There is no indication that the Universiti Sains Malaysia uses student financial assistance to give high priority to ensuring access for low-income students within Penang and Northern Corridor Economic Region. To date, development plans for these two sectors are undertaken separately. For example the Penang Educational Consultative Council (PECC) under the state government provides the mechanism for a coherent vision of an education system at the regional level, but this council is only for the private higher education institutions in the state. (