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KOTA KINABALU: The State Government has allocated a record RM136 million this year under the Sabah State Government Scholarship (BKNS) to strengthen access to higher education.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said this marked a significant increase from RM50 million in 2020, reflecting the government's commitment to supporting Sabahans regardless of socio-economic background.

Hajiji, in a speech delivered by State Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Mohd Arifin Mohd Arif at the Sentosa aid presentation ceremony at UMS on Sunday, said 4,170 students will benefit from the BKNS this year in line with the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) policy.

He added that RM77.5 million has been allocated for 13 education aid initiatives in 2024, including Budi, Baik, Semesta and GRS-Subfly, while Yayasan Sabah and Muis also contributed significantly through separate programmes.

At the same event, over 600 students from UMS and Kolej Mahsa Sabah received a one-off RM300 cash aid under the Sentosa initiative, aimed at easing basic expenses for nearly 20,000 Bumiputera students in local institutions.