LACK of funds is often one of the reasons students do not continue their studies after their secondary education, let alone pursue their dream courses.
But it need not be the end of the road for these students as there are avenues available for them to further their studies and carve out a brighter future for themselves.
The Star Education Fund is one such life raft for young Malaysians such as Jimmy Lee Kai Xuan, Hashveen Kaur and Nur Syasya Umairah Nor Zazlan to not only obtain a tertiary qualification, but also chase their dreams, despite their financial circumstances.
The trio were among the 76 students awarded the Star Education Fund scholarship for the year 2022.
With the scholarship, Lee, Hashveen and Nur Syasya Umairah are one step closer to achieving their respective dreams of becoming a doctor, a chemical engineer and an interpreter.
In an email interview with StarEdu, Lee said he had grabbed every opportunity to apply for the scholarship as he knew his family would not be able to afford the fees of a medical degree, and that there were limited spots being offered in public universities.
“There are not many scholarships that fund Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) graduates, especially in this field,” added the 19-year-old, who was named the first Star Education Fund scholar to study medicine at UCSI University Springhill Campus in Negri Sembilan.
The medical field, the aspiring cardiologist explained, had always been his career choice as he had great passion for science subjects like biology.
Expressing her gratitude for being able to pursue her intended field, fellow recipient Hashveen said growing up in a family in which her mother was the sole breadwinner who earned just enough had introduced her to how difficult life could be from an early age. “As my mother never attended university, I realised that education is one way I can create a better future for my family and myself.
“This scholarship has given me the opportunity to do just that and to reduce my mother’s financial burden,” said the 19-year-old who is pursuing the Foundation in Science leading to the Master of Engineering in Chemical Engineering at Heriot-Watt University Malaysia.
Hashveen shared that she had set her sights on the course as she believed that invention and innovation through science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) could make the world a better place.
“I aspire to be a successful chemical engineer by researching and innovating various sustainable products and systems that can benefit both humankind and Mother Nature,” she said.
Sharing in the other recipients’ joy, Nur Syasya Umairah said winning the scholarship was the only way for her to be able to pursue her BA (Hons) International Communication Studies at University of Nottingham Malaysia.“For me to pursue my studies up to the degree level, I cannot afford it on my own. I applied for many other scholarships but no other organisation made me an offer,” the 22-year-old, whose father works as a food delivery rider, shared.
According to Nur Syasya Umairah, most organisations give priority to popular majors such as engineering, accounting and business, so finding an organisation willing to finance her desired course with Korean language as a major had proven to be challenging.
Her interest in the course, the aspiring Korean-English or Korean-Malay interpreter explained, stemmed from her “strong desire” to study the language.
“I will always be grateful for the scholarship. I had never in my life anticipated being awarded a scholarship, so I want to encourage others to never give up and to always give their all in realising their goals,” she said.
Launched in 1994 by the late Tan Sri Dr Sulaiman Daud – who was education minister at the time – the Star Education Fund has benefited 4,361 scholarship recipients with a value of over RM158.5mil.
For the 2022 edition, a total of 76 scholarships valued at RM5.9mil were awarded.
The top six contributors were Monash University Malaysia, which awarded seven scholarships worth RM1,536,735; UCSI University Trust with eight scholarships worth RM895,380; Sunway Education Group with 12 scholarships worth RM595,575; University of Nottingham Malaysia with four scholarships worth RM560,100; Heriot-Watt University Malaysia with two scholarships worth RM462,900; and HELP University with five scholarships worth RM436,200.
The 76 recipients were selected from 2,291 applicants vying for a wide range of fields and disciplines, from pre-university and diploma to degree programmes, said Star Education Fund manager Susanna Kuan.
Applications for the Star Education Fund Scholarship Awards 2023 are targeted to open this April. –
For details, visit thestar.com.my/edufund or send an e-mail to edufund@thestar.com.my.
