Scholarships are meant to reward a student’s academic achievement, and in the process, motivates and encourages him/her for greater pursuits. Once you are out of your school and aspire for a better career by opting to study at one of the best universities and colleges, a scholarship can come real handy. Scholarships in Malaysia for International students pave that way for you rather well.

However, there are certain things one needs to grasp about college scholarships and scholarship application, because that will give you an idea of which universities to target. Malaysia offers a host of scholarships to study in Malaysia for international students – both government and private. The Malaysian universities scholarships for international students assist meritorious students in achieving their dreams by enabling them to study in their university of choice.

Let’s look at a few popular kinds of Malaysia university scholarships for international students:

Broadly, here are the 3 main kinds of scholarship providers in the country.

1) Government

2) Government linked Companies (GLC)

3) Private colleges and universities

Government

The Govt. of Malaysia International Scholarships is by far the most sought after scholarship for international students. Through this scholarship, the Malaysian Govt. aims to bring the best brains from across the world in to Malaysia. The scholarship is available for Masters and PhD degree in Malaysian public and private Universities. The subjects that are covered under this scholarship for Malaysian post graduate courses are:

• Agriculture and Fisheries
• Economics and Islamic Finance
• Science and Engineering
• Biotechnology
• Environmental Studies
• Information and Communication Technology
• Biosecurity and Food Safety
• Infrastructure and Utility
• Health (excluding medicine, nursing, medicine)

International students who are talented with excellent academic records and outstanding extra-curricular activities are welcomed to apply for this scholarship.

Selection Criteria:

• High-level of academic achievement
• The quality of the research proposal should demonstrate its potential contribution towards development of technology and human well-being.
• Excellent communication, writing and reading skills in English Language
• Applicant should not be more than 40 years ( for Postgraduate) and 45 years ( for Post-doctoral) during application.
• Applicant must have obtained a minimum of Second Class Upper (Honours) or a CGPA of 3.5/4.0 at Bachelor Degree Level (for Masters Degree) and must possess CGPA 3.5/4.0 or very good result at Masters degree level (for PhD ) in a similar field.
• Applicant must have achieved one of the following scores in English Language test.
  • ELTS Academic Test with a score of at least 6.5; or
  • TOEFL score of at least 580 (paper-based test) or minimum of 230 (computer-based test) or at least 92 (internet-based test).
• The health condition of the applicant must be excellent as certified by a certified medical practitioner.
• Applicant must have written a proposal that is relevant to the needs and interests of Malaysia ( for research-based programme only).
• Applicant must submit a proof of application and admission to a post graduate and diploma course in one of the universities in Malaysia.

The scholarship will include-

• An approved tuition fees
• Monthly maintenance allowance
• Annual grant for books and internal travel
• Visa
• Medical / Health Insurance
• Installation and Termination grant
• Air tickets from recipient’s capital city to Malaysia
• Thesis allowance

Government linked Companies

Some government-linked companies (GLCs), private companies and foundations also award outstanding scholarships – for both undergraduate and postgraduate courses. These have a comprehensive application and interview process for selection of the right candidate; and may sometimes also include scholarship bonds. Some of the providers may also restrict the scholarships to particular degrees only, depending on the nature of business the particular company carries out.

Notable companies offering such scholarships include PETRONAS, Yayasan Khazanah, Maybank Foundation, UEM Group, Bank Negara Malaysia, Yayasan Telekom Malaysia, Hong Leong Foundation, Yayasan Sime Darby, and The Star. While most of these scholarships are for local students, the one below is for international students.

Yayasan Khazanah

The Khazanah Asia Scholarship Programme by Yayasan Khazanah offers scholarship to deserving candidates from countries like Bangladesh, Palestine and Indonesia who want to pursue their undergraduate and postgraduate education in some selected universities in Malaysia. It is a very prestigious scholarship given in collaboration with different organizations in these three countries. For instance in Bangladesh, Yayasan Khazanah is in collaboration with Yunus Centre which is connected to  top universities and schools in Dhaka and also receives nomination from Grameen Bank and Grameen Shikkha for potential candidates.

In Indonesia, Yayasan Khazanah offers these scholarships in collaboration with the Ancora Foundation and allows deserving Indonesian students to pursue their undergraduate degrees at selected universities in Malaysia.

For Palestine, Yayasan Khazanah has partnered with the Islamic University of Gaza and Viva Palestina for these scholarships.

Private Colleges and Universities

The second most popular scholarship in Malaysia for international students after the Malaysian International Scholarships are the ones offered by most private colleges and universities in the country.

Most of these “Study in Malaysia scholarships” are offered as academic scholarships, with full or partial tuition fee waiver based on your academic achievements. The student can fill in for the remainder of the fees from their own pockets or supplement with a PTPTN loan if they’re pursuing a diploma or a degree. Bonds are usually rare in these kind of scholarships, but you may be required to participate in certain activities and projects organized by the college.

A popular list of scholarships in Malaysia offered by some of these private colleges and universities are given below:

• UCSI University Graduate Scholarships for International and Malaysian Students
• APU Masters Degree Scholarships in Malaysia
• KTJ Scholarships for Malaysian and International Students
• Postgraduate Scholarship Programme at University Putra Malaysia
• Uniten Bold Postgraduate Scholarship in Malaysia,
• International Graduate Student Scholarships at Universiti Putra Malaysia
• MMU Sports Excellence Scholarships for Malaysian and International Students
• Bachelor of Psychological Science Bursaries at Monash University in Malaysia
• International Medical University Scholarships for Overseas Students in Malaysia
• Merit Scholarships for Malaysian and International Students at Monash University in Malaysia
• APU Scholarships for International Students

You can find out more about these scholarships in our website in the respective university pages.. We assist those International students with excellent scholarship opportunities who take admission into Malaysian colleges and universities with our help.  Students considering Malaysia as a study destination should begin the application procedure 8-12 months prior to the intake. Scholarship deadlines vary with different institutions, and hence, it is advisable to stay on top of the intake dates of the different universities. Alternatively, you can get in touch with us for all the update.