For many years, the JPA scholarships have sponsored the overseas education of thousands of students. However, as announced in January, the 2016 Budget Recalibration involved the withdrawal of 744 overseas scholarships and the conversion of all scholarships into convertible loans. This would save Putrajaya some 240 million ringgit.

According to the government, the cancelling of the 744 overseas scholarships will enable it to focus on local institutions of higher learning, which is in line with the government’s aspiration to improve their quality.

BFM explores the necessity of the cuts and the implications for our students.

This is a report by Ian Lai, Esther Tan, Liyana Zulkifli and Jason Lim.