Studying abroad is a lifetime opportunity that allows you to immerse yourself in the culture of new land and broaden your horizons to a more diverse extent while obtaining a quality tertiary education. Aside from that, studying abroad allows you to widen your social circle and gain independence along the way. There are many essential factors to consider while choosing to study abroad, but undoubtedly costs and expenses are significant factors that dictate this decision. It can be pricey to study abroad, but fear not fellow students there are alternative ways to paying for your tuition fees and expenses. Here is a list of scholarships for studying abroad that you can consider applying for:
The MOE Taiwan Scholarship
Application Date: 1st of February to 31st of March 2020
The MOE Taiwan Scholarship provides financial assistance for outstanding students amounted to NT$15,000 for undergraduate program students, and NT$20,000 for postgraduate students, to pursue academic degrees in Taiwan and to deepen their understanding of Taiwan’s academic environment. To be eligible, applicants must be an overseas student (not Taiwanese national/overseas Taiwanese compatriot) and possess a high school diploma or higher; have performed well at his/her most recent academic institution and be of good moral character.
Click here to learn more about the scholarship
MOFA Taiwan Scholarship Program
Application Date: 1st of February to 31st of March 2020
Offering awards to Pre-degree LEP and Degree Programs (Undergraduate, Master’s and Doctoral), scholarship recipients will be given a monthly stipend of NT$25,000
for the LEP and NT$30,000 for degree program alongside one-way economy-class plane tickets for direct flights to and from Taiwan. To apply, candidates need to be an overseas student (not Taiwanese national/overseas Taiwanese compatriot), who Is a high school graduate or above with an excellent academic record, of good moral character and has no criminal record. Applicants need to hand in a complete application form, proof of their nationality (passport or other documents), academic transcripts. Documents to certify that you have applied to an educational institution or its affiliated Mandarin Training Center, TOCFL transcript (for Chinese courses) and TOEFL transcript.
Click here for the scholarship guidelines and application form
ASEAN Pre-University Scholarship
Application Deadline: 4th of May 2020
Bright young students from ASEAN countries, China and India are given scholarships to pursue Secondary 1, Secondary 3 and Pre-University studies in Singapore. To qualify for the scholarship, candidates need to be Malaysians who perform well in school examinations and have a good record of participation in co-curricular activities alongside proficiency in English. After the applications, there will be a selection test followed by an interview before awarding the scholarship.
Click here for more information on the scholarship
Yayasan Sime Darby Pre-University Scholarship Programme (China/United Kingdom)
Application Date: 5th of March to 23rd of March 2020
This scholarship offers Malaysian students to pursue their foundation studies in China and the UK.
The full scholarship covers tuition fees, board and lodging, a computer allowance, shipping allowance, and flight tickets at the beginning and end of study. To meet the requirements, applicants need to obtain at least 7As (A+ and A only). Additionally, students applying to China must obtain A+ for both Additional Mathematics and Mathematics subjects for SPM 2019. Note, scholars will be required to serve Sime Darby Companies after finishing their studies.
Click here to learn more about the scholarship to China
Click here to learn more about the scholarship to the UK
Yayasan UEM Scholarship Programme
Application date: 5th of March to 23rd of March 2020
SPM applicants will undergo a pre-university programme at Kolej Yayasan UEM (KYUEM) in Lembah Beringin, before furthering studies at renowned top international universities. Applicants who have an excellent academic track record in Form 4 & 5 as well as obtained a minimum of 7As (A+/A’s) in relevant subjects in SPM examinations are eligible to apply for this scholarship. Among the subjects offered are Business (Finance/Business Management/Accounting/Economics), Engineering (Civil/Mechanical/Electrical), IT and Computer Related (Computer Science, Computer System and Networking, Software Engineering, Data Science, Data Engineering) and Actuarial Science.
Click here for the application form
Shell Scholarship
Application date: 1st March to 5th April 2020
The Shell Scholarship is offering to sponsor 2 tiers A-levels and undergraduates programmes for those who are aiming to do engineering, science and commercial in prestigious colleges and universities locally and overseas. To be eligible for the scholarship, candidates must have a minimum of 8As (A/A+) in Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) OR excellent O-level grades at IGCSE (A*/A). There are four levels of the application process which are the online application, online assessment, on-demand video interview and the final interview.
Click here to apply for the scholarship.
PNB Global Scholarship Award
Application deadline: 25th of March 2020
Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) is Malaysia’s leading fund management company, they aim to create the next generation of high-calibre professionals through providing access to top-quality education to deserving young talents. This scholarship offers students who have obtained a MINIMUM of 8A (A+/A) in SPM 2019 and at least an A2 in English 1119. Recipients will enrol in a preparatory course at Kolej Persediaan in Malaysia before going on to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree at universities selected by PNB, based on PNB’s requirements.
Click here to learn more about the details and here for the application form
YTL Foundation Scholarship Programme
Closing date: 31 March every year. Any application that is received after 31 March will be processed the following year.
The YTL Foundation offers up to 30 scholarships every year to aid excellent students who need help to finance their tertiary studies. To apply for this scholarship, students have to be a Malaysian student, obtained a minimum of 7As in SPM /IGSCE or Min 3A/ CGPA 3.7 in their SPM or Foundations. Candidates with altruistic and leadership qualities and exceptional grades (8As and above) can also be eligible for The Yeoh Tiong Lay Award, which is awarded only to three students every year.
Click here to learn more about the application procedure.
JPA Sponsorship for Korea, Japan, France and Germany (JKPJ)
Application Deadline: 18th of March 2020
The Public Service Department (JPA) welcomes students who sat for their SPM for the first time in 2019 to obtain sponsorship to pursue their studies in Korea, Japan, France and Germany. The areas of study include engineering, science & technology and social sciences. The sponsorship is eligible for Malaysian citizens who are in good health and never been blacklisted or in litigation by JPA. To be eligible to apply, students have to possess a minimum of 5A+/A in certain subjects depending on the course selection and 2A- in English and Sejarah.
Click here for more information.
JPA National Sponsorship Programme
Application Deadline: 18th of March 2020
This is an illustrious scholarship programme that offers students who obtained a minimum of 9A+ in their SPM to continue their studies in top 20 universities in the UK or US. The ranking should be based on the QS World Ranking, Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings or Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU). Besides having an excellent academic record and active participation in co-curricular activities, applicants will have to undergo an interview to obtain the scholarship.
Click here for more details on the scholarship.
MARA-JPA Special Programme
Application Deadline: 18th of March 2020
Students who sat for their SPM in 2019 for the first time can apply for this scholarship which allows them to pursue higher education at universities in Japan, New Zealand, Australia, United Kingdom and the United States. Applicants need to exhibit a good academic result (5A+/A and above) in certain subjects depending on the country and course of application, to qualify for this scholarship.
Click here for more.
Applications can be time-consuming and frustrating but be sure to keep track of the application deadlines and submit the application beforehand. If you want to know more about scholarships, click on the articles below to find out more! Good luck on your applications and congratulations on finishing high school!
Read: Scholarships in Malaysia 2020 (for local studies)
Read: Pre-Universities in Malaysia (Local)