Scholarships that you can get successfully in Singapore.

Let’s face it – degrees are expensive, and the amount we need to pay or loan from banks sounds quite staggering.

It costs at least $20,000 for a Bachelor’s degree in a local university after grants, and upwards of $40,000-$50,000 for some schools.

That’s a LOT of money.

But don’t worry – scholarships are a legit way to secure not just money, but also possibly a path forward regardless of whether you have good grades or not.

What is a Scholarship?

Put simply, it’s when a company or the government pays for your undergraduate studies, whether it’s partially or fully. Sometimes, these are bonded – which means you’ll need to work for a while after you graduate.

Also, most of them are exclusive – meaning you can only receive one and cannot apply for more than one at one time.

But sometimes, asking someone else for a scholarship can be just daunting.

Unlike JC, Poly or ITE where awards and bursaries are limited by the school you’re in, you’re in the open world when it comes to university.

We’re here to help you navigate that world and give you the push you need to start trying.

Two General Criteria of Singapore Scholarships

All Singaporean scholarships require you to meet at least one of these two criteria:

Good School Performance

This is often worded very vaguely, but it’s quite a no-brainer: you’ll need to score highly for ‘A’ levels (<75) if you’re from JC, or have a good GPA if you’re from Poly/ITE (>3.5) for some well-known scholarships.

This is because the reality is that everyone else fighting for a scholarship spot is likely to have good grades too.

However, don’t worry if your grades don’t seem to look cool enough – you’ll likely make the cut if you have reasonably good CCA records, or you’ve done other things on your own outside school. It’s not difficult too – this includes volunteer experience, leadership experience, external projects, and anything else you’ve done.

The bottom line is, as long as you show your scholarship provider you can contribute meaningfully to their cause, it’s worth a shot to apply.

Family Income

The other type of scholarship is one that is needs-based: that is, it’s meant to help students who are financially disadvantaged through tertiary education.

As such, there’s usually a household income ceiling imposed for such scholarships. Do make sure you look at the income requirements of such scholarships before applying.

Ultimately, which scholarship you can apply for depends on your interests, existing grades, and current financial situation.

We’ve curated a list of more well-known scholarships, and we’ve also classified everything we’ve found into 3 categories – Career-specific, school-specific and ethnicity-specific.

Career advancement singapore
Career-Specific Scholarships
Career Switch
School-Specific Scholarships

Career-Specific Scholarships


Career-specific scholarships are all about making sure you secure both your higher education and your job in the industry.

They are especially useful if you're already aiming for a specific job or career path, or you’re already in the sector looking for.

Career advancement singapore

If you already know what you want to do, this is a way to not waste time and quickly secure a position within your industry or company.

However, it’s not easy as well. Not only do you likely need good grades in subjects your field is linked to, but you’ll also need to show proof that you’re really interested in, or have invested in, the industry you want to enter.

  • Qualifications: This often goes beyond grades. You’ll need to make sure you hit specific requirements, or take specific courses, to maintain your scholarship / sponsorship status.
  • Bond: Unlike merit-based scholarships, there will be a bond involved, and obligations are often not short term – ranging from 3-5 years of being bonded to a particular role within your company. Be prepared for these commitments.

In addition, there are also sponsorships that you can go for if you’re already working, and the company you’re working for provides such a sponsorship.

Here are some popular career-specific scholarships, segmented by industry. We’ve also included an industry insight to help you decide if you wish to take the step forward.

Science, Tech, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)

The STEM industry is not only one of Singapore’s most important industries but is one that has been – and still is – rapidly growing. The tech industry is forecasted to grow tremendously from US $58.13b to US $137b from 2022 to 2027. Scientific R&D also remains strong, with 8 in 10 pharmaceutical and medtech firms establishing their Asian HQs in Singapore.

With a STEM career, there is a high chance you’ll be working for either an MNC or a national institution (A*STAR being one of the most prestigious). However, SMEs are starting to form specialised R&D teams today, and these positions can now easily be found on LinkedIn and MyCareersFuture. With strong growth and STEM being one of Singapore’s key industries, your career will likely be quite secure.

Construction

This industry is a niche, but steady one – with the public sector accounting for 60% of all construction work today through ramping up public housing and industrial projects. However, note also that the industry demand is forecasted to hold steady (and not increase) from 2024 to 2027.

A construction career for a Singaporean degree holder usually boils down to project/facilities management for either an MNC working on public projects, or an SME working on small-scale strata developments. However, industry attractiveness is declining year on year, with only 97.7k residents employed in the sector in 2022. This means that if you’re aiming to work in an MNC, you’ll likely be competing with foreign talent. We’d recommend being open to working in an SME if you choose to pursue a career in construction.

Urban Development, Real Estate and Housing

People will always need homes, businesses need offices, and cities need spaces to grow. With the government ramping up BTO flat supply and industrial demand holding steady, the industry is expected to remain relatively stable for the next few years. The government is also prioritising Geospatial and other Geographic Information Services (GIS) as part of the Smart Nation initiative, so we’re expecting the industry to expand even further.

