Sarawak Just Dropped The Mic On Higher Education: Free University For All Its People

The scheme isn’t just eliminating tuition fees at prestigious institutions like Swinburne and Curtin – it’s throwing in a sweet RM15,000 yearly stipend for students from lower-income families.

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Sarawak just went full rockstar on education reform, a move that’s making the rest of Malaysia do a double-take.

The East Malaysian powerhouse announced today that starting in 2026, it will not just make university education free—it will pay its students to get smart.

The masterstroke, dubbed the Sarawak Free Tertiary Education Scheme (FTES), isn’t your average education policy; it’s a full-blown revolution in academic access.

We’re talking zero tuition fees at prestigious institutions like Swinburne and Curtin – yes, those international heavyweights that have made Sarawak their home.

But here’s where it gets even sweeter: eligible students from lower-income families aren’t just getting free education; they’re getting a RM15,000 annual stipend.

That’s right – Sarawak is literally investing in their brains.

Free Degrees, Paid Dreams

The scheme covers everything from STEM to Law, Medical to Finance degrees, essentially laying out a red carpet to the future for every Sarawakian kid with a dream.

While the rest of Malaysia watches from the sidelines, Sarawak is basically saying, “Hold my Tuak – we’ve got this.”

This isn’t just policy; it’s a power move that transforms Sarawak into Malaysia’s new education frontier.

The contrast couldn’t be starker.

Peninsula’s students grapple with the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) debt, a system that has seen billions in unpaid loans and countless graduates start their careers in the red.

By the end of 2023, borrowers owe nearly RM11 billion in arrears to the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN), marking the highest amount in the last decade.

Sarawak is taking the opposite route—there are no loans to dodge, no debt collectors to avoid, and no decades of financial burden.

Hutang PTPTN memang masalah besar untuk kewangan negara#ptptn #madani pic.twitter.com/8Jr90Tt2I0
— Ayuh Malaysia (@ayuhMYmovement) January 22, 2025

Sarawak’s Decade of Educational Disruption

This isn’t Sarawak’s first rodeo in progressive education moves.

Back in 2016, while Peninsula Malaysia was still debating the legitimacy of the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC), Sarawak boldly recognized it for state civil service recruitment and higher education enrollment.

Fast forward to 2025, and they have been accepting UEC holders into their public service positions.

Now, with this free education scheme, Sarawak isn’t just leading – they’re lapping the competition.

First, they recognized dreams, and now they’re funding them.

The message is clear: in Sarawak, education isn’t a privilege – it’s a birthright. And they’re backing that up with cold, hard cash.

Sarawak walking the talk… Sarawak UEC can get Sarawak Govt funding for Sarawak uni from 2026 onwards.. which other states going to follow Sarawak?#SarawakFirst #MA63 pic.twitter.com/1vmWN4F65O
— James Chin (@jameschin110) July 12, 2024