UCSF May Enrol International Students

University College Sabah Foundation (UCSF) may open its doors to international students to enhance the institution’s global reputation and boost diverse knowledge sharing. Strengthening international networks would further reinforce Sabah’s position as an education hub, particularly in the Borneo and BIMP-EAGA region.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Haji Hajiji Haji Noor said that UCSF’s strategic ties with institutions in Brunei, Indonesia and the Philippines demonstrate that the university is widening opportunities for student mobility, lecturer exchanges, joint research and cross-border community development.

“UCSF’s academic expansion – such as the introduction of new programmes including the Master of Business Administration (MBA), Foundation in Science and the development of the Bachelor of Architecture (Honours) programme, enhances the university’s aim to become a centre for the dissemination of knowledge,” Hajiji said on 8 August 2026 at UCSF’s Fourth Convocation ceremony at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC), Kota Kinabalu.

“The programmes will be a platform for producing a new generation of Sabahans capable of competing at the national and international levels.” The Chief Minister, who is also UCSF Chancellor reiterated that Sabah’s human capital development agenda continues to be strengthened with an allocation of more than RM100 million for the Sabah State Government Scholarship (Biasiswa Kerajaan Negeri Sabah or BKNS) for 2026 for existing students and also for 2,182 new recipients pursuing diploma, bachelor’s degree and master’s programmes. As at July 2026, the total BKNS recipients is 13,389.

“The State Government has always placed human capital development at the core of the State’s progress, Hajiji said. “Sabah needs graduates who are knowledgeable, highly skilled, competitive and creative-minded”. The government is continuing various educational assistance programmes, including the 14 education initiatives introduced since 2021.

Among the educational assistance programmes are the One-Off Cash Assistance for Registration at Institutions of Higher Learning (Bantuan Tunai Pendaftaran IPT or BUDI); Special Examination Assistance (Bantuan Khas Peperiksaan or BAKTI); Computer Assistance Programme (BAIK); Sabah Student Flight Ticket Subsidy Assistance (GRS/SUBFLY); and the Contribution for Higher Education Students Studying in Sabah (Sumbangan Mahasiswa Pengajian Tinggi Dalam Sabah or SENTOSA).

The Yayasan Sabah Group has also increased the number of recipients for the Sabah Excellent Scholarship Award by 10 to 50 recipients in 2026. In addition, Sabah also offers several major scholarship schemes, including the Yang di-Pertua Negeri Sabah Excellence Scholarship, Premier Scholarship, Sabah State Government Excellent Scholarship and the B40 and Rural Programme Scholarship.

The state government offers 30 students to pursue Diplomas in Medical and Health Sciences; Diplomas in Physiotherapy; and Bachelor of Science degrees in Cardiovascular Technology at the IJN University College, Kuala Lumpur, where 15 Sabahans are presently undergoing the Patient Care Assistant Programme. Hajiji asked students to vibrantly explore studies in oil and gas, energy, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), and artificial intelligence (AI).