PUTRAJAYA: A total of 20,000 student entrepreneurs from public universities, polytechnics and community colleges will receive micro-credit financing through an allocation of RM20 million under the KPT-MEDAC Siswapreneur programme.

The Ministry of Higher Education (KPT) and Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives (MEDAC) in a joint statement said the programme would provide an opportunity for the target group to start and grow their businesses during the study period.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by the two ministries today, is seen as another strategic step by the KPT to help facilitate micro-credit financing for student entrepreneurs through Tekun Nasional.

For a start, the pilot KPT-MEDAC Siswapreneur programme will be implemented at 15 selected higher education institutions (HEIs) comprising four universities and 11 polytechnics and community colleges for the first six months before being extended to other HEIs.

According to the statement, the HEIs’ respective entrepreneurship centre or unit will screen the student entrepreneurs’ financing applications before submitting them to Tekun Nasional for approval.-Bernama