Report from Curtin University, Malaysia and Swinburne University of Technology, Sarawak, looking at the support available for socioeconomically diverse students taking advantage of a new tertiary education access scheme in Sarawak, Malaysia.
The Free Tertiary Education Scheme (FTES), set to launch in 2026, presents a significant opportunity for Sarawakian students from rural areas and diverse socioeconomic backgrounds to pursue tertiary education (Meraw, 2025). It is anticipated that these institutions will serve a more socioeconomically diverse student body, especially students from low-income and rural areas. By recognizing and addressing these students' unique academic and non-academic needs, Curtin, Swinburne and other institutions included in the FTES initiative may foster an inclusive environment where all students can thrive.
In preparation for welcoming this new and diverse cohort, this research aims to identify the existing support provided by these two institutions to ensure inclusivity for low-socioeconomic status students, and the type of support these students need and/or desire to be included, and to achieve success in their studies.
