PTPTN LOAN: Little reward for a first class effort

2009/11/05

N.S.S., Taiping

I REFER to the appeal "Make exception" (NST, Oct 26) by Rebecca Yeo of Malacca regarding the announcement in the 2010 Budget that begining next year, all university students who had taken National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) loans and who graduated with first class honours would have the loans converted to full scholarships.

Like Yeo, I have a son who attended a university college on a PTPTN loan in 2001 and graduated with first class honours.

At the mass signing of the loan agreement at his college in 2001, the officer in charge said in his speech that any student who graduated with first class honours would be exempted from repaying the loan as it would be converted to a full scholarship as a reward.

When my son sent in a copy of his first class honours degree and sought an exemption, the officer in charge now gave the excuse that he could not give an exemption because the course my son took was not accredited by Lembaga Akreditasi Negara (LAN).

It seems that if an applicant takes a course that is not accredited by LAN, he will not be approved for a PTPTN loan.

If the course my son took was not accredited, why did the officer approve the loan and why did he promise an exemption as well if my son obtained first class honours?

I share my son's frustration at being misled. How many students are good enough for first class honours at a university?

I think my son deserves to have his loan converted to a scholarship.