BANGI: Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) is offering a comprehensive range of welfare assistance initiatives for students, including new entrants, to safeguard their well-being and ensure that no student is left behind.
Its vice-chancellor Prof Dr Sufian Jusoh confirmed that more than RM6.5 million in allocations, benefiting approximately 8,000 students, was distributed in 2024, reflecting UKM’s strong commitment to supporting students in pursuing their studies successfully.
Among the initiatives are an initial RM1,200 aid for new students, particularly those from low-income families, UKM tithe assistance and Student Affairs (HEP) welfare support.
“Based on previous data, nearly half of the students at UKM come from low-income households,” he told a press conference here today.
Sufian emphasised that all forms of assistance provided by UKM are open to all students or new students, regardless of race or religion.
Citing a viral case of a 19-year-old student from Pahang, Muhammad Aidil Izzuddin Akhbar Nizam, who faced financial difficulties in registering at UKM, he said HEP-UKM took the initiative to contact him and inform him about the initial educational assistance.
“He only needed to come and register, and in addition, we will provide hostel equipment for him, which actually worth more than RM1,200,” he said.
Meanwhile, he said UKM has developed an internal application, e-Prihatin-UKM, to enable students facing financial difficulties to apply for assistance online.
“We are ready to assist both new and existing students to make it easier for them to access support, and if the application is complete, we will provide immediate assistance,” he said.
He confirmed that 3,800 of the 4,227 students have accepted offers for the Bachelor’s Degree programme for entry to UKM on Sept 27.
“We do not have data on why some have declined, but based on our experience, they may have chosen other universities, enrolled in different courses, or gone abroad,” he added.
He urged the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) to extend the deadline for students to update their course information to Sept 19 from Sept 15.
“This follows several changes in academic programme names. The move is crucial to ensure students are not affected in their loan applications, particularly as the course names in the PTPTN system have not yet been updated,” he said. – Bernama