Singapore invests generously in education as it firmly believes in nurturing talents and developing the leaders of tomorrow. To this end, large assortments of financial assistance schemes are available to help international students fund their education.
For studies at a local university or polytechnic, the Tuition Fee Grant administered by the Ministry of Education (MOE) subsidizes up to 80% of tuition fees and is available to all students. As an international student, you are eligible for the same grant subject to the signing of a deed with the Singapore government undertaking to work in a Singapore-registered company for three years, upon completion of your program.
International students may apply for bursaries to pay for their tuition fees and other expenses. Bursaries are grants awarded purely on the basis of financial need and usually do not exceed S$1,500 per academic year.
Bursaries tend to be administered by the educational institutions themselves. Please check with your educational institution to find out what is available.
A number of scholarships are also open for application. Selection is usually based on academic excellence and leadership, or co-curricular track records.
Some educational institutions, especially at the higher level, also offer scholarships that are exclusive to the institution. Like University Scholarship by NUS etc. and Undergraduate Scholarship, Asean Undergraduate Scholarship, NTU Undergraduate Scholarship etc.
The Singapore Ministry of Education offers tuition grants to International students. Those who opt for the grant have to sign an agreement to work in Singapore for 3 years.
Scholarships are also offered by big companies, charities and government. Such as Singapore Airlines (www.singaporeair.com), Association of common wealth Universities (www.acu.ac.uk), Rotary Foundation (www.rotary.org).
alternatively, students may opt to apply for a study loan, usually payable upon graduation or completion of the program, at favorable interest rates. Some educational institutions offer additional loans for miscellaneous expenses, such as computer loans.
Note: Please check with your educational institution for the availability of such loans.