Fully subsidised tuition fees for more than 3,000 NTU undergraduates in new academic year

SINGAPORE — Undergraduates from the neediest households — those with per capita income of up to $1,100 — will not have to pay tuition fees at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in the new academic year.

NTU will top up existing government bursaries to fully subsidise tuition fees for these students from August 2024, the university said on Feb 2.

More than 3,000 undergraduates are expected to benefit from this enhanced financial aid scheme. It adds to the range of financial assistance schemes that help ease educational and living expenses of students from low-income families.

NTU president Ho Teck Hua said: "We want to ensure that every student, regardless of financial background, has access to the rich and well-rounded university experience that NTU offers."

Currently, bursary holders have at least 54 per cent of their tuition fees subsidised, NTU said.

These students, if they qualify, can offset the balance of their tuition fees through additional scholarships and bursaries.

They will be required to apply every year for the financial aid, subject to approval from the financial aid office.

NTU is ramping up fund-raising efforts to build an endowment fund to ensure that its neediest students will continue to enjoy full coverage of their tuition fees.

"We are committed to doing all that we can to give students who are most in need of support a fair shot at achieving their full potential," said Professor Ho.

In 2022, the National University of Singapore (NUS) announced a similar scheme, where its full-time Singapore undergraduates do not need to pay tuition fees if they come from homes with per capita income of up to $1,000.

This enhancement in support from NUS benefitted about 3,300 students. Those in general courses such as the humanities and sciences will receive an additional $2,300 to $7,000 per year in financial aid.

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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.