2019 Malaysian Scholarships for International Students

Applying to universities and colleges can be an expensive ordeal, especially if you’re thinking of studying overseas. As students, we don’t always have finances on our side as we have to focus our time and energy on our studies.

With that in mind, scholarships are a great way to bump your tuition fee down a little bit. Some scholarships, besides waiving your tuition fee fully or partially, also give you a sum of money for your living costs.

Here are a few scholarships that we’ve managed to find for international students looking to study in Malaysia, which are offered by both external sources or by the institution itself.

External scholarships

1. Malaysian International Scholarship (MIS)

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The MIS is a scholarship initiated by the Malaysian government to attract and retain the best brains from all around the world to come to Malaysia to help better the country. The scholarship is for those who are pursuing their postgraduate, PhD and postdoctoral studies.

Subjects that are prioritised are science and engineering, biotechnology, ICT and many more. Of course, much is expected from the applicant as well, such as a minimum of a Second-Class Upper (Honours) Bachelor’s Degree and excellent proficiency in English.

Click here for the MIS Details.

2. Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan

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As the title suggests, this scholarship is for students from Commonwealth countries. It’s a no-bond scholarship to pursue your studies at a Master’s and PhD level. Subjects like agriculture, fisheries and economics are prioritised, so try your luck!

Not only will the scholarship pay your tuition fee, but it will also sponsor air tickets from your capital city to Malaysia, a monthly maintenance allowance, an annual grant for books and internal travel and a whole lot more.

More info is available at CSFP Page.

Scholarships from Malaysian universities

1. University of Reading Malaysia

Image via The PIE News

The University of Reading Malaysia offers scholarships for international students to cover up to 20% of the tuition fees in their first year of studies. If you're a citizen of Indonesia, Maldives, Mauritius, Seychelles, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, now's your chance to apply!

According to Times Higher Education (THE) and QS World University Rankings, the University of Reading in the UK is ranked in the top 200 universities globally. On top of that, 94% of the University of Reading’s students are employed or in further study within six months of graduation.

To find out more about the scholarship options, check University of Reading Scholarship Page.

2. UCSI University

Image from UCSI University

UCSI University offers scholarships for students pursuing their Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree, with scholarships in the fields of architecture, nursing, optometry and various other fields.

The university is ranked #481 in the world by the famed Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings, and #178 among Asian countries. With prestigious facilities and various scholarships available, it is definitely a university you should consider!

For more info on scholarship deadlines and subjects offered, Check UCSI Scholarship Page.

3. University of Nottingham Malaysia

Image from the University of Nottingham Malaysia

If you’re thinking of a Master’s degree in the fields of science, technology and education, the University of Nottingham Malaysia has 100% tuition fee scholarships for you! Fields like civil engineering and international relations are being offered for this scholarship.

The UK branch of the University of Nottingham is ranked 82nd in the world by QS and has a huge campus in Semenyih, Selangor. It’s definitely the place to go to for a world-class education!

Here are more details on the University of Nottingham scholarship.

4. Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation (APU)

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APU offers a host of scholarships, from foundation courses all the way up to a Master’s degree. However, do note that the Master’s degree scholarships are open to both local and international students so that increases the amount of competition there will be between applicants.

With 95% of APU’s students being employed right after graduation, this university is one that produces students who are ready for the real world.

Click here for info on foundation and Bachelor’s degree scholarships, and here for Master’s degree scholarships.

5. Monash University

Image from Monash University Malaysia

Monash University here in Malaysia offers various scholarships for both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, for students who’ve both been in the university for a while, or new students. The university offers subjects from psychology to business, and you can apply for scholarships while being in most of these schools.

The Monash University in Australia is ranked #59 in the world, and the standards that the Malaysian campus has aren’t far behind. With a list of scholarships available for both local and international students, don’t be afraid to Check Monash Scholarships until you find something that suits what you want to do.

6. Heriot-Watt University Malaysia

Image from Heriot-Watt University Malaysia

If you’re thinking of studying petroleum engineering, consider studying at Heriot-Watt University Malaysia, which also provides merit-based scholarships for existing students. Aside from the normal form-filling, you would also need to write a short piece detailing why you want to study engineering.

Heriot-Watt University Malaysia is a branch from its main campus in Edinburgh, Scotland, which is ranked #302 in the world.

Check Heriot Watt Scholarships to find out about all the scholarships that are offered by the university.

7. Kolej Tuanku Ja’afar (KTJ)

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If you’re from a country where you don’t graduate with a high school diploma or need to undergo a foundation programme before you can step into a degree programme, maybe doing your A-levels is the way to go! KTJ offers scholarships for those wanting to do their A-levels in the boarding school.KTJ is a famed boarding school in Malaysia for both primary, secondary and pre-university levels of study.

To read more about what they do and to apply, check KTJ Scholarships!

8. Curtin University

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Unlike many of the scholarships offered here, the Pro-Vice Chancellor’s International Scholar scholarship is offered specifically to international students who are studying in Curtin Malaysia. The merit scholarships that are offered are also split into local and international students, which gives you a higher chance of getting shortlisted!

Curtin University is yet another university whereby Malaysia is a branch of, with the original branch of the university being from Perth, Australia. The Australian branch is ranked #250 in the world. Here are some details on the Curtin University scholarship.

9. Multimedia University (MMU)

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Most of the scholarships in MMU are focused on local students, but there is one that is especially for new international students. It is a grade point average (GPA) oriented scholarship, so as long as you keep your grades up, you’re eligible no matter what subject you’re taking.

Ranked #175 among Asian universities, MMU is a university that has well established its place in Malaysia, having branches in Cyberjaya, Melaka and Johor.

To check out the High Achievers Scholarship (HAS) for international students, click here.

For more scholarships, you can check out our ever-expanding list of Afterschool Scholarship Page! If you can’t find a scholarship, don’t give up- save these links and keep checking back for when they renew their intakes and deadlines.

If you’re thinking of studying in Malaysia and need a helping hand figuring out how exactly to go about doing that, click here for advice from one of our friendly counsellors! We hope that this helps you decide to study here, and gets you the financial aid you need to succeed.