How Do I Apply For A PTPTN Loan?
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Getting an education can be expensive. On the other hand, having the right paper qualification may be the stepping down to kickstart your career.
If you are a parent, giving your child the right start in life with a good education is important but so is putting a roof over your family and having enough money to survive.
With the cost of education escalating, without an education fund set up by the parents, children would have to opt for a scholarship, or failing that, get an education loan.
For most Malaysians, that would be applying to the Perbadanan Tabung Pendidikan Tinggi Nasional (PTPTN). It is a government institution that was established to provide study loans to Malaysian students for their local tertiary education.
Here’s everything you need to know on applying for PTPTN loans:
1. Am I eligible to apply for PTPTN?
Here is a list of criteria to be eligible for PTPTN:
- Are you a Malaysian citizen?
- Are you between 18 to 45 years old?
- Do you have an offer letter from your public higher education institutions (IPTA), private higher educational institutions (IPTS) or polytechnic?
- For IPTS: Have you ensured that the courses and institutions you pursue have obtained Accreditation Certificate from the Malaysian Qualifications Agency?
- For IPTA: Have you ensured that the courses and institutions you pursue are registered and approved by the Ministry of Education?
- Is the remaining period of your study exceeds one year?
- Have you not received any other funding?
If you checked all of the above, then you are eligible to apply for PTPTN.
2. Will PTPTN cover all education level?
| Education Level | Institutions approved by PTPTN | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| IPTA | IPTS | Polytechnic | |
| Foundation | No | Yes* | No |
| Full-time Diploma | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Part-time Diploma | Yes | Yes# | Yes |
| Long distance Diploma | Yes | No | No |
| Advanced Diploma | Yes | No | Yes |
| Full-time First Bachelor’s Degree | Yes | Yes | No |
| Part-time First Bachelor’s Degree | Yes | Yes# | No |
| Master’s Degree | Yes | No | No |
| PhD | Yes | No | No |
| Professional Course | Yes | No | No |
# Limited to students in UNITEM, UNITAR, WOU and AeU.
3. Will PTPTN cover my overseas education or related courses?
a. Foreign based pre-university programmes
PTPTN won’t cover foreign based pre-university programmes like A-levels, Certificate of Pre-University (CPU), International Baccalaureate (IB) or Australian Matriculation (AUSMAT).
b. Twinning programmes
As for twinning programmes, PTPTN will only cover financing of your course of study in Malaysia. For example, you are doing a 4-year twinning Engineering programme, with the first two years in Malaysia and the following two years in London, PTPTN will only cover the funding for the first two years. You are on your own after that, but you can apply for scholarship or other private education loans.
c. Foreign education programmes
If you are planning to study overseas completely, this won’t be covered under PTPTN too. You will have to opt for scholarship or consider other private education loans.
4. How much loan amount will I be entitled to?
There are two aspects that PTPTN will consider before deciding on how much loan you will be eligible for:
a. Parents’ or guardian’s status and income range
The amount of PTPTN financing is determined by the parents’ or guardian’s status as a Bantuan Sara Hidup Rakyat (BSHR) aid recipient and net income, after deducting the number of dependants.
| Education Funding | Monthly Household Net Income (RM) |
|---|---|
| Maximum (100%) | Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah recipient |
| 75% of the maximum | NOT STR recipient, with an income of up to RM8,000 |
| 50% of the maximum | NOT STR recipient, with an income of more than RM8,000 |
Source: https://www.ptptn.gov.my/permohonan-pinjaman-side
b. Course or institution
Depending on which institution, what course, which education level and which schedule (full or part time) you are pursuing:
Full-time:
| INSTITUTION | LEVEL OF STUDY | ANNUAL FUNDING AMOUNT | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100% (RM) | 75% (RM) | 50% (RM) |
||
| IPTA & POLYTECHNIC** | Diploma** | 4,750 | 3,560 | 2,380 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 6,650 | 4,990 | 3,330 | |
| Bachelor’s Degree (Arts) | 6,180 | 4,630 | 3,090 | |
| Master’s Degree | 9,500 | 7,130 | 4,750 | |
| PhD | 24,700 | 18,530 | 12,350 | |
| Professional Course | 5,700 | 4,280 | 2,850 | |
| IPTS | Foundation | 6,800 | 5,100 | 3,400 |
| Diploma | 6,800 | 5,100 | 3,400 | |
| Diploma (Pharmacy, Dentistry and Health Sciences) | 12,750 | 9,560 | 6,380 | |
| Bachelor’s Degree (Science) | 14,030 | 10,520 | 7,010 | |
| Bachelor’s Degree (Arts) | 13,600 | 10,200 | 6,800 | |
| Bachelor’s Degree (Pharmacy, Dentistry and Health Sciences) | 17,000 | 12,750 | 8,500 | |
| Bachelor’s Degree in Medicine (MBBS) | 50,000 | 37,500 | 30,000 | |
Part-time:
| INSTITUTION | LEVEL OF STUDY | ANNUAL FUNDING AMOUNT (RM) |
|---|---|---|
| IPTA & POLYTECHNIC** | Diploma** | 4,750 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 6,180 | |
