KUCHING – With the BP40 Bursary Scheme, Sarawakian Bumiputera students now have the opportunity to pursue their Australian education at Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus.
The special education scheme offered by Yayasan Sarawak allows Bumiputera students of Sarawak origin to enrol into their preferred programmes at foundation, diploma or degree level. Limited to 100 students a year only, the scheme is meant to ease the financial burden of students from low and middle income (B40 and M40) family background.
Students who receive the BP40 scheme would be glad to know that the total tuition fees at Swinburne throughout the duration of their study are as low as tuition fees at any public universities (IPTA) in Malaysia. For example, the total fee for a one-year Swinburne Foundation Studies programme in business, design, information technology/multimedia or engineering/science is approximately RM5,500 only, which is a 70% reduction from the original programme fee.
Meanwhile, a two-and-half year Diploma of Business Management programme or a three-year Bachelor of Business programme will cost approximately RM18,000, and a three-year Bachelor of Design programme is estimated at RM23,000.
The total fee for a three-year Bachelor of Information and Communication Technology or Bachelor of Computer Science programme is approximately RM19,000, and RM25,000 for a three-year Bachelor of Science programme.
For students who wish to pursue a four-year Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) programme, the estimated total fee is RM32,000, while a five-year double degree programmes are estimated at RM38,000.
Furthermore, once students have successfully obtained the BP40 bursary, they have the option to apply for Yayasan Sarawak loan which gives them RM4,000 allowance a year. Therefore, students can actually commence their programme at Swinburne with zero payment. On top of that, students who graduate with CGPA 3.0 and above, and CGPA 3.5 and above are entitled to 50% and 75% rebate on their loan respectively.
A recipient of the BP40 scheme Puteri Arissa binti Abree said, the bursary has enabled her to accomplish much of what she never thought possible.
“On top of gaining quality Australian education, I can also take any of the professional courses offered by Swinburne Sarawak for examples, the ACCA Professional Level examination papers or the CPA Professional Examinations, while studying for my Bachelor’s degree,” said the second-year Bachelor of Business (Accounting and Finance) student.
Mechanical engineering student Amraphel Wilson.
For second-year Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) (Mechanical) student Amraphel Wilson, the BP40 scheme has helped him and his family in many ways as both his parents are retirees.
“The bursary offers great financial support and allows me to pursue my dream of getting an Australian Bachelor’s degree at an affordable cost. I am very grateful for the opportunity to pursue the programme of my choice and to study at Swinburne,” commented Amraphel.
Established in 2000 as a partnership between Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia and the Sarawak state government, Swinburne’s Sarawak campus is endorsed and supported by Yayasan Sarawak and the state government. All Swinburne qualifications are recognised by the Sarawak state for state government job application. The course curriculum taught and assessments are equivalent and aligned to identical learning outcomes offered at the Melbourne campus.
Swinburne is currently offering the Fast-Track Swinburne Foundation programme, a trimester intake commencing 5 July 2021. Students can apply with their SPM results and start their online learning immediately without any payment for the first two weeks with the Start With Zero Fees Programme. Upon successful completion of the foundation programme, they can directly progress to a degree programme of their choice as early as March 2022.
For details on the BP40 Bursary Scheme, visit swinburne.edu.my/BP40-en, contact Swinburne’s Education Counsellor via WhatsApp at 019-819 6353 or email to study@swinburne.edu.my. Online counselling on demand is also available from Monday to Sunday, 10am to 10pm daily.
For more information about Swinburne Sarawak, visit its website www.swinburne.edu.my, Facebook page (@swinburnesarawak), Instagram (@swinburnesarawak), Twitter page (@Swinburne_Swk) or YouTube channel (Swinburne Sarawak).