A TOTAL of 2,643,734 students have received loans to the tune of RM48.6 billion up to end-2016 from the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) since its inception in 1997, the Dewan Rakyat was told yesterday.
Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Mary Yap Kain Ching said a total of 41,706 students who obtained loans worth RM1,234.66 million had benefited from exemptions due to outstanding results since the scheme was introduced in 2003.
“Thus, the ministry currently has no plans to expand the scope of exemption of repayment of PTPTN loans especially to students who only graduate with second class honours,” she said.
She was replying to Datuk Seri Ahmad Hamzah (BN-Jasin) who suggested a revision of the PTPTN loan policy.
Yap said there was no specific study to identify the factors which caused a delay or failure on the part of borrowers to repay the loans.
However, she said that feedback showed that borrowers failed to repay the loans because they had not found a job or were working but their income was not commensurate with their qualification.
“Some borrowers were employed with adequate salaries but their attitude of not repaying the loans came to light when they came to negotiate once they were barred by the Immigration Department from leaving the country and listed under the Central Credit Reference Information System (CCRIS).
Yap said PTPTN also had a standard operating procedure (SOP) on approving loans for students.
“This SOP is important to avoid the issuance of loans to students who do not qualify, such as those who have failed in exams, quit university and achieved a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of less than 2.0,” she said. — Bernama