KUCHING: The Sarawak Government will implement the Free Tertiary Education Scheme (FTES) beginning February 2026, allowing eligible anak Sarawak to pursue undergraduate studies free of charge at Sarawak-owned institutions of higher learning (SIHL).
Introduced under the Sarawak Budget 2023, the scheme covers tuition fees and includes a monthly stipend to support students’ basic living expenses throughout the duration of their studies.
The FTES will involve four SIHLs – Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus, Curtin University of Malaysia, i-CATS University College and the University of Technology Sarawak (UTS) – and applies to new intakes as well as existing students enrolled in approved programmes from 2026 onwards.
The scheme focuses on bachelor’s degree programmes aligned with Sarawak’s talent development priorities, particularly in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), as well as medicine, law, accounting, finance and psychology.
Under FTES eligibility criteria, applicants must be anak Sarawak, enrolled as full-time students, pursuing their first bachelor’s degree and offered admission into an FTES-approved undergraduate programme at one of the SIHLs.
Students receiving other scholarships are not eligible under the scheme.
Among the approved degree programmes are courses in engineering, robotics, mechatronics, cybersecurity, data science, software engineering, biotechnology, environmental science, psychology, accounting and finance as well as professional programmes in law and medicine, subject to availability at the respective institutions.
In addition to tuition coverage, students from households with a monthly per capita income of RM1,500 or below will receive a stipend of RM15,000 per year, comprising RM5,000 for accommodation through designated SIHL housing units and RM10,000 disbursed via S Pay Global to support living expenses.
Applications for FTES, including the stipend component, will be submitted through the respective SIHLs.
Students are required to comply with university regulations and complete their studies within the period stated in their offer letters, as extensions or repeated subjects will not be funded under the scheme.
The FTES is part of Sarawak’s broader effort to strengthen its education sector and support the state’s aspiration to become a developed economy by 2030, with emphasis on building a skilled and future-ready workforce.
Below are the approved FTES programmes by institution:
Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus
- Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Chemical)
- Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Civil)
- Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Electrical and Electronic)
- Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Mechanical)
- Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Robotics and Mechatronics)
- Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Software)
- Bachelor of Computer Science
- Bachelor of Information and Communication Technology
- Bachelor of Quantity Surveying (Honours)
- Bachelor of Science (Biotechnology)
- Bachelor of Science (Environmental Science)
- Bachelor of Cyber Security
- Bachelor of Data Science
- Bachelor of Design
- Bachelor of Design (Multimedia Design)
- Bachelor of Business (Accounting and Finance)
- Bachelor of Business (Accounting)
- Bachelor of Business (Finance)
- Bachelor of Business (Finance and Marketing)
- Bachelor of Business (Finance and Management)
- Bachelor of Business (Finance and Human Resource Management)
- Bachelor of Business (Finance and International Business)
Curtin University of Malaysia (Sarawak)
- Bachelor of Technology (Computer Systems and Networking)
- Bachelor of Computing (Software Engineering)
- Bachelor of Computing (Cyber Security)
- Bachelor of Engineering (Energy Engineering) (Honours)
- Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical Engineering) (Honours)
- Bachelor of Engineering (Mechatronic Engineering) (Honours)
- Bachelor of Engineering (Civil and Construction Engineering) (Honours)
- Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical Engineering) (Honours)
- Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical and Electronic Engineering) (Honours)
- Bachelor of Engineering (Environmental Engineering) (Honours)
- Bachelor of Applied Geology
- Bachelor of Applied Science (Construction Management) (Honours)
- Bachelor of Science (Psychological Science)
- Bachelor of Science (Health, Safety and Environment)
- Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting)
- Bachelor of Commerce (Finance)
- Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting and Finance)
- Bachelor of Commerce (Finance and Management)
- Bachelor of Commerce (Finance and Marketing)
- Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting and Audit Analytic)
i-CATS University College
- Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Agrotechnology
- Bachelor of Software Engineering (Honours)
- Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in Electrical and Electronic
- Bachelor of Aerospace Engineering
- Bachelor of Psychology
- Bachelor of Accounting / Finance (Honours)
University of Technology Sarawak (UTS)
- Bachelor of Civil Engineering (Honours)
- Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering (Honours)
- Bachelor of Electrical Engineering (Honours)
- Bachelor of Quantity Surveying (Honours)
- Bachelor of Science in Architecture (Honours)
- Bachelor of Computer Science (Honours)
- Bachelor of Mobile Game Development (Honours)
- Bachelor of Marine Engineering
- Bachelor of Food Technology (Honours)
- Bachelor of Science in Occupational Safety and Health (Honours)
- Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Creative Digital Media
- Bachelor of Arts in Industrial Design (Honours)
- Bachelor of Technology Management (Honours)
- Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Interior Design
- Bachelor of Accounting / Finance (Honours)
- Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Property and Construction Management
