JPA Scholarships 2016: The Big Round-Up
The wait is over! The KPM Bursary is now being continued by JPA — and it is a one-off programme in 2016 only. What other JPA scholarships are there for you? Find out here now!
Updated 04 May 2020
Finally, the light has been shed for those who have been kept in the dark, hanging on to a thread of hope that JPA scholarships will be disbursed to cover the rising costs of higher education.
The recent JPA announcement clears up many speculations and unrest, especially amongst post-SPM 2015 students looking to find clarity on whether the KPM Bursary is still being offered this year (the short answer is yes, albeit with some major changes). JPA has also announced another new scholarship programme called Program Dermasiswa B40 2016, which focuses on Technical & Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
With so many scholarships under the JPA umbrella, here's a full round-up of all the six JPA scholarships that are being offered in 2016.
#1. Program Bursary 2016
Update (13 April 2016): This Bursary Programme 2016 has been updated with the latest information unfolded recently. Do continue to stay tuned in case of further updates.
What It Is
This is the continuation of the Bursary Programme for post-SPM leavers with 9A+ and above, more commonly known as the KPM Bursary. Previously under the purview of KPM (Ministry of Education), this Bursary Programme has now been taken over by JPA.
What You Need To Know
- All 714 9A+ and above SPM 2015 scorers will get this scholarship. These students can be found in this list here.
- Scholarship covers pre-university programmes only, for selected fields of study.
- Students can still apply for sponsorships for Degree studies later on, but they will be in the form of convertible loans.
- Only applicable for selected local institutions that are approved by JPA, with options at both public and private universities
- This is the final year of the Bursary Programme, as it will be removed from 2017 onwards
Application
Application is online via the JPA official website.
Update (23 April 2016): Application is open on 21st April 2016. Update your profile in the eProfiling system to apply.
For an in-depth look at how the KPM Bursary has changed, refer to this article: 5 Things You Need to Know About the New KPM Bursary
#2. Program Dermasiswa B40 2016
What It Is
A new programme under JPA that targets SPM 2015 leavers from families who are in the B40 group (bottom 40% household income group). This scholarship programme aims to assist students from low-income families to pursue vocational, technical or professional courses at selected institutions.
What You Need To Know
- You need to meet the minimum academic requirements (more details to come when application opens)
- In general, total monthly household income must be RM3,690 and below (this may vary for different states such as Putrajaya, where the amount is RM6,540 and below)
- Selection will be based on application submissions, or through the eKasih database
- For Diploma programmes at Public Universities (IPTA), 700 seats have been allocated
- For Diploma programmes at UNITEN and MMU, 200 seats have been allocated
- For Professional Certificate courses at UniKL (for engineering discipline) and Kolej Poly-Tech MARA (for Certified Accounting Technician or CAT), 100 seats have been allocated
Application
You can apply online via JPA's official website. The application deadline is 30 May 2016 (closed).
#3. Program Ijazah Dalam Negara (PIDN)
What It Is
This sponsorship programme is for students who are already currently pursuing their undergraduate degree at Public Universities (IPTA), Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN), Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP), Multimedia University (MMU) and the Malaysia-Japan International Institute of Technology (MJIIT).
What You Need To Know
- Open for 1st year undergraduate students who have completed at least one semester at the selected universities
- You need to meet the minimum academic requirements (more details to come when application opens)
- Only 7,000 seats are available for this scholarship
Application
You can apply online via JPA's official website. Application deadline is on 30 May 2016 (closed).
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Start now#4. Program Khas Kejuruteraan JKPJ 2016
What It Is
This JPA scholarship is offered to SPM 2015 students to pursue engineering degrees in countries such as Japan, Korea, France and Germany. Successful applicants will attend a preparatory course locally before proceeding to their Degree studies at the selected countries.
What You Need To Know
- Scored at least A- in these following seven (7) subjects:
- Malay Language
- History
- Islamic Studies, Al-Quran and As-Sunnah Studies, Syariah Islamiah Studies, or Moral Studies
- English
- Physics
- Chemistry
- Additional Mathematics
- Did not obtain any grade C or below for any other subjects taken
- Only 200 seats are available for this scholarship
- You will have to take different pre-university programmes depending on your destination country (e.g. Germany = A-Levels/AUSMAT, Korea = Foundation, etc.)
Application
The application deadline is 10 March 2016 (closed). Successful candidates are required to set up a CIMB Bank account. You will have to insert your bank details in the e-Penawaran system and bring along a copy of your bank statement on registration day.
Update (11 April 2016): Calls for interview can now be checked online from JPA's website from 11 - 17 April 2016. You will be required to attend interviews and sit for Cambridge Online Test (COT) as well.
#5. Program Lepasan Bursary 2016
What It Is
This scholarship is specifically for KPM Bursary students of year 2013, 2014 and 2015 who are intending to pursue their undergraduate degrees. Unlike the earlier batch of KPM Bursary students, the scholarship is only for local institutions, and no longer for studies abroad.
What You Need To Know
- You need to be a KPM Bursary recipient from 2013, 2014, or 2015
- Only applicable for selected local institutions that are approved by JPA, with options at both public and private universities
- The scholarship will be in the form of a convertible loan
- For those who are involved, you will be receiving an email from the government with details of a special briefing which will be held in the near future
Application
Eligible students can fill up their information in the e-profiling system in JPA official website.
#6. Program Penajaan Nasional 2016
What It Is
This is a sponsorship targeted for the crème de la crème of the SPM 2015 students. Successful students will go through a preparatory course locally before proceeding to pursue their Degree studies at top-ranking institutions abroad.
What You Need To Know
- Only those in the list of top 100 SPM 2015 students are eligible to apply
- Applicable for selected institutions and courses only
- You will be required to sit for a Cambridge Online Test (COT), as well as attend interviews
- You will be required to return to Malaysia and serve in the civil service upon graduation
Application
The application deadline is 31 March 2016 (closed).
Update (11 April 2016): Calls for interview can now be checked online from JPA's website from 11 - 17 April 2016. Recipients will be required to set up a CIMB Bank account and insert the bank details in the e-Penawaran system. Do bring along a copy of the bank statement on registration day too.
Point to Note: All scholarships in 2016 under JPA are in the form of "Convertible Loan"
Based on the released statement by JPA, there have been some changes in how funds will be disbursed for their scholarship programmes.
Notably, all JPA scholarships offered this year will be in the form of convertible loans (Pinjaman Boleh Ubah), with the exception of the Bursary Programme 2016 and the Program Dermasiswa B40 2016. What this means is that the scholarship is essentially a loan from JPA which can be converted to a full or partial scholarship, depending on various situations.
Here's how the convertible loan model works:
- Full scholarship – If you serve as a public servant in the civil service upon graduation
- 25% loan repayment – If you work in a Government-Linked Company (GLC) upon graduation
- 50% loan repayment – If you work in a local company in the private sector upon graduation
- Full loan repayment – If you choose to work abroad upon graduation
The convertible loan is designed to inject talented graduates into the civil service, as well as to instil accountability for the country.
We hope this has helped you make sense of the various JPA scholarships available. Do keep an eye out for updates that will be rolled out by JPA over the coming months, particularly around the academic requirements and application submission methods for some of the sponsorship programmes mentioned above.
For all of you who will be applying for these JPA scholarships, we wish you the very best, and may the odds be ever in your favour!
Wondering what other scholarship options that are available to you? Check out our comprehensive list of scholarships here.
Chia Wei Choong
Retiring night owl. Occasionally addicted to caffeine and absolutely addicted to fried chicken.