| Master’s Degree | 9,500 | |
| PhD | 24,700 | |
| Professional Course | 5,700 | |
| IPTS | Diploma | 5,050 |
| Bachelor’s Degree | 5,470 |
** Funding to polytechnic only applies for Diploma level studies.
Source: https://www.ptptn.gov.my/permohonan-pinjaman-side
5. How do I apply for PTPTN loan?
| 1 | Open an SSPN-i account online at PTPTN - https://www.ptptn.gov.my/elmas-pin-purchase-web/#/ Or you can also open it at Maybank, Bank Islam, Agrobank, Bank Rakyat or RHB Bank. |
| 2 | Purchase a RM5.00 PIN number online or at any Bank Simpanan Nasional branch. Make sure you receive the payment receipt. Note: The PIN is valid for 6 months only. |
| 3 | Apply through PTPTN’s online loan application website. The entire application process can now be completed online. For a step-by-step guide to apply and send your application online, you can refer to their manual here: https://online.sspn.my/link/pinjaman |
If you are applying for the first time, you will be asked to register first and pay for the PIN number before proceeding to applying for the loan based on the educational institution (IPTA and IPTS) you are enrolled in for your course.
Read More: PTPTN Will Help Finance Your Child’s Education Long Before You Need A Loan
6. By when should I apply for my PTPTN loan?
Not many are aware that the online application for PTPTN must be submitted at specific dates according to your respective IPTA or IPTS. Both IPTA and IPTS have different dates open to students’ application for this popular loan.
You can go to the official PTPTN website here and type in the full name of your selected university.
It is also advisable for you to reconfirm these dates with your institution’s student affairs department.
7. Do I need to pay insurance for my PTPTN loan?
In addition, students are required to pay for takaful coverage on the amount borrowed. This deduction is to protect their loan based on their study period and loan repayment period.
The takaful deduction will be done every semester on their behalf by PTPTN when the loans are disbursed.
8. When will I receive my loan funds?
The first-time loan disbursement will be made only after the loan agreement is complete and received by PTPTN. You can check the status of the application within 6 working days. The valid offer period is within 14 days from the date of the Offer Letter.
The loan disbursement for subsequent semesters will only be made after PTPTN receives the student’s status of study from the respective institutions. The dates and timelines for you to receive the money is subject to the respective loan application deadline of the education institution. The details for the loan disbursement schedule will be found on the same online page of your loan application deadline for the respective IPTA or IPTS.
The loan disbursements will be credited into the student’s account unless agreed upon otherwise. The loan duration is based on the semester of your application. If the application was made during your second semester, the loan will be approved from the second semester onwards until completion of study.
9. Can I reapply for a second loan to fund my higher studies?
You can. However, you must be furthering your studies to a higher level from your previous loan tenure. For example, your first loan was to fund your Degree and now you want to pursue your Masters. You need not settle your first loan until you have completed your second round of studies. Upon completion, you will need to start paying for both the loans.
However, if you want to apply for a second PTPTN loan for your second degree, then you will be required to settle your first loan before you can apply for the second one.
The application procedure is the same as when you applied for your first loan.
10. What if I default on my PTPTN loan?
You will be responsible for repaying the total amount disbursed by PTPTN, including other costs such as fees, insurance coverage, and Duty Stamp as stated in your PTPTN loan Letter of Offer. You will be exempted from paying your PTPTN loan if you obtained your Bachelor Degree with First Class Honour.
Repayments to start 12 months after graduation
All borrowers are required to start repaying the loan within 12 months after graduation and without waiting for the notice to be served by PTPTN. If not, a repayment notice will be sent out on the 13th month.
According to PTPTN, defaulting can lead to a negative impact on the borrower’s credit report and may effect the defaulter’s credit applications in future. Borrowers need to keep to their monthly repayment schedule to maintain a good credit score with CCRIS.
Ujrah fees will apply after 12 months
A 1% interest charged upon non-settlement of the loan within 12 months. This Syariah-compliant fee is known as Ujrah and will be charged monthly from the 13th month onwards.
If you repay 100% of the education loan within the first 12 months of graduation, no interest or Ujrah fee of 1% will be charged.
Where to make your PTPTN payment
For your convenience, the PTPTN loan can be paid online via;
- Via PTPTN Official Portal (FPX)
- Via the official portal of the PTPTN loan repayment collection agent bank.
- Via MypayPTPTN (www.mygovmobile.malaysia.gov.my)
- Via myPTPTN application (myptptn.ptptn.gov.my)
Loan repayments can also be made through direct debit through major banks in Malaysia, and alternatively, you can repay the PTPTN loan via electronic capture terminals located at PTPTN counters nationwide, through designated appointed banks, salary deduction, PayQuik kiosks, Razer Cash at 7-Eleven, Digi Kiosk or other selected merchants through e-pay.
Need to reach out to PTPTN for more details?
You can contact them via:
Careline PTPTN at 03 – 2193 3000 (Monday to Friday, 9am until 5pm)
Live Chat at www.ptptn.gov.my
