how does this bode for students and learners overseas?

As the ringgit weakens, some families face financial strain in supporting higher education abroad

By D. KANYAKUMARI
To Leonard Tee, getting into his dream university in Cambridge was not the difficult part. The 20-year-old student worked hard and got the grades to earn a place in the institution's biological and biomedical sciences programme.
Yet, now that he has earned his place, Tee and his family worry that they may be unable to afford it.
"My family had a budget. I also ran errands and worked part-time at my uncle's car workshop.
"So, by the time I completed my foundation programme in 2022, we had enough money saved to take me through the three years (of the degree). However, with the state of our currency now, I might only have enough to get me through halfway," he says.
Tee adds that the university has offered him a partial scholarship, and that it is one of the few institutions that provides aid to international students. Plus, his parents and his uncle have promised additional monetary support.
However, he is not sure it will all be enough.

Declining value

The ringgit has been struggling against other currencies over the past few years, falling to a 26-year low in February. This has affected a wide range of things, including the cost of essential goods, imports and travel.
It has also profoundly impacted education, particularly for Malaysians who intend to or are currently pursuing tertiary courses abroad.
According to the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE), over 50,000 Malaysians are currently studying in universities overseas.
This is why it has formulated initiatives to ease the financial burdens of families, introduced scholarships aimed at sponsoring targeted groups of students and provided financial assistance.
It is also set to roll out special education programmes and awards to both motivate and help students pursue higher education locally and internationally.
But the government has not been alone in its efforts. Private institutions in Malaysia have also been playing their part.
For instance, Brickfields Asia College (BAC) has a sports fund to aid students who have previously competed at the state or international levels. It has also introduced an education fund and easy payment plans.
Similarly, other varsities, such as Taylor's University and Sunway University, offer a variety of scholarships and financial aid plans, all of which are targeted at helping students in need.
The question, however, is whether these initiatives are enough to aid parents and students affected by a rise in the cost of education due to the declining ringgit.

Uphill battleTo Johnsson Raj, whose son is currently pursuing a medical degree in Russia, the answer is no.
The chartered accountant said scholarships and financial aid are largely meant for students who do well academically and have achieved notable scores. As such, they do not address the larger issue of rising costs.
"Don't get me wrong. Those children (who qualify) deserve the aid and scholarships 100 per cent. But people like me, with kids who are not as bright, have to be financially prepared to ensure our children have a shot (at higher education).
"I know what my son's capabilities are. That's why we invested in an education investment plan and set up a fund for him when he was eight. Of course, our economic situations were different (then), and things like the pandemic were nowhere in our foresight.
"But, now with everything that has happened and the dwindling ringgit, I don't know how much longer he can continue his studies in Russia," he said, adding that costs are not just limited to tuition but necessities such as accommodation and food plus allowances for extra-curricular activities and supplies.
K.R. Janaki, similarly, said that the depreciating ringgit has had an impact on her 22-year-old daughter's studies in Melbourne, Australia.
"She used to live on campus, and the university is right in the middle of Melbourne's Central Business District (CBD). So you can imagine how much everything costs.
"Her father and I had meticulously planned everything because her brother also studied at the same university seven years ago. However, the state of our currency and inflation as well as the pandemic badly affected our finances," Janaki said.
So, one of the first things the family did was move their daughter to a more affordable living space, which is, unfortunately, an hour away from the university.
"We also went up sometime in November last year, to help her set up her place, so she can cook. It's much cheaper to fund her groceries than pay for meals outside," said Janaki, who is a financial director at a university hospital.
"It's an adjustment for her. But at the rate things are going, we have no choice. Last month, we also spoke to someone about the possibility of her continuing her studies here (in Malaysia), as that would be cheaper. But we're keeping that option as a last resort."
For the record, Bank Negara Malaysia has maintained its overnight policy rateand recently announced that the Malaysian government and central bank are taking coordinated action to ensure the ringgit is stable.
The reality, however, is that the currency's steady decline over the past few months is likely to have a continuing impact on foreign education.

原报道连结：https://malaysia.news.yahoo.com/the-falling-ringgit-affecting-foreign-education-how-does-this-bode-for-students-and-learners-overseas-042431171.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAKQp0buUSJZTDETjaX0drR0UdHSJG0YVCGf6Zd6iJVHhgX_yXGskLsxcSm43EEA3p9eoSQOewqsgATGHjDMYGxsHC7MhF-slNaBPxDx_MQ4-UuKYbUH0il7LKtkhi5PdeKZWMge7n5MtgI7NpjmKUy651GEA9DmOQUb4W_gjjZgo

以下粗略翻译：

令吉贬值影响海外教育； 这对海外的学生和学习者来说意味着什么？

随着令吉贬值，一些家庭在支持家人出国接受高等教育方面面临财务压力

作者：D.Kanyakumari
对Leonard Tee来说，进入他梦想的剑桥大学并不是困难的部分。 这位20岁的学生努力学习，取得了好成绩，在该机构的生物和生物医学科学课程中获得了一席之地。然而，现在他已经赢得了自己的位置，Tee和他的家人担心他们可能负担不起。

“我的家庭有预算。我也跑腿，并在叔叔的汽车车间兼职。

“所以，当我在2022年完成我的预科课程时，我们已经存了足够的钱来支持我完成三年（学位）课程。但是，以我们现在的货币状况，我可能只够我读完三年的课程的一半，”他说。

Tee 补充说，该大学为他提供了部分奖学金，并且是少数向国际学生提供援助的机构之一。 此外，他的父母和叔叔还承诺提供额外的金钱支持。然而，他不确定这一切是否足够。

令吉贬值
过去几年，令吉对其他货币一直贬值，2月跌至26年低点。 这影响了很多方面，包括必需品、进口和旅行的成本。
它也对教育产生了深远的影响，特别是对于打算或目前正在国外攻读高等教育课程的大马人来说。
根据高等教育部（MoHE）的数据，目前有超过5万名大马人在海外大学就读。
为此，政府制定了减轻家庭经济负担的举措，推出了旨在资助目标学生群体的奖学金并提供经济援助。
它还将推出特殊教育计划和奖项，以激励和帮助学生在本地和国际上接受高等教育。
但政府并不是唯一努力的人。 马来西亚的私人机构也一直在发挥自己的作用。例如，十五碑亚洲学院 (BAC) 有一项体育基金，用于帮助以前参加过州或国际级别比赛的学生。 它还推出了教育基金和便利的付款计划。
同样，其他大学，例如泰莱大学和双威大学，也提供各种奖学金和经济援助计划，所有这些都旨在帮助有需要的学生。然而，问题是这些措施是否足以帮助因令吉贬值而受到教育成本上涨影响的家长和学生。