Skip to main content

Advertisement

Advertisement

Greater financial support for needy students: Ng Chee Meng

SINGAPORE — From next month, more needy students from primary to pre-university levels will get enhanced financial aid as the Education Ministry (MOE) increases subsidies, bursary amounts and raises income ceilings for financial assistance.

SINGAPORE — From next month, more needy students from primary to pre-university levels will get enhanced financial aid as the Education Ministry (MOE) increases subsidies, bursary amounts and raises income ceilings for financial assistance.

Minister for Education (Schools) Ng Chee Meng announced this at his ministry’s Committee of Supply debates on Monday (March 5), when he spoke about making sure “no child is left behind”. 

From next month, the monthly gross household income ceiling for mainstream and Special Education (Sped) students to qualify for the Education Ministry (MOE) Financial Assistance Scheme will be raised to S$2,750, up from the current S$2,500. This will allow a bigger group of students — some 6,000 more — to qualify for financial aid.

The monthly per-capita income ceiling will also be increased to S$690, from S$625.

Under the scheme, students in secondary and junior college/pre-university levels will get full waiver of their school fees and standard miscellaneous fees. Primary-level students will also get the waiver of their miscellaneous fees.

Sped students in MOE-funded Sped schools will receive help with basic schooling expenses, such as school fees, textbooks, school attire, and transport.

Pre-university students under the financial assistance scheme will see their bursary quantum increased from S$650 to S$900, said the MOE.

These financial aid students will also benefit from an expanded School Meals Programme, which provides them with meal subsidies.

From next month, secondary school students will get subsidies for 10 meals per school week, up from the existing seven. The expansion also covers Sped students aged 13 and above.

Under the programme, primary school students receive subsidies of S$2 per meal, while those in secondary schools get subsidies of S$2.50 per meal.

The income ceiling to qualify for the Edusave Merit Bursary — a sum of S$200 to S$500 awarded to top-performing Singaporean students whose household income does not exceed the income criteria — has been similarly raised to cover more students.

From the current S$6,000, the monthly gross household income ceiling will be raised to S$6,900, while the monthly per-capita income ceiling will be increased to S$1,725, up from S$1,500 now.

For needy students in Independent Schools, as well as Specialised Independent Schools, the qualifying income criteria will also be revised, allowing 200 more students from middle-income families to receive higher fee subsidies. 

For example, a student whose family’s monthly gross household income is S$2,750 and below can enjoy full fee subsidies. This is up from the current gross household income of S$2,500. 

To enjoy 33 per cent fee subsidies, the qualifying gross household income has been adjusted to between S$6,901 and S$9,000. Currently, it is between S$6,000 and S$7,200. 

These enhancements to the financial assistance schemes will cost the MOE about S$100 million a year, benefiting 90,000 students, about 10,000 more than current figures.  

Besides needy students, all primary and secondary school students will get more money in their Edusave from nest year, as announced by Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat in his Budget statement last month.

The 15 per cent increase — from S$200 to S$230 — for primary-level students, and 20 per cent spike – S$240 to S$290 – in Edusave contributions will cost the MOE around S$100 million a year.

in the Edusave account can be used to pay for approved fees, and other school-based enrichment programmes.

Read more of the latest in

Advertisement

Advertisement

Stay in the know. Anytime. Anywhere.

Subscribe to get daily news updates, insights and must reads delivered straight to your inbox.

By clicking subscribe, I agree for my personal data to be used to send me TODAY newsletters, promotional offers and for research and analysis.