This year (2024), applications for Sarawak Unity Education Fund (SUEF) is expected to officially open to poor and needy Sarawakian students who want to further their studies at universities in Malaysia.

A private sector-driven initiative, the fund will offer scholarships to “deserving and talented” students from low-income households in need of financial support as they pursue their tertiary education, with the intention of preparing them to be part of the State’s workforce and developing them as future leaders of the country.

SUEF complements the various educational assistance that are made available to high-achieving students in Sarawak. Scholarships, in particular, are generally provided by corporations, universities or colleges, and the government at the state and federal levels.

There are many benefits to scholarships. For students, such assistance enables them to gain access to quality education at the tertiary institution of their choice.

Given the effort required to earn a scholarship, they would have developed the determination to work hard and remain focus in order to achieve excellence from an early age.

Should they aim for a scholarship that allows them to study outside their home town, they will seize the opportunity to be in a diverse environment, being able to interact with students of different backgrounds and in turn improve their social skills, including communication, problem solving and empathy.

Most importantly, because not everyone can afford higher education, scholarships offer students from low-income households the chance to gain an education without having concerns about repayments or debts, helping them to give greater priority to their studies.

In fact, being educated at a tertiary institution boosts their prospects of becoming highly skilled talents, and when employed they can earn an income high enough and gain the necessary knowledge and skills to uplift their socio-economic well-being.

For these disadvantaged students, that could mean escaping from generational poverty.

Still, some opt not to continue their education beyond secondary school in spite of the advantages scholarships present.

Such is the case for Malaysia, where a study conducted by the Department of Statistics Malaysia in 2019 revealed that over 72 per cent or 390,000 out of 560,000 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) school leavers preferred to find work upon completing the national examination rather that pursuing higher education.

There were three major factors influencing these youths’ inclination towards joining the workforce immediately: employment opportunities in the gig economy; interest in chasing the ‘influencer dream’ through social media; and the impression that further studies do not equal better jobs. 

These findings can be detrimental to Malaysia’s long-term socio-economic progress, more so as the country requires up to 35 per cent of its workforce to be highly skilled in order to become a developed nation by 2030.

For that reason, scholarships are not enough to support poor and needy students in their pursuit for tertiary education and enhanced well-being. Experts have called for the Malaysian Government to strategise and implement a more comprehensive approach in tackling challenges in the country’s education.

Globally, the United Nations has urged governments to invest “more, more equitably and more efficiently” in their respective nations’ education, building upon the commitment of Goal Four – Quality Education – of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“Furthermore, measures such as making education free and compulsory, increasing the number of teachers, improving basic school infrastructure and embracing digital transformation are essential,” it states.

SDG 4: Quality Education

Scholarships are among the means of implementing Goal Four – Quality Education – of the SDGs, particularly for disadvantaged students from developing countries who intend to continue their studies at a higher level, whether in vocational training, information and communications technology, technical, engineering or scientific programmes.

This is because quality education as a whole is especially necessary to break the cycle of poverty. The United Nations notes that guaranteeing an inclusive and equitable quality education as well as promoting lifelong learning opportunities for everyone are vital steps towards achieving the other development goals. 

“Education helps to reduce inequalities and to reach gender equality. It also empowers people everywhere to live more healthy and sustainable lives. Education is also crucial to fostering tolerance between people and contributes to more peaceful societies,” it elaborates.

References:

Balkish, A. (2023, April 11). Poor Students Forgoing Higher Education, Cause For Concern. BERNAMA. https://www.bernama.com/en/bfokus/news.php?id=2180599

Bong, K. (2023, May 11). Malaysia needs to create 2 mln high-skilled jobs to achieve 35 pct high-skilled workforce. DayakDaily. https://dayakdaily.com/malaysia-needs-to-create-2-mln-high-skilled-jobs-to-achieve-35-pct-high-skilled-workforce/

Li, C.Y. (2023, April 10). School Leavers Don’t Want To Further Their Studies After SPM: Why? SEGi University.https://university.segi.edu.my/school-leavers-dont-want-to-further-their-studies-after-spm-why/

Loh, S.M. (2022, July 29). Your Ultimate Guide to Scholarships in Malaysia. EduAdvisor.https://eduadvisor.my/articles/ultimate-guide-scholarships-malaysia

Scholarship America. (n.d.). Why Scholarships Are Vital for Low-Income Students and Families. [Blog]. https://scholarshipamerica.org/blog/why-scholarships-are-vital-for-low-income-students-and-families/

SDG 4 Targets and Means of Implementation. (n.d.). Asia-Pacific SDG 4-Education2030 Knowledge Portal. https://apa.sdg4education2030.org/sdg-4-targets-and-means-implementation

Ten, M. (2023, October 10). Private sector-driven Sarawak Unity Education Fund to offer scholarships to promising needy school-leavers. The Borneo Post. https://www.theborneopost.com/2023/10/10/private-sector-driven-sarawak-unity-education-fund-to-offer-scholarships-to-promising-needy-school-leavers/

United Nations. (n.d.). Financing education. https://www.un.org/en/transforming-education-summit/financing-education

United Nations. (n.d.). Goal 4 – Quality Education. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/education/ What is the Importance of Educational Scholarship? (n.d.). Global Indian International School. https://noida.globalindianschool.org/blog-details/what-is-the-importance-of-educational-scholarship