All You Need To Know About The MOE Tuition Grant

After graduating from secondary school or junior college, you may wonder: what’s next?

Usually, one would proceed to pursue a full-time diploma or undergraduate degree. As a student, most of our tuition fees are taken care of by parents.

However, the truth is tertiary education is not cheap and many students rely on the MOE Tuition Grant.

1. What is the MOE Tuition Grant?

According to the Ministry of Education (MOE), the MOE is a grant provided by the Government of Singapore to help students manage the costs of full-time tertiary education in Singapore.

While there are many schemes available for students to seek financial assistance, at the core of it, the MOE Tuition Grant substantially alleviates the bulk of tuition fees for most students seeking full-time diploma or undergraduate degree. The grant amount (inclusive of any GST) depends on the course of study and the nationality of the student.

For instance, based on the National University of Singapore’s Tuition Fees for new students admitted in the Academic Year of 2020/2021, the fees payable for a dentistry student can go up to $154,800 per annum for a Singapore Citizen without the MOE Tuition Grant.

This contrasts to the substantially subsidized rate of $28,900 (up to 81% difference) for a Singapore Citizen that obtained the Tier A MOE Tuition Grant.

2. Eligibility for MOE Tuition Grant

The MOE Tuition Grant caters to a wide group of students, from those enrolled in full time diploma courses at polytechnics (i.e. SP, NP, TP, RP and NYP) to full-time undergraduate courses at autonomous universities (i.e. NUS, NTU, SMU, SUTD, SIT and SUSS) and even art institutions (i.e. NAFA and LASALLE).

Students are eligible to take up a Tuition Grant if they have not previously taken a Tuition Grant or received sponsorship/scholarship from the Government of Singapore to attain another qualification at an equal or higher level.

In terms of citizenship eligibility, all Singapore Citizens are automatically awarded the Tier A Tuition Grant, which is the highest level of tuition fee subsidy upon successful enrolment into the polytechnics, ITE (Technical Diploma), universities or arts institutions. Consequently, Singapore Citizens will pay the lowest tuition fees.

Furthermore, there is no bond obligation for Singapore citizens who receive the Tuition Grant. Still, certain courses like Medicine or Dentistry could require a service bond after graduation.

On the other hand, Permanent Residents will qualify for the Tier B Tuition Grant upon successful enrolment into their selected institution. However, the caveat here is that successful applicants are required to work for a Singapore entity for 3 years upon graduation.

International Students may also choose to apply for a Tier C Tuition Grant upon successful enrolment into their selected institution. This is more competitive and based on merit, as there is a limited number of Tuition Grants available for international students. Similar to Permanent Residents, successful applicants are bonded and required to work for a Singapore entity for 3 years upon graduation.

For those that signed the MOE Tuition Grant but cannot fully fulfill the service obligation, it is possible to submit a request to buy-out the bond through the MOE TGonline system as well. Based on MOE guidelines, the total amount of liquidated Damages is computed based on the total grant received during the course of study plus 10% interest, compounded at the end of each academic year. This amount will be reduced proportionately part of the service obligation is fulfilled.

Faculties/ Schools	Singapore Citizen  (Tier A MOE Tuition Grant)	Permanent Resident (Tier B MOE Tuition Grant)	International Students  (Tier C MOE Tuition Grant)	Singapore Citizen  (No MOE Tuition Grant)	Permanent Resident/ International Students  (No MOE Tuition Grant)
Arts and Social Sciences	8,200	11,500	17,550	29,850	29,850
Business	9,600	13,450	20,550	32,250	32,250
Computing	8,200	11,500	17,550	38,200	38,200
Dentistry	28,900	41,700	63,750	154,800	159,600
Design and Environment (Architecture, Landscape Architecture)	8,850	12,400	18,950	39,050	39,050
Design and Environment (Building, Real Estate)	8,200	11,500	17,550	29,850	29,850
Design and Environment (Industrial Design)	8,200	11,500	17,550	38,200	38,200
Engineering	8,200	11,500	17,550	38,200	38,200
Law	12,650	17,700	27,050	38,300	38,300
Medicine (Nursing)	8,950	12,550	19,150	37,250	37,250
Medicine (except Nursing)	28,900	41,700	63,750	154,800	159,600
Music	13,950	20,250	30,900	117,350	121,550
Science (Pharmacy)	9,050	12,700	19,350	38,100	38,100
Science (except Pharmacy)	8,200	11,500	17,550	38,200	38,200

 

3. Application of MOE Tuition Grant

Finally, in terms of the application process, Singapore Citizens will receive the grant automatically when they commence their studies.

Conversely, Permanent Residents and International Students need to apply for it. This is done through the MOE TGOnline system, attending the Tuition Grant Agreement signing session to sign the Tuition Grant Agreement. The various institutions will provide further details on the registration period and procedures accordingly.

If there are any specific queries on the MOE Tuition Grant, the MOE has created a form to answer these questions at. 

We hope that this article gives you a quick outline of the key points to note for the MOE Tuition Grant and wish you success in funding for your further studies!

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