SABAH could follow in the footsteps of other states in encouraging parents to start saving through the National Education Savings Scheme (SSPN) for their children’s higher education, according to the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN). 

PTPTN chairman Wan Saiful Wan Jan said the state government could also encourage parents to save in SSPN by throwing in some incentives such as prizes in the form of an SSPN account for outstanding students in the UPSR, PT3, SPM, STAM  and STPM. 

“The state government could establish a Sabah Education Savings Fund for new births, as implemented by Kedah, Perak, Malacca and Terengganu,” he said at the state-level SSPN 2019 roadshow in Kota Kinabalu today.

He said the four states presented RM100 to RM200 to each new birth in the form of an SSPN account.

“PTPTN believes the state government would consider the idea in the interest and wellbeing of the people in Sabah besides encouraging the latter to financially prepare earlier on for their children’s higher education,” he said.

In another development, Wan Saiful said PTPTN had approved education loans to 191,855 students in Sabah involving RM3.3 billion as of July 31.

On average, 11,000 children in Sabah get to pursue higher education yearly through an annual allocation of RM180 million, he said. – Bernama, September 7, 2019.