KUCHING: Yayasan Sarawak has launched the first phase of its higher education assistance programme this year, offering laptops, book vouchers and special financial grants to eligible students
Applications for the Sarawak Government Higher Education Student Aid Initiative — Phase 1 2026, opened on Tuesday (March 31).
The programme offers three distinct forms of assistance to eligible students enrolled at recognised public and private universities across Malaysia: a free laptop computer, a book voucher, and a special financial grant.
To qualify, applicants must be Malaysian citizens and children of Sarawak — defined as having at least one parent holding a Sarawak identity card bearing the status designation “K” — and must be enrolled on a full-time basis at an institution recognised by or under the purview of the Ministry of Higher Education.
The free laptop scheme and the book voucher are restricted to first-year students pursuing a Diploma or first Bachelor’s Degree.
The book voucher, however, applies to a broader cohort, covering students from foundation level through to a first doctoral degree.
The special financial grant is available to Diploma and first Bachelor’s Degree students only.
For the laptop and book voucher, applicants must demonstrate financial need with the household per capita income threshold set at RM1,500 per month or below.
This figure is calculated by dividing the combined gross income of both parents by the total number of family dependants — a category that encompasses the parents themselves as well as children aged 25 and under who are still in education and not in employment.
The special financial grant carries no income-based conditions. All eligible students, regardless of their family’s financial background, are permitted to apply.
Applicants are required to submit an offer letter from their institution. Those seeking the laptop or book voucher must additionally provide salary slips, pension vouchers, or — where such documentation is unavailable — a statutory declaration of income certified by a community or tribal head (Ketua Masyarakat Ketua Kaum, or KMKK).
Applications are to be submitted through the My Yayasan portal at myys.yayasansarawak.org.my. Prospective applicants must first register for a Sarawak Pass account at sarawakpass.sarawak.gov.my and must also possess an active S PAY Global e-wallet, through which approved disbursements will be credited.
Yayasan Sarawak has cautioned applicants to ensure the accuracy of all income information provided. Declarations of zero income submitted without supporting documentation risk having the application returned or disqualified from consideration entirely. The authority has also reminded applicants that approval is subject to both the order of submission and the completeness of supporting documents — early and thorough applications are therefore strongly advised.
Successful applicants will be notified by electronic mail and may also monitor progress through the status-check facility within the My Yayasan portal. Application status is displayed in five stages: Pending Verification, In Progress, Approved, Payment Processing, and Pending SPG Processing — the latter indicating that S PAY Global is in the process of crediting funds to the applicant’s e-wallet.
The closing date for this phase of applications is April 30 this year. Results will be communicated following that date. For further enquiries, the public may contact Yayasan Sarawak by telephone at 082-441686 or by electronic mail at ys@yayasansarawak.org.my.
