If you are one of the exceptional students who bagged 9A+ and above for your SPM 2015 results, you can heave a sigh of relief because the agonising wait is finally over.

Malaysia’s largest scholarship provider for post-secondary education, JPA (or Public Services Department) has announced that it is now taking over the post-SPM Bursary Programme from KPM (Ministry of Education).

The good news is that the KPM Bursary Programme will continue this year for SPM 2015 students; the bad news is that there are some crucial changes to the bursary that will surely be disappointing for many, including the fact that studying abroad may no longer be possible under the new Bursary Programme.

Here are the key highlights of the new KPM Bursary 2016.

#1. Sponsorship is for pre-university studies at local institutions

In the original statement that was released by JPA on 5th April, it was stated that the new Bursary Programme under JPA will cover sponsorship for both Foundation and Degree at local universities.

However, in a recent turn of events, the ministry seems to have reverted to the previous KPM Bursary model, where the new Bursary Programme will cover sponsorship for pre-university courses (kursus persediaan) only.

We confirmed with JPA that upon completing their pre-university course, bursary scholars are eligible to apply for a JPA scholarship for their undergraduate degree, provided that they meet the academic requirements and also obtain an offer at a higher education institution that is approved by JPA.

#2. All 714 eligible students will be offered a scholarship

The earlier statement released by JPA stated that there would only be spots for 250 students, which meant that a scholarship was not guaranteed despite stellar results. Students were to have undergone a selection process based on "merit and inclusivity".

The good news now is that the ministry has announced that all 714 SPM 2015 students who achieved 9A+ and above will automatically receive a scholarship. And if JPA continues with the previous KPM Bursary model, there will be no need for students to attend an interview either.

#3. Scholarship is for selected courses at local institutions that are approved by JPA

Students who are successful in obtaining the new bursary scholarship will be sponsored to study at selected institutions, with options at both public and private universities.

The focus will be on selected clusters, primarily in the fields of Medicine & Health Science, Engineering, Science & Technology, and Social Science. Selected courses, namely Education, Nursing, professional courses such as ACCA, as well as twinning and double degree programmes will not be sponsored by JPA.

Based on the latest update, programmes that are covered under the new bursary scholarship are:

• A-Level
• Asasi at Public Universities
• Foundation at selected Private Universities
• International Baccalaureate (IB)
• Matrikulasi
• Sijil Tinggi Agama Malaysia (STAM)
• Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM)

The list of approved institutions can be found at the end of this article.

#4. The Bursary Programme is a scholarship, but the sponsorship for degree is in the form of “Convertible Loan”

From 2016 onwards, all scholarship programmes under JPA will be implemented in the form of convertible loans (Pinjaman Boleh Ubah). The only exception is this new Bursary Programme for pre-university studies, as well as the Program Dermasiswa B40 2016.

The statement from JPA highlighted the importance of establishing accountability to the country. With many stories of absconding JPA scholars not returning to the country to serve their bond, it is no surprise that the government is taking steps to address the matter.

Here’s how the 2016 JPA scholarships will work under the "convertible loan" model:

#5. KPM Bursary will no longer be offered to SPM 2016 students and beyond

In the released statement, JPA has also made it clear that this will be the final year where the Bursary Programme for post-SPM students will be implemented. Students who are taking their SPM in 2016 and beyond will no longer have this as a scholarship option moving forward.

If you are one of those who have been aiming for the KPM Bursary, fret not – there could still be other scholarship programmes under JPA that you can apply for. The cancellation of the KPM Bursary however does mean that unlike previous years, a scholarship is no longer guaranteed for 9A+ students.

What’s next if you are eligible for the new Bursary Programme?

You will need to visit the JPA website and make your eProfiling updates from 21 April 2016. Deadline is 12pm, 6 May 2016.

List of JPA-approved institutions for Bursary Programme

Here is the list of institutions by area of study (official source here).

What do you think about this latest development? Let us know in the comments below. Aside from JPA scholarships, here's a comprehensive list of Pre-University Scholarship Options in Malaysia.

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Loh Sue May

Editor and writer. When I'm not busy putting words onto pages, I'm messing with spreadsheets and playing air guitar.