KUALA LUMPUR – Three prominent universities in the United Kingdom have agreed to provide tuition fee discounts ranging from 10 to 20% for students sponsored by Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara), said its chairman Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki.
He said the concessions, secured through discussions with the institutions’ top leadership, could help Mara-sponsored students save over RM100,000 annually, Bernama reported,
The University of Warwick and the University of Birmingham will offer a 20% discount, while the University of Edinburgh has agreed to a 10% reduction.
“To illustrate, Warwick University is offering a discount of up to £6,000 a year. For a typical three-year undergraduate programme, that amounts to £18,000, around RM110,000 in total, significantly reducing the cost,” he said during a press conference today.
Asyraf Wajdi is currently in the UK for strategic meetings with senior university officials and prominent academics, including those from the University of Cambridge.
He said there are presently 1,508 MARA-sponsored students pursuing higher education in the UK.
He also revealed that the Cambridge University Trust has expressed interest in a co-funding partnership with Mara for postgraduate research students at the Master’s and PhD levels.
“Insya-Allah, if all terms are finalised, Mara could save up to RM5 million through this initiative,” he said.
Describing the move as part of Mara’s broader strategy, he said the aim is to ensure Malaysian students remain globally competitive in both academic and professional domains.
In line with this, he said Cambridge University has agreed to send a delegation to Malaysia to engage with the Maktab Rendah Sains Mara International General Certificate of Secondary Education (MRSM IGCSE) programme.
The initiative, he said, supports Mara’s long-term plan to establish a dedicated academic feeder pathway for MRSM students to enter top-tier universities worldwide.
Asyraf Wajdi also noted that the collaboration with Cambridge would benefit 9,987 Mara educators from its vocational colleges, universities, and MRSMs by allowing them to take part in knowledge exchange programmes.
“These educators will have opportunities for joint research and to pursue postgraduate studies in strategic fields at Cambridge.
“These include renewable energy, artificial intelligence (AI), social sciences, quantum technology, blockchain, the Internet of Things (IoT), entrepreneurial innovation and other emerging disciplines that will shape the future global economy,” he said. – June 1, 2025