Speaking of University Applications, a topic that comes naturally into the minds of many would certainly be the scholarship offered by the schools. Despite their undeniable benefits, some students hesitate to embrace scholarships due to concerns about the limitations they may impose on future career choices post-graduation.
What Are Scholarships?
A scholarship is a form of monetary aid granted to deserving individuals who have outstanding academic abilities or other forms of talents but may not have the financial means to pursue higher levels of education.
Usually, merit-based scholarships come with a set of criteria to be fulfilled by the scholar, be it a minimum grade, strong leadership capabilities or proficiency in sports, arts or other fields. On the other hand, need-based grants are distributed only if students’ household income fall below a given range, or if they require it for special reasons upon assessment.
Scholars enjoy varying levels of financial support such as tuition fee subsidization, discounted accommodation and transportation, funded overseas exchange opportunities and more, depending on the specific scholarship merits.
- Full Scholarships
Full scholarships cover 100% of your tuition fees in university. Often, these scholarships also fund some of your other school-related expenses, such as living and accommodation costs, fees for special programs and exchanges etc.
- Partial Scholarships
Partial scholarships are scholarships covering only a portion of the tuition fee, which could be a fixed amount or a percentage of the total cost. These sometimes come with a subsidization of other school-related expenses as well.
- Bonded Scholarships
One alternative gaining traction is the bond-free scholarship—a gateway to financial freedom for students. This unique form of financial aid covers tuition costs without burdening recipients with the obligation to repay. It liberates students from the stress of accumulating debt, allowing them to fully focus on their studies and explore educational opportunities that may have seemed financially unattainable.
Bonded scholarships come with a contractual obligation for recipients to serve a specified period of employment upon completing their studies. A failure to serve the bond as required may incur forfeits of subsidization or even hefty penalty fees for breaking the bond.
These scholarships are often offered by government agencies, statutory boards, or private organizations, to secure outstanding individuals as their employees in the near future. On the other hand, bond-free scholarships are usually funded more by universities themselves, or by generous individuals who aim to nurture young talents in specific fields of studies.
If you are interested in joining a particular company or institution after completing your tertiary education, bonded scholarships can certainly guarantee you a career opportunity upon graduation whilst you enjoy subsidized university fees!
What Are Some of the Scholarships Available in Singapore’s Universities?
Below is a list of university-funded and privately funded scholarships available to JC graduates who are either Singapore Citizens or Permanent Residents (PR) sorted by schools.
National University of Singapore (NUS)
| Scholarship Title | Who is Eligible | Full Or Partial | Bonded Or Bond-Free | Full Details |
| Singapore Citizens | Full | Bond-Free |
|
Faculty Scholarships, administered by Faculties/Schools/Colleges –College of Design and Engineering | Partial | Bond-Free | Click here for full details | |
Stephen Riady Young Entrepreneur Scholarship (For individuals aspiring to be entrepreneurs) | Partial | Bond-Free
| Click here for full details | |
Temasek Foundation – Union Scholarship (For those from low-income families) | Partial | Bond-Free
| Click here for full details | |
| Wee Cho Yaw Future Leaders Award | Partial | Bond-Free
|
| |
| ASEAN undergraduate scholarship | PRs | Full | Bond-Free
| Click here for full details |
| Science & Technology Undergraduate Scholarship | Full | Bond-Free
| Click here for full details | |
NUS International Undergraduate Scholarship
| Full | Bond-Free
| Click here for full details |
Nanyang Technological University (NTU)
| Scholarship Title | Who is Eligible | Full Or Partial | Bonded Or Bond-Free | Full details |
| NTU-University Scholars Programme Scholarship | All Nationalities | Full | Bond-Free | |
| CN Yang Scholars Programme Scholarship | Full | Bond-Free | ||
| Turing AI Scholars Programme Scholarship | Full | Bond-Free | ||
| Renaissance Engineering Programme Scholarship | Singapore Citizens and PRs | Full | Bond-Free | |
| Nanyang Scholarship | All nationalities
| Full | Bond-Free | |
