For many parents, saving for their children’s tertiary education is no longer optional, but a necessary long-term commitment. Ensuring sufficient funds are set aside before their children begin higher education is a responsibility that should be planned for early.

Perbadanan Tabung Pendidikan Tinggi Nasional (PTPTN) has over the years stepped up efforts to promote its Simpan SSPN education savings scheme as one of the best savings options for Malaysian families preparing for future education expenses.

“I encourage all Malaysians, especially parents, to make Simpan SSPN their main instrument for planning and preparing their children’s education fund,” says PTPTN chairman Datuk Seri Norliza Abdul Rahim. She adds that cultivating the habit of saving early could help reduce the future financial burden of education loans while nurturing a financially literate younger generation.

The renewed focus on education savings comes as PTPTN announced a 4.1% dividend for Simpan SSPN for the financial year ended Dec 31, 2025 (FY2025), is the highest dividend rate in the past 11 years. The dividend distribution, amounting to RM505.68 million, will benefit 6.07 million Simpan SSPN accounts nationwide.

According to Norliza, the stronger performance was supported by effective risk management strategies and a well-balanced investment portfolio focused on long-term fixed-income instruments and sukuk.

“PTPTN hopes the dividend rate announced will continue to strengthen public confidence in Simpan SSPN as a safe, shariah-compliant education savings instrument that offers competitive returns for children’s future education planning,” she says.

The higher dividend also reflected stronger deposit growth during the year. Total deposits reached RM3.33 billion in 2025, an increase of RM154.1 million, or 4.86%, from the RM3.17 billion recorded in 2024.

At the same time, more than 500,000 new Simpan SSPN accounts were opened in 2025. Norliza attributes this to growing awareness among Malaysian parents — particularly younger families — on the importance of early financial planning for children’s education.

In the past, parents had to visit PTPTN service counters physically to open accounts and make deposits, making the savings process less convenient. Today, parents can open accounts, make deposits and manage savings digitally through the myPTPTN application.

For 2026, PTPTN has launched the “Kempen Cabutan Simpan SSPN”, offering prizes worth nearly RM1.4 million to 954 winners throughout the year from Jan 1 to Dec 31, 2026. Among the prizes offered are a Honda CR-V, a Perodua Ativa, a Yamaha NVX motorcycle and cash rewards.

The campaign includes three main categories: Cabutan WOW! Plus Loyalty 2026; Cabutan WOW! Plus Siri; and the newly introduced Cabutan Simpan SSPN Baru Slay!, which is designed to attract younger savers.

The Cabutan WOW! Plus Loyalty 2026 campaign is targeted at existing Simpan SSPN Plus depositors who opened accounts before Dec 31, 2025, and continue to grow their savings during the campaign period.

Meanwhile, Cabutan WOW! Plus Siri is open to both new and existing depositors who either open accounts or increase savings throughout the campaign.

The Cabutan Simpan SSPN Baru Slay! campaign targets depositors aged between 16 and 29 under Simpan SSPN Prime and Simpan SSPN Plus. Eligible participants must make deposits through the myPTPTN application during the campaign period.

According to PTPTN, the broader objective of these initiatives are to build a stronger culture of saving “from as early as one day old”, while positioning Simpan SSPN as a practical and accessible long-term education planning solution for Malaysian families.

Simpan SSPN is a government-backed savings scheme managed by PTPTN to help Malaysian families save for higher education. The programme will continue to position itself as a shariah-compliant education savings instrument that combines capital security with long-term financial incentives, according to Norliza.

Among its key benefits is personal income tax relief of up to RM8,000 annually on net savings contributions. The scheme also offers complimentary takaful protection for eligible depositors, matching grants of up to RM10,000 per family for qualified applicants, as well as prize campaigns and other incentives aimed at encouraging regular savings habits.

Norliza says parents should also take a more proactive role in involving children in financial discussions from a young age.

“By involving children in discussions about finances and savings goals, we can help shape a more positive and mature understanding of financial management from a young age,” she says. She adds that every Malaysian family should maintain at least one Simpan SSPN account to benefit from the various incentives and long-term education planning advantages offered under the scheme.

For now, PTPTN is focused on several strategic initiatives to enhance the appeal of Simpan SSPN. Among them is improving the digital user experience through upgrades to the myPTPTN platform, making it more user-friendly, faster and easier to access — from opening accounts and making savings deposits to reviewing statements and carrying out other transactions directly via mobile devices.

PTPTN also plans to expand more targeted and relevant communication approaches towards young parents through digital platforms and social media, with greater emphasis on family financial education, early education planning for children, and the long-term benefits of consistent savings from infancy.

At the same time, strategic collaborations with government agencies, private sector organisations, healthcare institutions and family-related platforms are being expanded to ensure exposure to Simpan SSPN can begin as early as possible after a child is born.

For more information, please visit www.ptptn.gov.my/simpan-sspn/