Hallelujah!
I can hear the cheers of part-time University and Poly students all over the nation.
Those on bursaries will pay lower tuition fees next year, just like their peers studying full time, with higher bursaries to kick in from next year.
Lower tuition fees could potentially mean fewer financial burdens for the students.
The Higher Education Bursary
So, what is this bursary that’s making the lower school fees possible?
From next year onwards, this bursary for part-time students will be known as the Higher Education Bursary.
According to MOE, it aims to “enhance the affordability of higher education for part-time students studying at publicly funded post-secondary education institutions”.
The average annual part-time tuition fees for part-time students in polytechnics and universities are $900 and $4,500 respectively.
Higher Bursaries, Lower Tuition Fees
Part-time diploma students from the lowest income group will pay $100 a year, a decrease from the current $300 while part-time degree students from the same tier will pay $2,000 a year, down from the current $3,150.
Part-time poly students in the next tier will be paying $240 instead of the current $300 while school fees for part-time undergraduates will cost $2,900, a decrease from the current $3,150.
About 2,100 Students Expected To Benefit
According to a statement released by the Ministry of Education (MOE), about 2,100 Singaporean part-time undergraduates and diploma students are expected to benefit from the increased bursaries next year.
This is up from the 1,900 part-time students who are already getting bursaries.
Moreover, part-time Uni and Poly students in the bottom income group (gross income is $4,000 or less, or monthly income household per-capita is $1,000 or less) will get more financial support.
The Increase In Bursary Amount In Both Lower And Middle Income Groups
How much of an increase in bursary amounts are the students actually getting?
Part-time uni students in the lower-income group earning $4,000 or less will receive $2,500 annually in bursaries, up from $1,350 previously, while part-time diploma students will receive $800 instead of $600.
For part-time undergraduates in the next tier of families whose gross monthly income is $4,001 to $6,900 will get $1,600 in yearly bursaries, an increase from the current $1,350. Those in poly will get $660, up from $600.
No Change For The Top Income Group
Both groups of part-time students whose gross monthly household income is $6,901 to $9,000 will continue to receive yearly bursaries of $700 and $300, respectively.
The part-time diploma and undergraduate students in the tier will also continue to pay $600 and $4,200 respectively.
Greater Support For More Students
The lower tuition fees for part-time students come after MOE announced significant bursary hikes for full-time students pursuing higher education.
In addition to that, needy students from medicine and dentistry university courses can also expect to pay a significantly smaller amount.
According to The Straits Times, around 21,000 undergraduates and 33,000 polytechnic students in full time courses are expected to benefit from bursaries as government spending increases by $44 million per year, from $123 million currently.
We hope that this comes as goody news for many of you students out there!
