Institutions of higher learning (IPT) students from families with net income of less than RM4,000 a month will be entitled to full loan to cover fees and subsistence from the National Higher Education Fund  Corporation (PTPTN) from July.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said previously, only students from families with net income of less than RM3,000 were eligible for full loan.

“Before this, students from families with net income between RM3,000 and RM5,000 were entitled to loan covering fees and partial living expanses while those with net income of RM5,000 and above were eligible to loan to pay up only their fees.

“The move will enable more IPT students to be eligible for full loans based on the criteria set such as taking accredited courses,” he told reporters after opening the IPT Entrepreneurship Development Direction Seminar here on Thursday.

On the IPT entrepreneurship development, he said each public institution of higher learning (IPTA) was allocated RM150,000 to set up an entrepreneurship centre and RM100,000 for the inculcation of entrepreneurial culture.

“The entrepreneurship centre is a very significant entity that will plan, coordinate, monitor and evaluate all entrepreneurial development programmes and act as a contact point in the IPT entrepreneurship development affairs,” he said.

Mohamed Khaled said all institutions of higher learning, including private IPTs must set up their own entrepreneurship centre and to date only three universities - Universiti Malaya, Universiti Utara Malaysia and Universiti Teknologi Mara - had such centres.

“The country need many entrepreneurs to make the New Economic Model and the 10th Malaysia Plan a success and the role of the IPT is significant.

“If the IPT could provide succinct business training and exposure to students, who have the entrepreneurship potential, they will have the prospect of becoming promising entrepreneurs after they graduate,” he said

Source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/6/24/nation/20100624191721&sec=nation