In 2016, Inspire launched a programme called Inspire Financial Assistance (IFA) with the realisation that if we helped one child in a family to pursue and complete a tertiary level education successfully, we could potentially help an entire family escape the clutches of poverty and lead a better life. This annual IFA programme offers financial aid to deserving Indian students who have obtained entry into local public universities but do not have the means to pay for the initial expenses while waiting for their PTPTN loan approval.
The IFA2021 was a phenomenal success despite the challenging situations and circumstances that prevailed in the country. For the first time, Inspire surpassed RM300,000 in the amount that was disbursed to the needy students. The final total that was disbursed was RM307,000 making it the largest amount ever in the Inspire Financial Assistance history.
This time, the number of applications received was 513, of which 438 met the criteria that was set to qualify for the interview. Based on the interviews that were conducted by the Inspire volunteers, 259 applicants were selected to receive the IFA. The 259 successful applicants received aid ranging from RM1200 to RM3000 per student.
Several innovations and firsts set the IFA2021 apart from the previous ones. For the first time, Inspire began using Jot forms, an online form for the application to the fundwhich helped to ease the tedious process of selecting and sorting out candidates for the interviews. Inspire is grateful to its committee member Jega who took the lead for this innovation and all the 22 Inspire volunteers involved in the selection interview process.
The IFA committee also enlisted the services of Sixth Form teachers in various states to reach out to the needy students. This was an effective strategy as the teachers’ assistance ensured a greater and more focused access to the target group. Inspire would like to express its gratitude to all the Form Six teachers who assisted the IFA committee.
Another achievement was, of course, the amount that was collected exceeded the huge target of RM300,000 that was set by the committee, thanks to the generosity of Inspire members and well-wishers who contributed to the fund. Many of these contributors had been supporting the IFA since its inception in 2015.
We have also started receiving contributions from former recipients of IFA through our continuous engagement with them. For example, Veianthan,from the IFA2016 batch delivered a speech on “My University Experience” in the INSPIRE-IFA2021 Recipients Meet-up Session that helped to motivate and inspire fellow recipients to continue the efforts of Inspire Society in future.
The IFA2021 was a phenomenal success despite the challenging situations and circumstances that prevailed in the country. For the first time, Inspire surpassed RM300,000 in the amount that was disbursed to the needy students. The final total that was disbursed was RM307,000 making it the largest amount ever in the Inspire Financial Assistance history.
This time, the number of applications received was 513, of which 438 met the criteria that was set to qualify for the interview. Based on the interviews that were conducted by the Inspire volunteers, 259 applicants were selected to receive the IFA. The 259 successful applicants received aid ranging from RM1200 to RM3000 per student.
Several innovations and firsts set the IFA2021 apart from the previous ones. For the first time, Inspire began using Jot forms, an online form for the application to the fundwhich helped to ease the tedious process of selecting and sorting out candidates for the interviews. Inspire is grateful to its committee member Jega who took the lead for this innovation and all the 22 Inspire volunteers involved in the selection interview process.
The IFA committee also enlisted the services of Sixth Form teachers in various states to reach out to the needy students. This was an effective strategy as the teachers’ assistance ensured a greater and more focused access to the target group. Inspire would like to express its gratitude to all the Form Six teachers who assisted the IFA committee.
Another achievement was, of course, the amount that was collected exceeded the huge target of RM300,000 that was set by the committee, thanks to the generosity of Inspire members and well-wishers who contributed to the fund. Many of these contributors had been supporting the IFA since its inception in 2015.
We have also started receiving contributions from former recipients of IFA through our continuous engagement with them. For example, Veianthan,from the IFA2016 batch delivered a speech on “My University Experience” in the INSPIRE-IFA2021 Recipients Meet-up Session that helped to motivate and inspire fellow recipients to continue the efforts of Inspire Society in future.