date some 1.87 million students had borrowed up to RM41.6bil. — Bernama

read more: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/11/5/nation/9843810&sec=nation 


From the article, this actually will make for those from lower income families suffer if PTPTN loan does not cover their living expenses because living expenses in the majors campuses is very high. For sure, majority of the university students are not from rich families and this will make students give up in studying if they do not have financial support. PTPTN should reduce loans for living expenses and at the same time universities and colleges should lower the course fees.