Whilst tuition fees and living costs are comparatively low in Malaysia, as an international student you will still need to pay for your education and be able to support yourself. Between visa costs, rent, airfares and inescapable start-up costs, footing the bill with tuition fees might seem a bit of a nightmare. Not to worry: Malaysian institutions are well-connected internationally, and often have many funding options available to foreign students.
As well as from your host, scholarships are granted from both the Malaysian government and many external companies and funding bodies. Let our overview of three key scholarship options for international students help get you on your way to studying abroad in Malaysia.
If you aren’t eligible for any of the scholarships listed, don’t worry: we’ve included plenty of links and tips to point you in the right direction to find the funding option for you.
Funding bodies
Ministry of Education (MOE)
The MOE is the Malaysian national body of education, and offers scholarships for international students in Malaysia.
Host University
Most Malaysian institutions offer a range of scholarship, grant and funding programmes to students exclusively enrolled in one of their study programmes. These scholarships will always be retrievable on your host’s website, where you’ll be able to find details of the application process and how much each award is worth. Generally speaking, you will be more likely to find a funding programme for your Bachelors studies through your host institution than externally.
For example, the University of Nottingham, Malaysia has an entire online section that details scholarships awarded at all study levels.
External Funding
You may also have the chance to apply directly to an external company or funding body for a grant or scholarship. Many company-sponsored schemes require students to sign a ‘Bond Agreement,’ in which they are obliged to work for the company for a set amount of time after the completion of their studies. This is called a ‘Bond Period’.
If you break your bond agreement then you will be required to pay back the ‘Liquidated Damages’ incurred. This means that you will need to pay the funding body an amount of compensation based on how much you will have cost them by breaking the agreement, taking into account the amount you would hypothetically have made whilst working for them.
You can search for externally-granted funding programmes through scholarship search engines such as Scholars4Dev or Scholarship-Positions, or pursue them directly through a company’s website.
You can also search for a scholarship directly on our site via the scholarships page.
Finding scholarships
There’s no denying that studying abroad can be expensive. Luckily, many universities and colleges offer funding opportunities such as scholarships and bursaries to help you fund your studies. Whether you’re applying for an undergraduate or a postgraduate degree, it’s a good idea to research scholarships in advance of applying to the university as you don’t want to miss a deadline!
Start by using our course search tool to find a university and subject area of interest. Then, explore the scholarship and funding section of the university profile on our site to find out more information. For example, Sunway College (Kuala Lumpur) offers 3 scholarships based on either outstanding results, athletic ability or whether you have a sibling enrolled at the university.
You can then access the university website to find the relevant scholarship application forms. Most applications will ask you to provide evidence of official documents such as your passport but these requirements will differ according to each institution.
Useful Links
The Malaysian higher education system...simplified
Chat with Couru
