Scholarships for Foundation, Matriculation and A-Level Students

21 June 2025

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah State Scholarship (BKNS) will now include students pursuing foundation, matriculation, and A-Level studies, beginning this year.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor said that the scholarship allowance for all sponsored students currently enrolled in public and private universities will also be standardised.

“This initiative reflects BKNS’s continued commitment to supporting educational development in Sabah, ensuring that more promising students have access to higher education,” he said during the Sabah Excellence Scholarship Award ceremony held at the Sabah International Convention Centre today.

The Chief Minister noted that for 2025, the State Government has allocated the highest scholarship funding to date. “From just RM50 million in 2020, the BKNS allocation has steadily increased over the past five years, reaching RM136 million in 2025. This marks an RM86 million rise since 2019 and reflects the State Government’s strong commitment to supporting the education of Sabah’s youth,” he said.

Between 2021 and 2024, a total of 13,550 students benefited from various state-led educational initiatives.

Meanwhile, he highlighted the Yayasan Sabah Group’s contribution to the education sector, with RM67.17 million allocated last year, benefitting 3,234 students — a 148.96% increase compared to RM26.98 million in 2020.

He also shared that 10,104 students have benefitted from the Sabah State Education Fund (TPNS), which he launched in June 2022, with a total disbursement of RM15.8 million.

Through the Sabah Islamic Religious Council’s (MUIS) Zakat and Fitrah Division, more than 48,000 students across the state have received assistance over the past five years, amounting to RM92.4 million.

“These initiatives aim to raise the standard of education for Sabah’s children and contribute to the development of high-quality human capital,” Hajiji said.

He further emphasised that, in line with efforts to diversify and strengthen education aid across the state, various forms of assistance have been implemented through the office of the Deputy State Secretary (Special Tasks). In 2025 alone, RM77.5 million has been allocated to support 14 educational aid programmes. Among them are the One-Off IPT Registration Cash Aid (BUDI), the Computer Assistance Initiative (BAIK), the Sabah Student Flight Ticket Assistance (GRS-SUBFLY), and SENTOSA, which supports students enrolled in local higher education institutions.

These initiatives are also supported by agencies such as the Sabah Welfare Foundation (Yayasan Kebajikan Sabah) and the Sabah Baitulmal Corporation.

“The wide range of educational assistance provided through various departments and agencies demonstrates the State Government’s firm commitment to safeguarding the welfare and future of Sabah’s children,” Hajiji said.

He reaffirmed the government’s pledge to ensure the well-being of the people remains a priority, regardless of their background.

“To the youth, study diligently and strive for excellence. Explore professional fields such as oil and gas, energy, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), and Artificial Intelligence (AI), so that Sabah can produce highly skilled and capable individuals across various sectors,” he said.

Hajiji expressed hope that the scholarship awards would serve as strong motivation for students to excel