PETALING JAYA: Scholarships worth nearly RM14.2mil will be up for grabs at next week’s Star Education Fair 2018.

This comes in the form of 281 scholarships offered by 30 institutions under the Star Education Fund, which has benefited 3,758 scholarship recipients, with a total scholarship value of RM117.9mil since 1994.

Star Education Fund manager Susanna Kuan said the fund will see a new partner for 2018 – Monash University Malaysia, which is joining the fund for the first time.

The fund will also see the return of Penang Medical College as a partner.

To be eligible for Star Education Fund scholarships, students must be Malaysians no older than 25 as of Jan 1 for undergraduate courses.

Kuan will speak about the fund under the talk on “Funding Higher Education” at the fair, focusing on what the fund is about and its objective.

“I will help students understand the fund’s application process and the criteria for education and selection,” said Kuan, who will also share tips on attending scholarship interviews.

She added that preparation and passion were key in making the cut.

“If you have passion, then you will have no difficulty convincing the panel that you are the right candidate.

“You should know why you are applying to a particular institution or course,” said Kuan, who stressed that while good grades were important, students need not be straight-A scorers.

Methodist College Kuala Lumpur marketing manager Reuben Chan Chien Chern will give a talk titled “Are You Prepared to Apply for Scholarships After High School?”.

Chan, who has been shortlisting candidates for the Star Education Fund for the past eight years, will share tips on how to avoid common mistakes in securing a scholarship.

The most common mistakes applicants make range from writing a generic application cover note to assuming they will secure the scholarship based on straight As, he said.

“Applicants will not secure the scholarship based on results alone. We also look at their curriculum participation and many other factors.

“Students also need to understand the different types of scholarships available before applying,” said Chan.

He will explore areas such as conducting oneself during interviews, as well as crafting a resume and application during his talk.

He added that submitting a thick application filled with certificates and a long cover note did not make the applicant seem “impressive”, but actually slowed down the vetting process.

Catch Kuan and Chan on the first day of the Star Education Fair 2018 from 2.15pm to 3.15pm.

The fair will be held from 11am to 7pm on Jan 6 and 7 at Halls 1 to 5 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.

It includes a series of education and career talks, an array of study options and programmes from foreign and local institutions, as well as a career test by CAREERsense@HELP.

Experts on pre-university education and representatives from colleges and universities will brief students and parents on a wide range of certificate, foundation, diploma and postgraduate courses, as well as professional qualifications.

Admission is free. Booths are still available for interested exhibitors.

For details, call 03-7967 1388 (ext 1233/1475).