Withdrawal of subsidies for certain master’s degree programmes

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Ms He Ting Ru, Sengkang GRC

Question

To ask the Minister for Education (a) what is the rationale behind the withdrawal of subsidies for certain master's degree programmes at the National University of Singapore; (b) whether there are similar moves to end subsidies to programmes at the other autonomous universities; and (c) what is the assessed impact on these programmes' accessibility to Singaporean applicants.

Response

1. MOE provides significant subsidies for Singaporean students in the autonomous universities (AUs) pursuing their first undergraduate qualification and selected post-graduate courses, for example those that serve as entry requirements for certain professions such as architecture. Beyond this, the universities have autonomy to decide whether to seek MOE funding for Master's by coursework programmes, based on considerations such as the viability of offering these programmes on a non-subsidised basis.

2. The majority of Master's by coursework programmes at the AUs, such as the Master in Business Administration (MBA), are conducted on a non-subsidised basis today. Around 20% of Master's by coursework programmes at the AUs are subsidised by MOE.

3. To defray the out-of-pocket cost of pursuing a Master's by coursework programme, some AUs such as NUS offer fee rebates to Singaporeans and PRs as well as alumni. Additional university subsidies, scholarships or study awards are also available to eligible students.

4. Over the years, MOE has also channelled resources to provide Singaporean adult learners with more bite-sized, industry-relevant upgrading opportunities in the Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs). Singaporeans can receive up to 90% course fee subsidies for supported modular courses, including those that stack up to postgraduate programmes. They may further offset the out-of-pocket course fees using their SkillsFuture Credit.

5. MOE will continue to work with the IHLs to ensure the availability and accessibility of education upgrading opportunities for Singaporeans.