PTPTN helps students clear bad credit record
KUALA LUMPUR: The National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) is providing an overlapping facility to assist 45,866 students in clearing their bad credit record.
PTPTN chairman Datuk Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah said this would help students who had two separate PTPTN loans for their diploma and degree studies, prior to April 6 last year.
A total of 32,213 students who applied for their second loan after April 6 are already enjoying this new arrangement.
These students received bad credit records when they did not repay their diploma loans as they had furthered their studies and were undergoing their bachelor degree studies, with the assistance of a PTPTN loan.
This latest move will allow students to combine or overlap the outstanding balance from their previous education loan (diploma) with the current loan (degree).
“This will help students who currently have two separate loans with PTPTN. By doing so, they will have their credit records at the Central Credit Reference Information System (CCRIS) cleared, effective Aug 15,” he said at Menara PTPTN here yesterday.
He said these students would not be blacklisted by the Immigration Department or have any legal action taken against them, as their records will be cleared.
“For example, if a degree student with a RM15,000 outstanding loan from diploma studies applies for RM21,000 to fund their degree, he will be given a total loan amount of RM36,000,” he said.
He said therefore, the student would only start repaying his combined diploma and degree loans six months after the completion of his degree.
Shamsul said this would also apply for Master’s students with prior education loans, who can combine all of their previous loans with their existing loan.
He said those who had a gap period between continuing their studies after completing their diploma or degree would have the remaining outstanding balance included in the current loan application.
“We hope with this, students will be focused on their studies and not to be burdened with issues regarding education loans,” he said.
He said to be able to combine the loans, all conventional loans need to be converted to the ujrah system. Students can call PTPTN Careline at 03-21933000 to convert their loans.
Under the ujrah system, the administration fee will only be one per cent.
“At present, 545 students affected by this new move have yet to convert their loan to the ujrah system,” he said.
Shamsul said he was also confident that PTPTN would achieve its target of RM4 billion collection this year. Until June this year, about RM2 billion in outstanding loan payments have been collected.
Present during the event were PTPTN chief executive Wan Ahmad Wan Yusoff and Umno Youth Higher Education bureau chairman Datuk Dr Fathul Bari Mat Jahya.