More Than 10,000 Students to Benefit from Revised Income Criteria for MOE Financial Assistance Schemes and Increased ITE Bursary Quanta
Last Updated: 14 Oct 2022
1. The Ministry of Education (MOE) will revise the income eligibility criteria for the following financial assistance schemes from 1 January 2023. This is estimated to increase the number of beneficiaries under the schemes below to around 135,500:
- MOE Financial Assistance Scheme (MOE FAS) for Government and Government-Aided Schools (GGAS) and Specialised Schools (SS);
- Special Education (SPED) FAS for MOE-funded SPED schools;
- MOE Independent School Bursary (MOE ISB); and
- Government bursaries for post-secondary education institutions (PSEIs)1.
2. The quanta of government bursaries for full-time Institute of Technical Education (ITE) students will also be increased from Academic Year (AY) 2023, with students from lower-income households benefiting from the highest increase.
3. These enhancements follow MOE's earlier announcements in August 2022 on enhancing support for students from lower income households, through the increase of transport and meal subsidies for primary and secondary students and higher bursary amounts for pre-university students under the MOE FAS2.
Revised Income Eligibility Criteria for MOE Financial Assistance Schemes
4. From 2023, the income eligibility criteria for the above schemes will be revised as follows:
Current and revised income eligibility tiers
| Scheme | Current Income Eligibility Criteria | Revised Income Eligibility Criteria |
|---|---|---|
|
GHI3 ≤ $2,750 or PCI4 ≤ $690 |
GHI ≤ $3,000 or PCI ≤ $750 |
|
GHI ≤ $2,750 or PCI ≤ $690 | GHI ≤ $3,000 or PCI ≤ $750 |
| GHI $2,751-$4,000 or PCI $691-$1,000 | GHI $3,001-$4,400 or PCI $751-$1,100 | |
| GHI $4,001-$6,900 or PCI $1,001-$1,725 | GHI $4,401-$7,500 or PCI $1,101-$1,875 | |
| GHI $6,901-$9,000 or PCI $1,726-$2,250 | GHI $7,501-$10,000 or PCI $1,876-$2,500 |
5. With the revised income eligibility criteria, the number of students in GGAS, SS, SPED Schools and Independent Schools benefiting from government financial assistance is expected to increase from the current 51,000 to around 57,000 in 2023. For PSEIs, this will increase from 74,000 to around 78,500 in AY2023.
Enhancements to Bursaries for Full-Time Nitec and Higher Nitec ITE Students
6. MOE will also be raising the bursary quanta for full-time ITE Nitec and Higher Nitec students, as follows:
| Government Bursary | Current Income Eligibility Criteria | Revised Income Eligibility Criteria (Effective AY 2023) | Current Annual Bursary Amount | Revised Annual Bursary Amount from AY2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Higher Education Community Bursary | GHI ≤ $2,750 or PCI ≤ $690 | GHI ≤ $3,000 or PCI ≤ $750 | 100% fees + $1,500 | 100% fees + $1,600 |
| GHI $2,751-$4,000 or PCI $691-$1,000 | GHI $3,001-$4,400 or PCI $751-$1,100 | $1,250 | $1,300 | |
| Higher Education Bursary | GHI $4,001-$6,900 or PCI $1,001-$1,725 | GHI $4,401-$7,500 or PCI $1,101-$1,875 | $600 | $650 |
| GHI $6,901-$9,000 or PCI $1,726-$2,250 | GHI $7,501-$10,000 or PCI $1,876-$2,500 | $400 | $440 |
7. MOE is reviewing the government bursaries for diploma and undergraduate students, and will share more details in due course. More details on the scheme enhancements can also be found in the Annex.
Other Revisions
Income Eligibility Criteria for Edusave Merit Bursary
8. MOE has also reviewed the income eligibility criteria for the Edusave Merit Bursary, and will revise this from GHI ≤ $6,900 or PCI ≤ $1,725 to GHI ≤ $7,500 or PCI ≤ $1,875. The new criteria will apply from 2023.
ITE Community Scholarship
9. From AY2023, MOE will increase the cash award for the merit-based ITE Community Scholarship to $1,800 (up from $1,600), and continue to provide 100% fee subsidy for these scholars. The ITE Community Scholarship is awarded to the top 10% of the GCE 'N'/'O' level entrants in each Nitec and Higher Nitec intake.
Footnotes
-
Higher Education Community Bursary and Higher Education Bursary for Singaporean students at the Institute of Technical Education, polytechnics, autonomous universities and publicly-funded arts institutions.
-
The earlier announced measures will also take effect from 1 January 2023. https://www.moe.gov.sg/news/press-releases/20220824-enhanced-financial-support-for-needy-students-amidst-rising-cost-pressures.
-
Monthly Gross Household Income (GHI)
-
Per Capita Income (PCI)