Govt Subsidises 90% Of Public Uni Fees, Benefiting Even T20 Families
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim hinted that wealthy families may soon no longer be able to enjoy low tuition fees at public universities.
By Yap Wan Xiang — 02 Oct 2024, 05:08 PM
It has been found that families — including those in the top 20% income bracket (T20) — that send their children to public universities pay less than 10% of their education costs, as the government subsidises the remainder
This was revealed by Berita Harian in an article published today, 2 October, citing fee and payment details outlined in recent admission letters from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), and Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM).
The low fees apply to all students, not only those from families in the bottom 40% income group (B40) but also from affluent families in the T20 group.
Examples include the following:
1. Four-year Bachelor of Software Engineering programme at UKM
Total cost: RM88,152
Government subsidy: RM80,632
Amount paid by students: RM7,520
2. Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery programme at UiTM
Total cost: RM31,012 per semester
Government subsidy: RM29,964 per semester
Amount paid by students: RM1,048 per semester
3. Medical studies at UPM
Total cost: RM39,379 per anum
Government subsidy: RM34,705 per anum
Amount paid by students: RM4,674 per anum
Generally, public universities are heavily subsidised by the government, allowing students to pay only a fraction of the fees, regardless of their family background
According to the New Straits Times, some private universities have tuition fees similar to public universities.
For instance, IMU University charges RM54,000 for a semester of medical studies, and Multimedia University charges RM76,000 for an engineering degree.
However, students at these private universities must pay these fees entirely themselves or seek loans from the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN).
On Monday, 30 September, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim hinted that blanket education subsidies may be removed to prevent T20 families from benefiting from them any longer
He said the 2025 Budget will continue assisting the poor, but "leakages" must stop going to the wealthy.
He questioned the number of children from elite families attending science schools or institutes meant for the underprivileged Bumiputera.
"They (these institutes) are benefitting families of top civil servants, politicians, and elite businessmen. Their children are all sent to the best schools that are being heavily funded by the government, which is very unfair," he said.
