Introduction
The Ministry of Education, Innovation and Talent Development (MEITD) has released official progress figures for the Sarawak Free Tertiary Education Scheme (FTES). A total of 4,694 Sarawakian undergraduates have successfully enrolled and received full tuition coverage across the state’s four participating higher learning institutions.
The ministry expects this number to reach 10,000 students as subsequent mid-year intake cycles complete enrollment.
University Enrollment Breakdown
┌──> University of Technology Sarawak (UTS): 2,020 Students
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[ 4,694 Enrolled ] ┼──> Swinburne University Sarawak: 1,959 Students
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├──> Curtin University Malaysia: 543 Students
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└──> i-CATS University College: 172 Students
| Campus Institution | Enrolled FTES Recipients | Primary Enrolled Disciplines |
| University of Technology Sarawak (UTS) | 2,020 | Civil Engineering, Architecture, Business Admin, Computing |
| Swinburne University Sarawak | 1,959 | Computer Science, Cyber Security, Engineering, Accounting |
| Curtin University Malaysia | 543 | Energy Engineering, Applied Geology, Audit Analytics |
| i-CATS University College | 172 | Agrotechnology, Software Engineering, Electrical TVET |
Why Some Students Declined
The report noted that 1,433 eligible students opted out of FTES. Ministry officials clarified that these were primarily senior or final-year students who held pre-existing, legally binding scholarship contracts with corporate or federal sponsors. Rejecting FTES in these specific cases prevents contract breaches and frees up allocated funding slots for incoming freshmen.