Students seek better education support

KUCHING: More targeted financial assistance, affordable accommodation and better employment opportunities are among the hopes of university students ahead of the tabling of Sarawak’s 2027 Budget today (Oct 12).

The students said the budget should address the rising costs of education and living expenses while preparing young Sarawakians for an increasingly competitive job market.

Adibah Nadzirah

Diploma in Science student Adibah Nadzirah Zamirudin, 19, from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Kota Samarahan, hopes the state government will expand scholarships and study grants to cover not only tuition fees but also textbooks, laptops, course materials and project expenses.

As a student living off-campus, she also called for rental subsidies or housing allowances to ease the financial burden on students, particularly in urban areas such as Kuching, Miri and Kota Samarahan.

“Financial stress shouldn’t be the reason a student struggles to focus on their studies or has to drop out,” she said.

Adibah Nadzirah also hopes to see more affordable workshops in digital skills, financial literacy and career planning to help students prepare for employment after graduation.

Farah

Meanwhile, Master’s student Farah Aishah, 25, from Open University Malaysia, called for student assistance to be inclusive of students from both public and private higher education institutions.

She said students from different educational backgrounds could face difficulties managing tuition fees and other expenses, making additional financial support valuable regardless of the amount of assistance provided.

With the job market becoming increasingly competitive, she also hopes the budget will create more employment opportunities and offer reasonable starting salaries for fresh graduates.

Farah said support should extend beyond science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields to include non-STEM disciplines such as communication, architecture and entrepreneurship.

“Providing work opportunities in either the private or government sector would be very helpful,” she said.

Mohd Fitrah

For Mohd Fitrah Abdul Rahman, 26, who is pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) at UiTM Shah Alam, Selangor, support for postgraduate students is equally important, particularly for those studying outside Sarawak.

He hopes the state government will consider more comprehensive living allowances, accommodation subsidies, flight assistance and greater access to scholarships and research grants to help students manage expenses while living away from home.

Mohd Fitrah also called for stronger collaboration between the government, universities and industries to equip graduates with practical skills and create quality career opportunities in technology, research, innovation, the creative industries and entrepreneurship.

“We may travel far to gain knowledge, but we should not have to travel far just to find opportunities,” he said, expressing hope that more Sarawakians studying outside the state would be able to return and build their careers at home.

Arifah

Meanwhile, Arifah Aina, 24, a student at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), hopes the 2027 Budget will introduce assistance for artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support students in their studies.

She suggested that the state government consider subsidies or free access to commonly used AI platforms, including ChatGPT, as students increasingly rely on digital tools for academic work.

Having graduated previously and hoping to continue her studies, Arifah also proposed a free return travel programme for Sarawakian graduates or students studying in Peninsular Malaysia.

She said such initiatives would provide additional support for students while helping them pursue further education and career opportunities.

Across their different fields of study, the students shared a common hope that the 2027 Budget would go beyond immediate financial relief to provide sustained support for education, skills development and employment, enabling young Sarawakians to contribute to the state’s future.