THE government will increase school assistance to RM200 per pupil for the 2027 academic session and suspend PTPTN loan repayments for borrowers earning RM2,500 or less a month for the year.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the Back-to-School Assistance (BAP) would rise from RM150 to RM200 per pupil, benefiting 5.3 million pupils nationwide at a total cost of RM1 billion.
A family with four school-going children will receive RM800 under the revised rate.
Anwar said the assistance would be distributed through schools, giving parents an opportunity to meet teachers and discuss their children’s academic progress and character development.
He announced the measures when tabling Budget 2027 in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Under the revised PTPTN repayment arrangement, borrowers earning RM2,500 or less a month will be allowed to defer repayments throughout 2027.
Those earning between RM2,500 and RM3,000 a month will be required to pay a minimum of RM50 monthly.
Anwar said the measures were expected to ease the financial burden of more than 400,000 PTPTN borrowers nationwide.
The government will also offer a 10% discount to borrowers with no outstanding arrears who maintain regular repayments, he said. - October 9, 2026
