GOVT TO REVIEW PTPTN LOAN REPAYMENT EXEMPTION CRITERIA FOR FIST CLASS DEGREE GRADUATES

PUTRAJAYA, Oct 14 (Bernama) -- The government is reviewing the criteria for recipients of the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) loan repayment exemption for first-degree graduates who achieve excellent results, to ensure students truly qualify for the exemption.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir said the policy review was important to reassess the actual definition and standards of the first-class category so that its implementation is fairer and more transparent.

He said the implementation of the exemption is now temporarily suspended to give the Higher Education Ministry (KPT) time to review the terms and conditions of its implementation so that the policy would continue after the review process is completed.

"This review is not to deny the rights of any party. We will review it so that those who truly meet the first-class category are eligible to receive the refund exemption," he told reporters after attending the 2025 Malay Language Academic Awards Ceremony here today.

Zambry said the reassessment also involved aspects of quality, academic integrity and uniformity of terms of reference to ensure fairness between public higher education institutions (IPTA) and private higher education institutions (IPTS).

"We do not want significant differences between universities, but there must be a solid basis for determining qualifications. This is important because there are more than 390 IPTS nationwide, so the definition of first class needs to be standardised," he said.

Zambry said that for IPTA, monitoring is easier to implement because it is under the direct supervision of the government through the Ministry of Education.

He stressed that the policy of granting exemptions to first-class degree graduates will continue after the review and evaluation process is fully completed next year.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, when tabling the 2026 Budget last Friday, announced that the government had agreed to exempt PTPTN repayments for all students who obtained a First Class Honours Bachelor's Degree at IPTA from low and middle income families, which will benefit around 6,000 borrowers with an allocation of RM90 million per year.

-- BERNAMA