If you are a Singaporean student, who has gained admission into a publicly-funded Institute of Higher Learning, the cost of your education is heavily subsidised by the Government. For students who are concerned about tuition fees and other associated costs (e.g. digital devices, course materials and living expenses), MOE and the institutions offer a range of financial support to help you as you embark on this next phase of your education.
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What types of support are available?
Government subsidies
The Government covers a large part of the cost of delivering education across the different institutions. The remaining cost is paid by students as fees.
If you need financial support for the fees, there are Government bursaries and financial aid offered by each institution to tap on. Tuition Fee Loans and Study Loans are available as well, if you need further assistance.
Government bursaries
These are available to students from lower- and middle-income families. This covers those with gross monthly household income (GHI) of up to $10,000 or with per capita income (PCI) of up to $2,500. Lower income families get more support.
Students who qualify for the highest bursary tier* can receive the following support:
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*GHI ≤ $3,000 per month or PCI ≤ $750 per month
Post-Secondary Education Account
Students can use available funds, if any, in their Post-Secondary Education Account (PSEA) to pay for their tuition fees and approved enrichment programmes, including student overseas programmes.
Loans
Students in polytechnics and universities can apply for the Tuition Fee Loan (TFL) and the Study Loan (SL)*, which is means-tested. Together, these can cover 100% of the tuition fee. Students can also tap on the living allowance loan under the SL for education-related expenses, such as meals on campus, and transport between home and school.
Students will only start repaying the loans upon graduation or after leaving the institution. Repayment periods vary according to the loans taken at the polytechnic or university level.
*Students with PCI ≤ $2,700 per month are eligible. Those with PCI ≤ $950 per month are eligible for interest-free SL.
Is there support for other school materials, laptops and gadgets that may be necessary?
Beyond Government bursaries which can be used to cover these items, Institutes of Higher Learning also offer a range of student financing schemes, in partnership with the community and donors.
This information is accurate as of 2 December 2023.
For students in need, fees can even be $0
How much support you receive will depend on your Gross Household Income and your institution. Please check with your institution for details. Here are some examples.
Click here to view the full infographic
Click here to view the full infographic
Click here to view the full infographic
Students will only start repaying the loans upon graduation or after leaving the institution. Repayment periods vary according to the loans taken at the polytechnic or university level.
For more information, visit here:
Bursaries (go.gov.sg/moe-financial-assistance-pseis)
Post-Secondary Education Account (go.gov.sg/moe-psea1)
Tuition Fee Loan (go.gov.sg/moe-tuition-fee-loan)
Study Loan (go.gov.sg/moe-study-loan)