9 Scholarships for Malaysian Students

Scholarships for Malaysian students provide excellent chances to pursue higher education both domestically and internationally. These scholarships are intended to provide students with financial assistance, allowing them to attend high-quality academic programs in a variety of areas. Whether for undergraduate or postgraduate study, these scholarships alleviate financial burdens while providing access to world-class universities and institutions. Malaysian students can apply for scholarships from the government, private groups, and international foundations. With a range of alternatives available, these scholarships play an important role in enabling students to accomplish their academic and professional objectives.

Over 70,000 Malaysian students studied overseas in 2019. This figure rises as Malaysia builds its human capital and becomes more competitive internationally. However, pursuing a post-secondary degree is expensive, particularly for international students. Fortunately, Malaysian students have an abundance of top-notch scholarship options to select from.
It takes time to submit an application for a scholarship. There’s a lot to learn about how Malaysians might apply for scholarships to study overseas. Here is a list of foreign scholarships for Malaysian students to give you a head start!

The Top Scholarships Available to Malaysians

1. Khazanah Global Scholarship

All Malaysian nationals are eligible to apply for this scholarship program, which is provided by the Yayasan Khazanah foundation. Under this government effort, students studying business, engineering, biological sciences, and other subjects vital to Malaysia’s development can apply for fully financed rewards. You receive full financial support, which includes payment for tuition, living expenses, housing, and other expenses, if you are qualified.

You are required to keep up a strong academic standing in order to be awarded a scholarship. You will be required to return to Malaysia to work for Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund, Khazanah Nasional, or other related institutions after completing the program. The length of your program is equivalent to the required employment period.

Study areas include business, engineering, life sciences, and other subjects seen to be important for the development of Malaysia.
Study Levels: Undergraduate and Graduate
Eligibility: available to citizens of Malaysia under 40 who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, extracurricular, and academic accomplishments.

Scholarships for Malaysian universities are available if you’re studying at these top universities

University of Oxford
California Institute of Technology
University of Melbourne
University of Cambridge
Stanford University
Imperial College London
Harvard University
University College London
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
University of Edinburgh
Princeton University
London School of Economics
University of California Berkeley
Kings College London
Yale University
University of California, Los Angeles
University of Pennsylvania
Cornell University
John Hopkins University

2. My BrainSc Scholarship

The Malaysian Ministry of Education launched this program in an effort to develop the next generation of scientists and academics. Scholarships for Malaysian students engaged in natural science studies at the undergraduate and graduate levels are covered by the program.
Scholarships are available for Malaysian students wishing to study abroad at highly regarded universities in the US, UK, Australia, and Canada. The prize pays for living expenses, housing costs, tuition, and other charges, such as airline tickets and fees for obtaining a visa. You commit to returning to Malaysia after graduation and working for an educational or scientific organization that has received government approval.

study area: Natural sciences, including physics, chemistry, biology, and mathematics.
Study Levels: Undergraduate and Graduate
Eligibility: Malaysian must be under 21 years old for a bachelor’s degree, 28 years old for a master’s degree, and 35 years old for a PhD. Candidates need to have outstanding academic backgrounds.

3. Shell Malaysia Overseas Undergraduate Scholarships

A-level and undergraduate students studying engineering, science, and commerce are eligible to apply for this annual grant. Shell Malaysia pays for living expenses, tuition, and other fees in full, subject to a student’s steady academic success.

Study areas: Engineering, science, and business.
Level of Study: Undergraduate and Pre-University
Eligibility: Students with outstanding records in extracurricular activities, academics, and leadership are eligible.

Both regional institutions and highly regarded universities in the US, UK, and Australia are eligible to apply for the award program.

University of Oxford
Stanford University
University of Melbourne
University of Stanford
California Institute of Technology
Australian National University
University College London
Harvard University
Imperial College London
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
University of Edinburgh
Princeton University
London School of Economics
Yale University
King’s College London
University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Los Angeles
Columbia University
University of Pennsylvania
Cornell University
University of Texas Austin
Colorado School of Mines

4. Bank Negara Scholarships

For Malaysian students studying overseas or domestically at the pre-university, undergraduate, or graduate levels, Bank Negara Malaysia provides full scholarships. The award programs include coursework in computer science, math, and commerce.

You commit to working for the bank for the equivalent of two years for every year you study if you take a Bank Negara scholarship. You would so work for Bank Negara for six years, for instance, if your program lasts three years.

Study areas: Data science, computer science, actuarial science, arithmetic, statistics, law, and economics.
Study Level: Undergraduate, graduate, and pre-university
Eligibility: Students with exceptional academic records and good interpersonal and leadership abilities are eligible. The age limit is thirty years for master’s degrees and thirty-five years for PhDs.

Among the universities where you could be eligible for scholarships are:

University of Leeds
University of Pennsylvania
University of Melbourne
London School of Economics
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
University of Sydney
University of Warwick
University of California Berkeley
Australian National University
Lancaster University
University of Michigan
University of Queensland
University of Cambridge
New York University
Monash University
University of Oxford
University of Texas, Austin
University College London
Carnegie Mellon University
King’s College London
Cornell University
Durham University
Harvard University
Imperial College London
Princeton University
University of Birmingham
Stanford University
City, University of London
Columbia University
University of Kent
Yale University
University of Manchester
University of Chicago
University of Exeter
Northwestern University
University of Nottingham
University of California, Los Angeles
California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
University of Washington
Georgia Institute of Technology
University of Wisconsin, Madison

5. JPA Scholarship – JKPJ Program

Foundational and undergraduate studies in Japan, Korea, France, and Germany are funded by this government-provided scholarship. Social sciences, science, technology, and engineering are among the subjects for which funding is available. This is a government loan that is available to SPM students. Before enrolling at a university in any of the four aforementioned nations, you must engage in preparatory courses at a nearby institution.

