Singapore offers international students real scholarship money — not just fee waivers. The ASEAN Undergraduate Scholarship covers full tuition plus a monthly allowance of SGD 5,800/year. The MOE Tuition Grant cuts fees by 50–70% for almost everyone. Here's what's available in 2026, how much it pays, and exactly how to apply.

Understanding Singapore's Scholarship Landscape

Singapore's scholarship system works differently from many countries. There is no single central application — most awards are administered directly by universities, government agencies, or private companies. The most important thing to understand first: the MOE Tuition Grant is not technically a scholarship, but it is the most financially significant subsidy available to almost every international student.

Beyond the grant, Singapore offers a layered system of merit scholarships, means-tested bursaries, and government-funded awards for specific nationalities and disciplines.

MOE Tuition Grant: The Foundation

The Ministry of Education Tuition Grant is available to virtually all international students enrolled full-time at Singapore's 6 autonomous universities. It reduces your tuition by 50–70%.

In practice this means:

NUS Engineering without grant: approximately SGD 38,000/year. With grant: SGD 17,550/year.
NTU Business without grant: approximately SGD 36,000/year. With grant: SGD 17,100/year.
SMU Law without grant: approximately SGD 42,000/year. With grant: SGD 20,000/year.

The catch: you must work for a Singapore-registered employer for 3 years after graduation. If you break the bond, you repay part of the subsidy — typically SGD 10,000–25,000 depending on how much time you served.

For students who plan to build a career in Asia, the bond is a non-issue. Singapore's job market for EP-eligible graduates (SGD 5,000+/month) is robust in tech, finance, consulting, and engineering.

Application: Accept automatically when you accept your university place and sign the grant agreement during the offer acceptance process. You do not apply separately.

ASEAN Undergraduate Scholarship

This is Singapore's most generous undergraduate scholarship for international students. It is administered by MOE and targets students from ASEAN member states (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vietnam).

What it covers:

Full tuition fees (on top of the MOE Tuition Grant subsidy)
Annual living allowance of SGD 5,800
One-time return airfare (home to Singapore)
Accommodation subsidy (SGD 3,600–4,800/year)
One-time settling-in allowance of SGD 400
Subsidised medical/dental benefits

Total value: Approximately SGD 25,000–40,000/year in combined benefits, for the full duration of your degree (typically 4 years).

Bond: Recipients must work in Singapore for 3 years post-graduation (same as MOE Tuition Grant).

Eligibility: ASEAN nationals with outstanding academic results (typically top 5–10% of your cohort), applying to NUS, NTU, SMU, SUTD, SIT, or SUSS.

Deadline: Applications open in October/November each year for the following August intake. Check MOE's official scholarship portal for exact dates — typically closes in January.

How to apply: Via the MOE Scholarship Portal (scholarships.moe.gov.sg). Requires academic transcripts, two teacher/school references, and a personal statement. Shortlisted candidates are interviewed in Singapore or by video call in March/April.

NUS Merit Scholarship

NUS offers merit scholarships directly to outstanding international applicants. The flagship award is the NUS Global Merit Scholarship.

What it covers:

Full tuition fees
Annual living allowance of SGD 6,000
One-time accommodation subsidy
Overseas study opportunities (exchange programme funding)

Total value: Up to SGD 45,000–55,000/year for the degree duration.

Eligibility: Academic excellence (A-levels or equivalent: straight As or equivalent standardised test performance). No nationality restriction.

Bond: 3-year Singapore work bond.

How to apply: Apply through the NUS admissions portal. Top applicants are automatically considered for scholarships — there is no separate application form for most merit awards.

Competition level: Very high. NUS receives applications from top students globally. Having straight As is a threshold requirement, not a guarantee.

NTU ASEAN Scholarship

NTU's version of the ASEAN scholarship is separate from the MOE-administered award. It offers:

Full tuition plus annual living allowance of SGD 5,500
Return economy airfare once per year
Accommodation subsidy

Eligibility: ASEAN nationals. Apply through NTU's scholarship portal during the admissions process. Separate from and in addition to the MOE ASEAN Scholarship — check which you qualify for and apply for both.

SMU Scholarship Programme

SMU offers the SMU Scholarship (formerly SMU Competitive Scholarship) to outstanding international students:

Full tuition fees
Annual living allowance of SGD 5,000
One-time settling-in allowance of SGD 500
Summer leadership programme

SMU also offers partial awards (50% tuition only) for strong but not top-ranked applicants. Apply through SMU's admissions system — shortlisted applicants are invited for an interview in Singapore.

Singapore Government Scholarships for Specific Fields

A*STAR Scholarship (Science and Technology)

The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) funds postgraduate research scholarships for PhD and research master's programmes:

Singapore International Graduate Award (SINGA): Full PhD funding including stipend of SGD 2,200/month (year 1–2) rising to SGD 2,500/month (year 3+). Covers research fees. No bond — but most SINGA scholars stay in Singapore for careers in research.
Covers: NUS, NTU, SUTD, or A*STAR Research Institute placements
Deadline: March each year for August intake
Eligibility: Bachelor's degree in science or engineering. Strong research output preferred.

