STPM and Matriculation students with a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 2.8 and above will get a chance to enter public institutions of higher learning (IPTA) for the next intake, provided they do not turn down the course offered.

Higher Education Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin said this would enable 1,894 students, who had failed to get a place in a public university, to get a second chance to further their studies.

“We are ready to give them a second chance to study in IPTAs, but they must note choosy and accept whatever course they’ve been offered,” he told reporters after presenting PTPTN loans in Pasir Mas yesterday.

Mohamed Khaled said those with a CGPA below 2.8 would need to wait for the appeal process through e-Rayuan to close on Sunday.

“Students did better this year compared to previous years. The number of students who scored a 4.0 CGPA increased to 3,800 and the competition for admission to IPTAs is stiff. Although the minimum entry requirement into universities is a 2.0 CGPA, they are not guaranteed of places,” he said.

He said 38,549 students were eligible to pursue their studies in IPTAs, of which 13,500 were from low-income families from rural and remote areas.

- Bernama