After graduation, your loan repayment is entirely forgiven if you join the civil service. Put another way, the loan is a complete, non-repayable scholarship if you work for the government after graduation. After graduating, you must repay 25% if you work for a Government-Linked Company (GLC). 50% of your loan is repaid if you start working for a local private company. And you pay back the entire loan in any other circumstance.

Study areas: Engineering, social sciences, science, and technology.
Study levels: Undergraduate and pre-university.
Eligibility: Students under the age of eighteen who have a strong academic record in pertinent courses are eligible to apply.

6. UEM Group Undergraduate Overseas Scholarship,

The UEM Group, a prominent engineering-based infrastructure and services company in Malaysia, is providing this undergraduate scholarship. Are you pursuing a bachelor’s degree in actuarial science, business, engineering, IT, or computer/technology fields? You can be eligible for complete tuition reimbursement in addition to living and health insurance coverage.

If selected, you will be required to finish a pre-university course at Kolej Yayasan UEM prior to enrolling in an undergraduate degree at prestigious international universities. Accepting this scholarship also binds you to Yayasan UEM, allowing you to work there for a maximum of five years.

Study areas include actuarial science, business, engineering, IT, and computer/technology fields.
Study level: Undergraduate
Eligibility: Citizens of Malaysia who completed their high school education with distinction and at least seven As on the SPM exam are eligible. Strong interpersonal, communication, and leadership abilities are also required, as well as a solid extracurricular history.

7. The Fullbright Program

This is an initiative of the US government in collaboration with 160 nations. Malaysian nationals can apply for partial Fullbright funding to pursue postgraduate studies in the US. In other words, the award is intended to enhance any current scholarships or other money you may receive, along with your own savings. The award amount fluctuates based on the funds that you now have available. Therefore, if you were awarded a partial scholarship by your local institution or the university you plan to attend, this scholarship is a fantastic choice.

Among the disciplines covered by the funds are the social sciences, engineering, performance arts, humanities, and natural sciences. Particularly for Malaysia, applicants who enroll in the programs specified below will be given precedence. Although they are renewed for a second year, these funds are only good for one academic year. Although they are renewed for a second year, these funds are only good for one academic year. These are not automatically renewed. To be eligible for approval, you must be nominated to the J. William Fullbright Foreign Scholarships Board.

Study areas include Comparative Religion, Economics and Technology Transfer, Islamic Studies, American Studies, International Relations, Issues in Contemporary Society, and Malaysian Studies. Keep in mind that you can apply to any subject of study. For as long as you meet the requirements, your application is accepted. You pledge to return to Malaysia upon program completion when you accept the award.
Study Level: Postgraduate
Eligibility: Malaysian nationals who meet the required TOEFL, GMAT, and GRE scores and have a bachelor’s degree with a CGPA of 3.0 or higher

8. British Council GREAT Scholarships for Malaysian Students

A joint initiative of the British Council and the UK government is GREAT Scholarships. There are thirty scholarships available for postgraduate study in a variety of subjects. The £10,000 scholarship will pay for the tuition of a postgraduate program at a UK university for one year.

Study Level: Postgraduate
Eligibility: Possession of a legitimate bachelor’s degree, employment history, and evidence of interest in the field of study being applied for by a Malaysian national

The following schools are eligible to receive these awards:

Anglia Ruskin University
Bangor University
Birmingham City University
Bishop Grosseteste University
Cranfield University
Imperial College London
Keele University
Newcastle University
Nottingham Trent University
Oxford Brookes University
Royal Agricultural University
Staffordshire University
University of Bristol
University of Derby
University of Dundee
University of Edinburgh
University of Exeter
University of Glasgow
University of Kent
University of Nottingham
University of Reading

9. Chevening Scholarships for Malaysian Students

This program, which is funded by the UK government, covers postgraduate education at UK universities. To be eligible, you must apply to three separate full-time master’s programs. You can apply to three distinct courses offered by the same university, or three different universities offering the same or a comparable course. You must get an unconditional offer to enroll in at least one of these courses in order to apply for a Chevening scholarship. Make sure your course qualifies for this reward before applying!

Chevening financing covers tuition in full (with the exception of MBA programs, which have a maximum of £18,000). It also includes monthly stipends, domestic and international travel expenditures, visa application fees, etc.

Study Level: confined to master’s degrees, with the exception of Oxford University’s PhD program in diplomatic studies
Eligibility: Malaysian nationals holding a valid bachelor’s degree and two years (2,800 hours) of work experience are eligible. One of the three courses you apply to must make you an unconditional offer, and you must return to Malaysia within two years of the scholarship funding expiring.

Concluding Remarks on Scholarships for Students in Malaysia

Scholarships for students in Malaysia play a pivotal role in shaping the future of the nation by providing access to quality education for all, regardless of financial background. These scholarships not only reduce the financial burden but also recognize and reward academic excellence, leadership potential, and personal achievement. With a wide range of opportunities available, from government-sponsored programs to private sector initiatives, Malaysian students have ample avenues to pursue their academic dreams, both locally and internationally.

By seizing these scholarship opportunities, students can unlock doors to prestigious universities and programs, gain global exposure, and develop skills that will contribute to their personal growth and Malaysia’s progress. It is essential for students to actively explore these options, carefully plan their applications, and take full advantage of the opportunities available to secure a brighter academic and professional future.