NTU Research Scholarship

NTU directly funds PhD scholarships with:

Full tuition waiver
Monthly stipend of SGD 2,200 (taught PhD) or SGD 2,000 (research PhD)

Apply directly to your NTU supervisor or through the Graduate Studies admissions portal. Most PhD positions are filled this way in engineering, computing, and natural sciences.

Means-Tested Bursaries

Singapore's universities offer financial assistance for students who demonstrate genuine financial need, regardless of academic merit.

NUS Bursary

Available to international students with household income below SGD 3,000/month per capita
Award: SGD 2,400–8,000/year depending on household income bracket
Application: Annually through the NUS student portal. Requires household income documentation.

NTU Financial Aid

Similar means-testing criteria
Awards of SGD 2,000–7,500/year for international students in financial need

For permanent resident students or students with Singapore citizen family members in hardship. Less commonly applicable to international students, but worth checking if you have family connections.

Private and Company Scholarships

Several Singapore-based companies and foundations fund merit scholarships for students in specific disciplines:

Singapore Airlines Scholarship: SGD 20,000–30,000/year for engineering and aviation-related degrees. Service bond with SIA post-graduation.
DBS Bank Scholarship: Full tuition plus allowance for business and finance students. Competitive internship pipeline during studies.
Temasek Foundation Scholarships: Various awards for developing country nationals. Check temasekfoundation.org for current programmes.
Lee Foundation Scholarship: For Chinese students and students of Chinese heritage. Annual award of SGD 5,000–15,000.

Scholarships by Country of Origin

Some Singapore scholarships specifically target students from particular regions:

India: MHRD (India-Singapore) exchange scholarships, NUS India Connect fellowships
China: China-Singapore bilateral scholarships via CSCSE. Annual exchange programme funding.
Indonesia: Multiple Indonesian government scholarships that can be used at Singapore institutions. Check LPDP and Kemendikbud portals.
Malaysia: Malaysian students are eligible for MOE subsidised rates (with work bond) and most merit awards without restriction.

How to Maximise Your Scholarship Chances

Apply for Multiple Awards Simultaneously

There is no rule against holding multiple scholarships if they are from different sources and the award conditions allow it. A typical combination: MOE ASEAN Scholarship (from MOE) + university's own accommodation subsidy + a private company bursary. Check whether each award has "no stacking" clauses — most do not for combination of government grant + private awards.

Apply Early and Meet Every Deadline

Most Singapore scholarship application windows open in October–January for an August intake. Mark these dates now and prepare your documents in advance:

Request teacher/professor references 6–8 weeks before the deadline
Get transcripts officially certified and translated if necessary
Draft your personal statement in English — have a native speaker review it

Target the ASEAN Scholarship if Eligible

If you're from an ASEAN country and academically competitive, this should be your first application. The combination of full tuition + living allowance makes Singapore close to financially neutral for top ASEAN students.

Contact Your Future Supervisor for PhD Scholarships

For postgraduate research funding, emailing professors at NUS or NTU directly before applying significantly increases your chances. Funding often follows the supervisor's grant money. A professor who wants you in their lab will advocate for your scholarship.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get a scholarship without being ASEAN?

Yes. The NUS Global Merit Scholarship, NTU President's Research Excellence Award, and A*STAR SINGA are open to students of all nationalities. However, competition is global and extremely intense.

Is the MOE Tuition Grant available to students at private universities in Singapore?

No. The MOE Tuition Grant is only for students at the 6 autonomous universities (NUS, NTU, SMU, SUTD, SIT, SUSS). Private institution students pay full market rates and must seek funding elsewhere.

What happens if I can't find a job in Singapore after graduation and break the work bond?

You repay a pro-rated portion of the grant. If you completed 2 of 3 years, you typically repay 1/3 of the total grant value. The exact repayment formula is in your grant agreement. There is an appeals process for cases of genuine hardship (serious illness, family emergency).

Can I use a scholarship from my home country to study in Singapore?

Yes, if your home country's scholarship terms permit. Indonesian LPDP scholars, German DAAD scholars, and Chinese government scholarship holders have all studied in Singapore using their home country funding. Check whether your home-country award allows study outside your home country or in Singapore specifically.

Are Singapore scholarships taxable?

Scholarship income used for tuition and living expenses is generally not taxable in Singapore. Singapore has no capital gains tax and income tax starts at 2% only above SGD 20,000. Stipends below that threshold are effectively tax-free.

How competitive is the ASEAN Undergraduate Scholarship?

MOE receives thousands of applications annually across ASEAN. Acceptance rates for the full scholarship are estimated at 1–3% of applicants. You need to be in the top academic tier of your country's secondary school cohort. Extracurricular leadership, community involvement, and a compelling personal statement are differentiating factors.