PTPTN Loan Blessing and Burden for Students
KUALA LUMPUR: For many undergraduates, the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) loan provides more than just financial assistance; it is the gateway to higher education.
For Idham, a 25-year-old Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology (TARUMT) Bachelor of Information Security student, the loan has enabled him to pursue his studies, but it also has limitations.
“I only managed to get 75% of the funds for my loan and it is barely able to pay up my student loans. Therefore, the fees for every semester,” he said. “So, I cannot use it for anything else other than that.”
The financial restriction has forced him to plan his spending carefully. “Yes, it does because of the limit of the money that I got. So, it restricts on the things that I want to buy and everything else but it also keeps me heads up on managing my own financial,” he explained.
The government’s recent move to reintroduce the loan waiver policy for first-class graduates has also become a motivating factor for him. “Because like it motivates me to do well in my studies. Just to get for the first class to get to waive, to be able to get waived from my student loan,” he said.
Some students may find the repayment pressure challenging. Idham maintained that his primary priority is on academics. “I wouldn’t say so because the ultimate goal for a student is to study and not be doing anything else,” he said. “This should be a motivation for students to study well and performing well in their studies.”
Still, he admits that future financial responsibilities will shape his choices after graduation. “I would have to pray hard and study hard just to get into a good career path and a good job that pays well just for me to continue and ease my own financial burden,” he said.
He also hopes to pursue a master’s degree but concedes that repayment may affect the timing. “Yes, I do but it depends on the financial burden after I graduate my degree programme,” he said. “My plan to go for master’s and everything might be delayed.”
Despite the challenges, Idham remains thankful for the scheme. “Currently, I can say it affects me positively because it helps me in paying my student fees,” he said. “With PTPTN, I am able to study in a university or tertiary education institute just because of that.”
Looking back, he said he would still make the same decision. “Yes, I would still because I am not suitable for any other except for the school’s financial aid as well,” he added.
For Idham, PTPTN remains a vital stepping stone. It has allowed him to pursue further education while also teaching him how to manage his finances, a reality shared by the thousands of students who rely on the loan to further fulfil their professional and educational goals.