31 January 2008
 
Generous Financial Assistance for Students at TAR College
 
Tunku Abdul Rahman College (TAR College) is one of Malaysia’s leading public institutions of higher learning (IPTA) that has produced more than 130,000 graduates since its establishment in 1969. As a non-profit educational institution, TAR College staunchly believes that everyone is entitled to a quality education, regardless of their financial background.
 
Renowned for its quality education, TAR College helps students realize their dreams with a combination of very affordable fees backed up by an array of scholarships and financial aids. The TARC Merit Scholarship scheme which requires no application awards outstanding SPM and STPM performers with full and partial scholarships. For the 2007/08 academic session, a record number of 1,714 top-scoring students were awarded the scholarships to study the courses conducted at the College.
 
To complement the TARC Merit Scholarship, TAR College is also a partner of the Star Education Fund and the Nanyang Education Fund that provides scholarships covering full fees for the whole course duration up to the Advanced Diploma level.
 
TAR College also looks after the financial needs of its students and it is currently providing 18 interest-free student loan schemes, ranging from RM3,000 to RM8,000 per annum. Considering that the fees for a typical programme in TAR College costs around RM2,000 to RM3,700 a year, the loan can also be used to cover some of the students’ daily expenses. To date, more than RM 16 million in student loans has already been disbursed benefiting close to 10,000 students.
 
Besides that, TAR College’s Diploma and Advanced Diploma students may also apply for the PTPTN Study Loans. The maximum loan amounts available are RM5,000 per annum (for Diploma students) and RM6,500 (for Advanced Diploma students). Other financial assistance includes study grants awarded by professional bodies and also study loans from state governments and large corporations.
 
The TARC Student Loan Funds received a big boost recently when Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Dr Teh Hong Piow, Chairman of Public Bank Berhad donated RM1.5 million to establish the TARC-Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Dr Teh Hong Piow Student Loan Fund in December last year. The contribution reaffirmed the bank’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) commitment in higher education and it is the largest sum pledged to the TARC Student Loan Funds to date. Last year, the Yayasan Nanyang Press held a college-wide fund-raising event entitled “Step by Step Up for Charities” which collected more than RM162,000 and a portion of the collection was donated to the TARC Student Loan Funds.
 
In addition to that, TAR College’s alumni also organized a series of fund raising events recently with the same noble purpose to raise funds for the student loan funds. In November 2007, the Federation of TARC Alumni Associations brought together about 1,000 former College students for a dinner held at the College’s main campus in conjunction with the celebration of TAR College’s 38th anniversary and a total amount of RM300,000 was pledged to the TARC Student Loan Funds. Minister of Housing and Local Government and TAR College Council Chairman Y B Dato’ Seri Ong Ka Ting, who is also an alumnus himself, in his speech commended the alumni for their tremendous efforts and support in helping to raise funds for the College.
 
Y B Dato’ Seri Ong (third from right) and College Principal Yoong Lai Thye (second from right) receiving a mock cheque from Mark Hew, President of Federation of TARC Alumni Associations (second from left), Tai Sing Nge, the alumni dinner’s organizing committee chairman (far left), and Y Bhg Tan Sri Dato’ Dr Lau Ban Tin, President of the TARC School of Business Studies Ex-Students Association (far right)
 
More good news was in store as Canon Marketing (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd organized the Canon 4 TARC Charity Golf Tournament and the Canon Charity Bowling Challenge in conjunction with the company’s 20th anniversary. Datuk Lee Hwa Beng, State Assemblyman for Subang Jaya and chairperson of the organizing committee for the golf tournament, together with Mr Lew Sip Chon, Canon Marketing President and CEO, both alumnus of the College were the main persons who spearheaded the charity events. Through the fundraising events, a total of RM500,000 was pledged to the TARC Student Loan Funds, which will in turn enable more needy and deserving students to realize their dreams of completing their tertiary education.
 
If you are interested to find out more about the study opportunities available through TAR College, do drop by the College during its Open Day from 7 to 23 March 2008 (inclusive of public holidays and Sundays), between 9 am to 5 pm, at all its campuses. Application forms for the May intake are available at all campuses as well as online. For further information, please contact the College at 03-41450100/23 (Kuala Lumpur Main Campus), or visit the College website at www.tarc.edu.my.
 
 
 
 
For more information, please contact:
 
Mr Aaron Chan Jin Ho
Manager
Communications & Marketing Department of Development and External Relations
(03) 4145-0100/23 ext 479
chanjh@mail.tarc.edu.my