Full scholarships let talented and academically competitive students get a shot at their dreams. Bank Negara Malaysia knows this, and their Undergraduate Scholarship provides Malaysian students an invaluable opportunity.
The central bank annually scouts young Malaysian talent through its scholarship programme. It funds their study of Economics, Accounting, Finance, Actuarial Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Data Science, Law and Computer Science in a list of approved universities by the bank.
You might be in luck if you’re a Malaysian student with such aspirations. Here’s everything you need to know about Bank Negara Malaysia’s annual scholarship programme:
Everything you need to know about the Bank Negara Malaysia scholarship
When to apply
According to Uni Enrol, applications for the 2025-26 intake opened from April 22 to May 4, 2025. To get the latest updates on when to submit your application, be sure to check their website.
It also clearly states that applications will not be accepted after the specified closing date. Applicants who meet the minimum requirements are strongly encouraged to apply the following year, as all applications are treated as a fresh application
How to apply
You can submit your application via an online portal on the bank’s website when the application window opens.
Upon graduating, Bank Negara Malaysia scholarship recipients will be bonded to the bank, following the ratio of one year of study to two years of service. Source: AFP
Eligibility requirements
If you are a Malaysian citizen who has received offers to pursue or are currently pursuing your undergraduate studies, you’ll be eligible to apply for the Undergraduate Scholarship. This scholarship is also available to current pre-university scholarship recipients.
To apply for this scholarship, you must satisfy the following requirements:
- Excellent examination results in any of the following:
- A-Level: Minimum of three As
- Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) / Diploma / Matriculation: Minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 3.50
- Australian Matriculation: Minimum ATAR of 85%
- American Foundation Program: Minimum SAT score of 1,500
- International Baccalaureate (IB): 38
- For candidates currently pursuing undergraduate study: Minimum CGPA of 3.50 / Second Class Upper / WAM of 75
- Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM): Minimum of five credits including Bahasa Melayu, English and Mathematics
- Strong leadership qualities, proven teamwork capabilities, and outstanding performance in extra-curricular activities
- Exceptional interpersonal skills
- Not exceeding 25 years of age on July 1, 2025, for the 2025-2026 academic year.
- Obtained an offer to pursue, or is currently pursuing, undergraduate study at one of Bank Negara Malaysia’s list of approved universities.
During your application, you’re not required to provide any supporting documents. If you are shortlisted for an interview, please bring your relevant documents, certificates, and transcripts in the original format.
Shortlisted applicants will be invited to an assessment centre where they will be assessed on their suitability, tenacity, interpersonal and communication skills, commitment, demonstration of teamwork, and aptitude.
Bank Negara Malaysia’s Undergraduate Scholarship could help you fund your study of law, mathematics, statistics, or economics at Harvard University. Source: AFP
Scholarship coverage
This scholarship will cover expenses, including tuition fees, return flight tickets (only for overseas students), subsistence, and related scholarship allowances.
Successful applicants will only study disciplines related to Economics, Accounting, Finance, Actuarial Science, Mathematics, Statistics, Data Science, Law, and Computer Science.
Once you have completed the programme, you will be required to work for Bank Negara Malaysia. Your bond will follow a ratio of one year of study to two years of service. For example, if you studied under the scholarship programme for three years, you will be bonded to the bank for six years of service.
Universities covered by the scholarship
Currently, the Undergraduate Scholarship covers universities in the UK, the US, Australia, and Malaysia.
You can click here to view the list of approved universities for the 2025-2026 intake, but we highly recommend checking the site for any updates or changes.
The Bank Negara Malaysia scholarship could take you to the far shores of the US, the UK, and Australia. Source: AFP
The biggest benefits of earning scholarships
Easing your current and future financial burden
There’s no doubt that when we think of scholarships, we think of the money you get to save. For many, studying abroad is a big financial drain, especially if you come from a country where the currency is weaker than wherever you’re headed.
For example, an undergraduate degree from the cheapest UK universities can cost 15,000 pounds (84,954 Malaysian ringgit) a year. Meanwhile, an entire bachelor’s degree can cost as low as 102,734 to 161,066 ringgit (18,139 to 28,438 pounds) at one of the top universities in Malaysia, Taylor’s University — which has been noted as one of the more expensive universities in the country.
A Malaysian Reddit user agrees about the power of earning a scholarship, stating it to be a “major stepping stone” that will allow you to be “financially above those who are taking loans at a very early stage of life.”
The user, a scholarship receiver born to a B40 family — that is, the bottom 40% of income earners in the country, earning around 5,249 ringgit (926 pounds) per month — says that the scholarship helped them and their family move into the T20 category — the top 20% of income earners in Malaysia, with monthly earnings of around 11,820 ringgit (2,087 pounds).
“My uni friends [are] scholarship recipients too and the majority came from B40 families,” they continue. “80-90% of us are now T20. Two or three of us are T10.”
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Equipping you with soft and hard skills beyond your studies
Another Malaysian Redditor, a Tunku Abdul Rahman Scholarship holder, says that the scholarship foundation required their awardees to undergo a two-year leadership programme focusing on self-development and employability during their studies.
“It’s not a really well-known scholarship, but it produces impressive scholars,” writes the Redditor. “Just look up Tunku Scholar on LinkedIn, a lot of current scholars and alumni are active in the activism/social entrepreneurship scene.”
While this isn’t the case for all scholarships — the Bank Negara Malaysia scholarship doesn’t have such a programme — it is something worth taking note of.
Gaining job security assurance
As mentioned, those who successfully earn the Bank Negara Malaysia scholarship will be required to work for the central bank.
As a government institution, this generally means that employees will find high job security compared to careers in the private sector. It also has an established track record of investing in its employees, offering various development opportunities like professional certification support, capacity-building programmes for central banking skills, and secondments to global institutions and public sector agencies.
Disclaimer: This article was last updated on May 7, 2025.
