Inisiatif Graduan Pulang Sarawak (i-GPS)
There are various initiatives and subsidies provided by the Sarawak government, proving that the state leaders are very sensitive and concerned about helping the people to reduce their cost of living.
At the Lan Berambeh Anak Sarawak session in 2018, Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg announced that Sarawakian students studying at institutions of higher learning outside the state will be given incentives in the form of subsidies for return flight tickets to Sarawak during the festive season.
Abang Johari said the government was very concerned on the issues raised by students during the Lan Berambeh programme, so much so that he was inspired by them to announce the Inisiatif Graduan Pulang Sarawak (i-GPS) programme and for the initiative to be implemented immediately.
This flight subsidy incentive is intended to ease the burden of Sarawakian students when buying return flight tickets and to be implemented starting from the Chinese New Year festive season in 2019.
By implementing this initiative, the state government through the Sarawak Foundation will provide a subsidy of RM300 each to Sarawakian students who study fulltime at institutions of higher learning registered with the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and the Federal Territory of Labuan to return home.
For the record, this initiative is jointly run by the Sarawak Foundation and Sarawak Volunteers. The advisor for Sarawak Volunteers Advisor is Fazruddin Abdul Rahman, the state assemblyman for Tupong.
Sarawak Volunteers is responsible for processing the applications and coordinating payments directly to the account of successful applicants.
It will be done through the Yayasan Sarawak Student App and it can also be browsed through the Yayasan Sarawak website.
The chief minister (fourth left) launching the Yayasan Sarawak Community Management System application to make it easier for students to apply for i-GPS online. 
Fazruddin (sixth left) with the i-GPS recipients and their parents.
The terms and conditions for the incentive are as follows:
- Applicants must be Sarawakian aged 18 years old and above on the date of flight;
- Amount of i-GPS subsidy for any one successful applicant is RM300;
- Applicants are eligible to receive the i-GPS subsidy twice only;
- Applicants are still actively studying fulltime at any institutions of higher learning in Malaysia that are registered with the Ministry of Higher Education on the date of the flight;
- Flight is either from Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah or the Federal Territory of Labuan to Sarawak;
- Any updating of the applications must only be made online;
- Applicants must submit correct and complete applications within 60 days after the date of the flight;
- Application for i-GPS is not applicable to the following flights: flights sponsored by the government or government-linked agencies or any other organisation, and delayed or cancelled flights.
- Late, incomplete, doubtful and/or false applications will not be entertained and/or will be rejected without notice by Sarawak Volunteers;
- Each application is subject to the terms and conditions mentioned;
- Sarawak Volunteer reserves the right to change the terms and conditions of the application without any notice; and
- Any decision made by Sarawak Volunteers is final.
Khairul from the Sarawak Volunteers Team hands out food aid to students at the airport. 
i-GPS recipients share memories with the official airline which helped arrange the return flight to Sarawak during the MCO.
How to apply
Each application must go through one of the following methods:
- yayasansarawak.org.my website link; and
- Yayasan Sarawak Student App Mobile Application (Apple App Store/Google Play Store)
Each application received will be processed within 14 working days.
Any interested student from the institutions of higher learning nationwide is welcome to browse the Facebook Page ‘Sarawak Volunteers’, email sarawakvolunteers@gmail.com or call 011-33221107 during office hours.
Fazruddin, in an interview with reporters early this year said, “For year 2020, a total of 13,167 applications were approved which cost RM3,830,700.
“Since this programme was introduced in 2019, a total of 31,235 applications were submitted until December 2020.”
He said for now, i-GPS is still operating as usual even though the country is under the movement control order (MCO) due to the pandemic Covid-19.
Students who return home are required to undergo health screening at the airport. 
The students with the Sarawak Volunteer Team at the airport.