| NTU Talent Scholarship | Full | Bond-Free | ||
| College Scholarship | Full | Bond-Free | ||
| School Scholarship | Full | Bond-Free | ||
| NTU Science Scholarship | Full | Bond-Free | ||
| Nanyang Business School Scholarship | Full | Not Specified | ||
Tan Seow Chiap POWERs Scholarship (Female scholars only) | Partial | Not Specified | ||
| E.W. Barker Scholarship | Singapore Citizens and PRs | Full | Bond-Free | |
| LKY-STEP Award | Full | Bond-Free | ||
| Mr and Mrs Goh Chan Boo Scholarship | Full | Not Specified | ||
| Ong Hok Tian Scholarship | Full | 5 years bond with Ministry of Health upon completing undergraduate course | ||
| Sim Yung Chong Medical Scholarship | Partial | 5 years bond with Ministry of Health upon completing undergraduate course | ||
| University Engineering Scholarship | Full | 4-year bond working in the engineering-related field in Singapore | ||
| Wee Cho Yaw Future Leaders Award | Full | Bond-Free | ||
| Wee Kim Wee Legacy Fund Undergraduate Scholarship | Full | Bond-Free | ||
| Irene Tan Liang Kheng Scholarship | Singapore Citizens | Partial | 5-year bond with Ministry of Health upon completing undergraduate course | |
| LKCMedicine Scholarship | Full | 5-year bond with Ministry of Health upon completing undergraduate course | ||
| Temasek Foundation – RKS Nachiappan Scholarship and Temasek Foundation – G Muthukumarasamy Scholarship | Partial | Bond-Free
| ||
| Toh Kian Chui Scholarship | Full | 5-year bond with Ministry of Health upon completing undergraduate course |
Singapore Management University (SMU)
| Scholarship Title | Who is Eligible | Full Or Partial | Bonded Or Bond-Free | Full Details |
| SMU Global Impact Scholarship Award | Singapore Citizens | Full | Bond-Free
| Click here for full details |
| SMU Merit Scholarship Programme | Full | Bond-Free
| Click here for full details | |
Yip Pin Xiu Scholarship (outstanding athletes who have excelled in sports at the international level) | Full | Bond-Free
| Click here for full details | |
| SMU School of Computing and Information Systems (SCIS) Achievements / Aspirations Scholarship | Singapore Citizens and PRs | Partial
| Bonded (Non-Singaporean scholars required to work in Singapore-registered companies for minimum 3 years upon graduation)
| Click here for full details |
Lee Kong Chian Scholars’ Programme (all nationality eligible) | Full | Bond-Free
| Click here for full details | |
SMU School of Computing and Information Systems (SCIS) Scholarship (prioritises financially needy students) | All Nationalities | Partial
| Bond-Free
|
|
| ASEAN Undergraduate Scholarship | PRs (Citizens from ASEAN countries, excluding Singapore citizens) | Full | Bond-Free
|
|
| Science & Technology Undergraduate Scholarship | PRs (Citizens of India, PRC, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan) | Partial
| Bonded ( 6-year bond with a Singapore-registered company immediately upon graduation from SMU)
|
|
Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS)
| Scholarship Title | Who is Eligible | Full Or Partial | Bonded Or Bond-Free | Full Details |
| Global Excellence Scholarship | Singapore Citizens and PRs | Full | Bond-Free | |
| Social Impact Scholarship | Full | Bond-Free | ||
| SUSS Scholarship | Full | Bond-Free | ||
J.K – SUSS Scholarship
| Partial | Bond-Free | ||
| Temasek Foundation – Nithiah Nandan Arumugam Scholarship | Singapore Citizens | Partial | Bond-Free | |
Temasek Foundation – RKS Nachiappan Scholarship
| Partial | Bond-Free
|
What Next?
Hoping to seek professional advice regarding scholarship attainment and the preparation required beforehand? Interested in learning about pre-university must-knows for a smoother application process?
Exclusive for all Indigo students, speak to Indigo’s University Admission Advisory – PrepZone Academy for expert insights on college admissions, entry requirements, profile-building strategies, and test preparation for top-tier universities.
To delve deeper into the art of portfolio building and the intricacies of scholarship applications, we invite you to register for our complimentary seminars. These sessions are designed to empower students with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate the scholarship landscape successfully.
Take the Next Step: Join Indigo Seminars
At Indigo, we are not just invested in your academic success; we care about your entire educational journey. Join us on this holistic approach to education, where we strive to empower you not only for today but for a future filled with limitless possibilities. Register for our Indigo seminars today and unlock the doors to your academic and financial success!
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