新科大清贫本科生可享多达四年免费教育

22 Feb 2019

新科大清贫本科生可享多达四年免费教育

Lianhe Zaobao, 22 Feb 2019, Undergraduate students from SUTD can enjoy up to four years of free education (translation)


The Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) has enhanced an education grant programme this year to benefit more students from low- and middle-income families.
 
Students from families with monthly per capita income of $690 and below will receive the most benefit. The remaining tuition fees and hostel expenses that they need to pay after utilising the tuition grant subsidy by the Government can be fully offset by this education grant. This means the students can receive up to four years of free undergraduate education.
 
The SUTD Education Opportunity Grant (SEOG) is part of SUTD’s total Financial Aid Package and students who still require financial assistance after receiving government grants and subsidies are eligible for this additional funding.
 
Currently, the grant is for students whose family monthly per capita income is below $690. These students receive a fixed subsidy of $4,000 not including hostel fee subsidy.
 
Starting this year, SUTD has increased the amount of the SEOG and expanded its criteria to allow more students to receive assistance. The SEOG is awarded at four levels according to family income. Students from households with monthly per capita income of $690 and below will receive the highest subsidy and the maximum household monthly per capita income to qualify for this grant is $2,250.
 
At SUTD, first year students are required to stay in hostels during the first three terms. This year, Freshmores from families with monthly per capita income that do not exceed $1000 will be able to apply for the SEOG to offset their hostel fees for the first three terms.
 
Using a student whose household monthly per capita income is $690 as an example, under the SEOG, the student can receive over $8,000, which is enough to offset the remaining expenses after taking into account the government subsidy and bursary assistance. The grant amount will increase proportionately according to increases in tuition fees.
 
Increase in scholarships; Overseas immersion trip subsidy
 
Additionally, SUTD will also be awarding more scholarships to undergraduates this year, which will not only cover the subsidised tuition fees for undergraduate studies, but also funds an overseas experience of at least eight weeks’ duration under the Global Leadership Programme.
 
SUTD president, Professor Chong Tow Chong said that the University wanted to ensure that all students with financial needs are able to pursue a high quality education at SUTD without worrying too much about their finances.  He said that with the enhanced scholarship and financial assistance offerings, more than half of SUTD students admitted will receive some form of financial support.
 
SUTD also launched an overseas immersion programme for first-year students this year. These overseas immersion trips will take place in ASEAN and Asian countries, and will be linked to their courses. SUTD will provide a substantial subsidy for all students participating in these overseas immersions, which will cover the cost of airfare and possibly the cost of accommodation for most trips. It is estimated that up to half of the Freshmore students will be able to participate in these overseas immersion trips. SUTD expects to be able to send all Freshmore students overseas by 2021.