Education is a crucial part of one’s life.
However, tertiary education can be expensive and financially challenging for some.
There is an abundance of financial aid available for students to consider, such as scholarships, bank loans and student loans such as PTPTN.
Here are 13 commonly asked questions about PTPTN:
1. What is PTPTN?
PTPTN is Perbadanan Tabung Pendidikan Tinggi Nasional, a government institution providing study loans for Malaysian students to fund their tertiary education.
PTPTN is many students’ top choice due to its low interest rate and flexibility in repayment methods.
Depending on individual cases, PTPTN loans offer students a full or partial loan to fund their studies.
2. Who is Eligible to Receive a PTPTN Loan?
To be eligible for the PTPTN loan, you must meet the following criteria:
- Be a Malaysian citizen
- Be below 45 years old at the time of application
- Applicants must pass SPM with credit in 3 subjects
- Must be offered entry to a public or private university/polytechnic/community college in Malaysia
- Courses offered must be approved by the Ministry of Education and registered with PTPTN and recognised by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA).
- The remaining period of study upon application must exceed one year.
- Open an SSPN-i/SSPN-Plus account before applying for a PTPTN loan.
3. Can I Apply for PTPTN Online?
Yes, you can apply for PTPTN online.
Here are 4 quick and easy steps to do so:
i) Open an SSPN-i (Skim Simpanan Pendidikan Nasional) account at Maybank, Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad, Bank Rakyat or RHB Bank, Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN), Agrobank and CIMB Bank.
ii) Open a savings account that is specified by PTPTN for the institution you’re enrolling at.
iii) Buy a PIN number from your local BSN for RM5. However, remember that this PIN number is only valid for 6 months.
iv) Fill in the online application on the official PTPTN website. Be sure to fill in your personal details accurately as it could potentially affect the result of your application.
Further reading:
Your Easy Guide to Applying for a PTPTN Loan
4. What is the Interest Rate for the PTPTN Loan?
All PTPTN loans will be subject to a flat PTPTN interest rate of 1% per annum to facilitate the administrative and management cost.
For example, if you take a PTPTN loan worth RM45,000 with a repayment period of 15 years, the total interest rate you have to pay per month is RM37.50 which amounts your total repayment to RM287.50 per month.
5. What Happens After I Submit My Application?
The result of your application will be known 7 working days after submission.
You then have 14 days from the approval date to submit the signed agreement and requested documents to a nearby PTPTN office.
To be included in the attachments are your university offer letter and ‘Setem Hasil’ that can be purchased at a post office.
6. When Will I Receive the Loan Money?
It usually takes 21 working days for the loan money to be credited into your bank account.
Once the signed loan agreement and the requested documents are handed over, they then will proceed to release the funds to you.
7. When Do I Start Paying Back the Loan?
Your PTPTN loan repayment starts 12 months after you have completed your studies, leaving you with enough time to secure a stable job/income.
However, if you don’t have a job after the given time frame, you may request for a deferment of repayment.
If you graduate with first class honours for your course, your PTPTN degree loan will be converted into a scholarship and you won’t need to pay it back.
Do keep in mind that first class honours CGPA differ from courses and institutions.
8. Can I Pay Back My PTPTN Loan Earlier?
Yes you can.
You are expected to start repaying your PTPTN loan 12 months after you’ve completed your studies.
However, you also can start repaying your loan as soon as you graduate.
You will be at an advantage as you won’t be charged interest for that time period.
9. How Long Does it Take to Pay Back the PTPTN Loan?
The repayment period of the PTPTN loan is determined by the amount borrowed and will be shown on your loan offer letter.
Here is a general overview of the loan repayment period:
|
Total Loan Amount |
Estimated Monthly Payment (incl. interest) |
Loan Repayment Period |
|
Less than RM10,000 |
Below RM175 |
5 years |
|
RM10,000 – RM20,000 |
RM92 – RM183 |
10 years |
|
RM20,000- RM40,000 |
RM127 – RM256 |
15 years |
|
RM40,000 – RM60,000 |
RM200 – RM300 |
20 years |
10. Can I Use PTPTN for My Studies Overseas?
No, PTPTN loans only cover local public and private universities, polytechnics and community colleges.
11. Can I Use PTPTN for My Masters Studies?
Yes, you can use your PTPTN loan for your masters studies.
If you want to take up a Master’s degree, do note that only postgraduate studies at public universities are eligible for PTPTN loans.
12. Can I Apply for a PTPTN Loan if I am on Scholarship?
Yes, you can still apply for PTPTN loan even if you are a scholarship recipient.
Some scholarships offered are only partial.
With a PTPTN loan, you can use it to cover the balance of tuition fees and other study or living expenses.
You can search here for scholarships that allow you to apply for a PTPTN loan as well.
13. What if I Can’t Pay for the Loan?
If you know that you are unable to pay back the loan, don’t take the loan.
In recent years, the government has imposed serious sanctions on those who fail to repay their loan on time in response to the increasing number of PTPTN loan defaults.
One of the measures by the government is to blacklist loan defaulters in the Central Credit Reference Information System (CCRIS), a system that stores financial information of Malaysian borrowers with their credit score.
Being blacklisted on CCRIS means you will immediately be rejected when you apply for housing loans, personal loans and even credit cards.
You also could be prevented from leaving the country.
If you have difficulty repaying the loan, talk to PTPTN officers about restructuring your repayment.
Further reading: