Singapore is both a city-state and an island nation which is made up of 63 islands. Even in the terms of higher Education, it is not less than USA or Australia. Planning to Study in Singapore? Keep on reading further to get acquainted with all things you need to know to kick start your South East Asian education expedition. Singapore Government offers scholarships to Indian students to pursue their school education as well as for the higher education in Singapore. Details about the scholarships to study in Singapore is given towards the end of the article.
The article is divided into following sections
- Universities & Institutes in Singapore
- Why studying in Singapore is becoming popular
- Cost of Study in Singapore
- Education System in Singapore
- Scholarships for Study in Singapore
Singapore has now become Asia’s Higher Education Hub to pursue under graduation, post-graduation, research or Ph.D. studies. Earlier it was a trend to pursue higher studies from UK, USA and Australia but now Study in Singapore has also emerged as one of the top destinations to study among the Indian students. The foremost reason being Singapore has emerged as a World Leader in research and innovation in the last few decades.
University & Institutes in Singapore
Singapore has 34 universities out of which six are National. Two universities namely: The National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University were featured in 2014/15 QS World University Rankings and are ranked amongst the top 50 universities in the world. Other popular and leading institutions in Singapore are:
- LASALLE College of the Arts
- Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA)
- Management Development Institute of Singapore (MDIS)
- Singapore Institute of Management (SIM)
- MAGES Institute of Excellence
Why Study in Singapore is becoming so popular?
- Studying in Singapore is becoming more and more popular among Indian students who have the plan to pursue courses in the field of animation, design, game development, music etc. Courses in law and combined post-graduate courses in management and engineering are also much more in demand amongst the students planning for higher education in South East Asia.
- Moreover, so many renowned technological companies either have their head office or branch office in Singapore.
- Many institutions offer scholarships for students with a 'work in Singapore clause'.
Eligibility Criteria to Study in Singapore
The eligibility differs from course to course as well as the level of study chosen by the students. Some institutions might have some specific eligibility criteria for admission. Some institutions may require the result of English Language Test.
Cost of Study in Singapore
The cost of studying undergraduate courses in Singapore might vary from S$ 6500 to S$ 7500 whereas the cost of postgraduate courses may vary from S$ 7500 to S$ 8500. The figures provided are not exact but an overview of the cost of studying in addition to the cost of living.
- Costs of living
Singapore is an expensive place to live. Living expenses might amount to S$ 700 to S$ 2000 a month depending on lifestyle.
- Working while studying
- If you are pursuing Full-time undergraduates you are allowed to work part-time of up to 16 hours per week during term.
- During the vacation, you can work full-time as the Ministry of Manpower has exempted them from applying for work permits.
Education System in Singapore
- Pre-School Education: Two years of kindergarten education (Kindergarten 1 and Kindergarten 2). Children enrolled in kindergartens should be 5-6 years old
- Primary School Education: Six years of education (Primary 1 to Primary 6). Children enrolled in Primary School should be 7 years old
- Secondary School Education: Four to five years of education [Four years for Express and Normal Technical courses, and Five years for Normal Academic course] Children enrolled in Secondary School should be 13 years old
- Pre University Education: Two to three years of education. Pre-university student should be 17 to 19 years old.
- Post-Secondary Education: The details are given below
Institute of Technical education
Established in the year 1992, ITE is the national authority for the setting of skills standards and the certification of skills in Singapore. It currently has three campuses in Singapore: ITE College East, ITE College West, and ITE College Central.
- It offers Full-time or part-time education with different durations of study
- An ITE student can be 17 to 20 years old
- Students can choose to take up the ITE Skills Certificate (ISC), National ITE Certificate (Nitec) or Higher Nitec in a wide range of industries
- Emphasis is laid on manual training
Polytechnics: There are currently Five polytechnics in Singapore:
- Nanyang Polytechnic
- Ngee Ann Polytechnic
- Republic Polytechnic
- Singapore Polytechnic
- Temasek Polytechnic.
- It offers Full-time or part-time education with different durations of study
- Polytechnic student can be 17 to 20 years old
- Candidates can pursue Diploma courses in disciplines such as business, chemical and biosciences, communications, design, digital media, engineering, and manufacturing
- In the end, you have the option to continue your education training in the form of Advanced and Specialist Diplomas
Universities: There are currently Five publicly- funded local universities offering full-time degree programmes in Singapore
- National University of Singapore (NUS)
- Nanyang Technological University (NTU)
- Singapore Management University (SMU)
- The Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD)
- Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT)
Arts Institutions: There are currently two arts institutions in Singapore namely,
- LASALLE College of the Arts (LASALLE)
- Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA)
These Institutions offer More than 40 diploma and degree courses to over 4,000 students
Scholarships for Indian Students to Study in Singapore
To provide financial aid to students in pursuing their higher education, there are a number of scholarships available. The scholarships to study in Singapore for Indian Students are offered by Government as well as Private Organizations to help students in their studies and meet other expenditures.
The details of the scholarship are as follow:
- Conducting Body: Ministry of Education, Singapore
- Eligibility: Completed Class 10
- Reward: S$2400 as Annual allowance including hotel accommodation.
A Star India Youth Scholarship
- Conducting Body: Ministry of Education, Singapore
- Eligibility: Completed Class 8
- Reward: S$2200 (secondary)/ S$ 2,400(pre-university) as Annual allowance including hotel accommodation.
GIIS Global Citizen Scholarship
- Conducting Body: Global Schools Foundation
- Eligibility: Studying in Class 10
- Reward: S$ 90,000 per student, which includes tuition fees, boarding, lodging and travel expenses for the two-year scholarship programme.
Dr Goh Keng Swee (GKS) Scholarship
- Conducting Body: Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS)
- Eligibility: Class 12 Students for pursuing undergraduate studies
- Reward: SGD200 as settling-in allowance + Course Fee + Travel Expenses + Maintenance Fee + Hostel Fee
- Conducting Body: A*STAR, NSU and NTU
- Eligibility: Graduates or Post Graduates
- Reward: Salary will be hiked from S$24,000 per annum to S$30,000 after passing the qualifying examination + Tuition Fees+ Airfare + Settling Allowance
Other Scholarships
Nanyang Scholarship
- Conducting Body: Nanyang Technological University
- Eligibility: Possess outstanding Singapore-Cambridge GCE 'A' level, Diploma awarded by a polytechnic in Singapore, NUS High School Diploma, IB Diploma or Year 12 equivalent qualifications.
- Reward: Subsidised tuition fees+ Many other allowances
Singapore Millennium Foundation Scholarship
- Conducting Body: Singapore Millennium Foundation
- Eligibility: Candidates must be graduate students who are currently enrolled in or intend to study in a Singapore-based university or research institute or recent doctoral degree recipients
- Reward: a monthly stipend of S$2000, S$3000, and S$5000 for M.Sc., Ph.D., and postdoctoral training, respectively + Travel Allowance
