scholarships

Singapore is well-known for its teaching Standards and highly efficient education system. The country is a prime education hub with a sizable chunk of its student-population comprising overseas students and expatriates. Given the popularity of Singaporean schools across the globe, the overall study expenses are mostly proportional to education quality. If you are interested in getting your child enrolled in a reputed school here, don’t worry about the cost incurred. Applying for an Education Merit Scholarship would be the best way to fund your child’s studies and boost his/her motivational levels to excel further. 

Singapore’s Ministry of Education has introduced several scholarship programmes to make education affordable and accessible to all. Additionally, there are prestigious international schools here with easy-to-apply scholarships for meritorious students from middle-income families. 

Here’s a look at the various education merits scholarships for bright, deserving students to pursue their schooling in Singapore with ease.

1. Edusave Scholarships for Independent Schools– This academic scholarship is awarded by the Ministry of Education to consistently top-performing students in independent schools. The details of eligibility and cut-off marks are available on the Ministry of Education website.
2. Mahatma Gandhi Universal Value Merit-cum-Means Scholarship– An initiative of the Global Schools Foundation, this is an Education Merit Scholarship available for students of all grades. Valid for two years, the tuition-fees waiver could range from 15% to 80% depending on the gross family income and which bracket it falls into. The allotment is made based on the student’s academic performance in the last two years.
3. 9GEMS Holistic Development Scholarship– This 1-year scholarship programme is for exceptional performance in any particular field, as underlined in the programme. All students from Grade 1 to 12 are eligible.
4.  A-STAR India Youth Scholarship– This is a unique, all-expenses-paid scholarship for Indian students who have completed Class 8 and wish to go to Singapore to pursue the Advanced 4-year Singapore-Cambridge General Certificate of Education Programme.
5. UPLIFT Scholarship– Yet another scholarship brought forth by the Ministry of Education, this is an annual cash award given to students of independent schools. The assessment is based on the student’s achievements in any particular field- academics, sports, or other co-curricular activities, as adjudged by the school.
6. Global FUTURE-READY Merit Scholarship– Available for deserving candidates from Grade 7 to 12, this Education Merit Scholarship has been introduced by the Global Schools Foundation. This is an excellent opportunity for academically bright students to get a tuition-fees waiver of up to 15% for a tenure of 2 years.
7. ASEAN Scholarships– Announced by the Ministry of Education, these scholarships are mainly for students of ASEAN countries like Cambodia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and others, to pursue secondary level schooling in Singapore. 

Expert Advice on Applying for Education Merit Scholarship in Singapore

In addition to the aforementioned scholarships, the educational community in Singapore offers many other government-funded and private-funded awards and rewarding schemes for students excelling in community service, innovation, leadership, conduct and co-curricular performance. Based on which field your child can qualify for easily, you can choose to apply for more than one 0scholarship. Also, it is likely that of all the scholarships you view online or hear about from your acquaintances, one or two might have the ‘all-expenses paid’ clause. 

But for most of the outreach programmes under ‘education merit scholarship‘ category, the scholarship amounts to covering a certain percentage of the tuition-fees and boarding/hostel fees for the prescribed tenure. Do remember that the final decision could be based on a scholarship test and interview, the specifics of which you will be informed if your child is shortlisted. So make sure you understand all the necessary details about the final assessment stage and coach your child well. 

List of Compulsory Documents

While every scholarship entails a particular set of documents to be submitted along with the application form, there are some that are common to all. These include-

• Attested Income Certificates of immediate family members
• Tax Statements of all working members of the student’s immediate family
• Self-declaration form with declared gross family income
• Academic certificates of the student (dating back to last 2-3 years, as requested)
• Passport and Visa details of outstation students
• Appointment letter of expatriate parents

Scholarships for International Students in Singapore may have additional documents. Parents should inquire about these before applying. 

Eligibility Criteria

The governing body lays down the eligibility criteria and application guidelines for an education merit scholarship. Some programmes are reserved for Singaporean citizens, while others could be applied for by permanent residents, residents, expatriates or international students. Do note all other eligibility criteria like age, grade, cut-off marks, and other qualifications before submitting your application.

Conclusion

Receiving high-quality education in Singapore need not be a distant dream for modest-income families anymore. With the above scholarship details and guidelines in mind, you can help your children rise and shine and carve a bright future for themselves.