Celebrating 25 years of giving opportunities
SINCE its inception in 1994, the Star Education Fund has awarded almost 4,000 scholarships valued at RM127.4mil. Earlier this month, the fund celebrated its 25th anniversary.
The event was attended by the 31 institutions that supported this year’s fund as well as current and past recipients of the scholarships.
This year alone, RM9.4mil of scholarships have been awarded to 151 scholars. Without this support, it is doubtful that these students would have had the opportunity to further their education and reach the potential that many are now showing.
As part of the event, a short video was shown to highlight some of the alumni who now have successful careers or have started their own businesses. Many say that they owe their success to the opportunity provided through the Star Education Fund.
It is widely accepted that getting a good quality education is important and has a dramatic effect on the lives that are fortunate enough to benefit from it.
Widening Participation aims to give higher education access to under-represented groups such as those from lower-income families, with disabilities or of ethnic minorities.
This is a laudable aim that I am sure we would all support, but it is not as easy to operationalise as it sounds.
Offering scholarships is a continual challenge and balancing act for higher education providers, particularly those operating in the private sector.
At the University of Nottingham Malaysia, for example, student-generated revenue makes up our sole income stream. Every ringgit that is awarded in the form of a scholarship is not only a possible loss of revenue but utilises money that has been received from other students and so cannot be used for other purposes.
We not only have to balance our books, but also decide where to best invest our scholarship funds. We want to help those who would not otherwise be able to afford to study with us, but demand will always outstrip supply.
We also have to decide whether to give greater priority to our foundation, undergraduate or postgraduate programmes, what type of students should benefit most from a scholarship, and the amount and length of the scholarship.
Balancing these competing objectives is challenging and we will never feel that we can do enough. There will also be more people who are deserving of scholarships than we, and the higher education sector in general, can afford.
At the University of Nottingham Malaysia, we are committed to providing scholarships. The Star Education Fund is not the only way that we disperse scholarships, but we are proud that of the 31 institutions that invested in the Star Education Fund this year, the University of Nottingham Malaysia invested more than any other institution.
This year, we provided support of RM1.147mil, which offered scholarships to nine students. We have supported the Star Education Fund since 2003. During this time, we have supported more than 100 students to a value of over RM15mil.
In a social media post following the 25th anniversary celebration, I said:
“We have pledged to the Star Education Fund since 2003. It’s just something we do but it’s only when you meet the people that benefit that it really strikes home how important it is. I was delighted to have the opportunity to meet with our scholarship students recently #Humbled”
It is only when you meet the people who have benefited from the scholarships that you realise the impact you are having on not only them but their families as well.
Congratulations to The Star for your work over the past 25 years and we look forward to working with you for many more.