You’ll likely be working with either a public agency like HDB/URA/SLA, or a large local firm like JTC for urban development in Singapore. However, despite some local SMEs listing positions related to this field, opportunities seem to be limited as it’s mostly specific towards local development. As such, we’d recommend building a career here if you’re open to working in the public service in some capacity.

Other Public Services

In general, public services are what we call ‘evergreen’ jobs – they’re always needed, and job demand has been relatively stable throughout Singapore’s many years of development. Also, there are many different sectors you can commit to – essentially making you an all-rounder regardless of which statutory board you go to.

Obviously speaking, you’ll need to be very passionate about serving the community to serve a public service career, if not you’ll be burnt out very quickly. That aside, even if you do move to the private sector afterwards, it’s likely you have the skills to survive there from your public sector experience. As such, if you can, we’d recommend this as a starting point for your career.

Aviation-Related

Despite the short slump in aviation caused by COVID-19 in 2020-2021, the industry has bounced back significantly. 5% of Singapore’s GDP, and 20,000 jobs, are devoted to the aviation sector today and over 4,500 jobs will be added in 2024 to position the country as an global air hub. Industry growth seems to be imminent and fast, especially as the aviation industry ramps back up towards pre-COVID levels and beyond.

Even within aviation, you can pursue a career in many different specialties – technicians, engineers and cabin/ground grew are just some of the pathways you can take. Given that the industry is now booming and is expected to return to pre-COVID air travel demand, there’s never been a better time to start a career in aviation.

Tourism

The tourism sector currently contributes 4% of Singapore’s GDP – which is continuing to soar year-on-year since COVID-19. Visitor arrivals have doubled to over 12m since 2022, and full tourism recovery and growth is expected over the next few years.

A career in tourism for a degree-holder is likely to include tourism planning, marketing and policy at STB, or fulfilling a key function such as marketing or operations at one of Singapore’s many tourist attractions or service providers. That said, you are likely to grow your career in either SMEs or public service. Given the industry’s recovery, it’s a good time to kickstart a career in tourism if you’re passionate about it.

Defence-related

It’s no secret that defence is also an ‘evergreen’ industry in Singapore – after all, we spent about $13.1b on the industry in 2023 and compounded annual growth till 2028 is expected to be 3%, which is a figure few other sectors can achieve. In addition, it’s not just about being a soldier or a home team officer any more – defence technology is also on the rise, especially since the SAF established its Digital and Intelligence Service (DIS) in 2022.

As such, careers in defence normally spin one of two ways. You can either ‘sign-on’ with any of the uniformed services (SAF, RSAF, RSN, DIS, SPF, SCDF) and build a leadership career that way, or you can help with any of the auxiliary services (mainly DSTA) in IT, research, and technology development. However, the downside of any uniformed service is that you’re often left with non-transferrable skills should you wish to move into the private sector next time. As such, we’d recommend thinking about your future career trajectory before starting out here.

Communications, Design and Media

The media industry today is growing, but at a slower rate than other industries of a similar scale. It currently contributes $2.4b to Singapore’s GDP, and comprises of about 2,200 establishments, but this doesn’t include similar roles in marketing and communications in companies from different industries.

When embarking on a career in this sector, it’s likely that you’ll either work in public media firms (Mediacorp, SPH, etc.), or a media agency doing client-based work. Either way, with social media now a major pillar of marketing efforts and media production becoming increasingly decentralised, possessing knowledge in this domain in fact makes you more desirable than people who aren’t. It might not have been worth pursuing 10 years ago, but it certainly is now.

Education

In the past, education used to be a strong ‘iron rice bowl’ career that is respected with ‘evergreen’ demand. However, due to population decline, MOE’s recent focus has shifted towards replacing older teachers who leave the workforce, as well as meeting demand for a smaller pool of schools. This means they might reduce the number of applicants accepted each year, and even then, might deploy teachers to less-desired schools to address manpower issues.

A career in public teaching goes one of two ways – you either work as a teacher in a school, or at MOE in policy and curriculum design. This might seem very limiting – however, we argue that the experience you will have as an MOE-certified trainer / teacher is what is going to open the most doors for you as a private educator, as MOE-trained teachers command much higher rates than non-trained teachers.

Therefore, this industry is worth entering for the training you’ll receive – but only if you’re pursuing teaching in the long run.

Healthcare

Another ‘evergreen’ industry, healthcare is one of the fastest growing industries in Singapore given our ageing population. With a forecasted estimated growth rate of 17.08% from 2023-2027 and an expected market growth to US $49.4b by 2029, hospitals and private healthcare providers are looking to hiring more talent to fulfil increasing demand.

Most prominently, nursing is the most dominant profession with the highest demand. A Singaporean degree-holder, however, is likely to undertake staff nurse or supervisory duties rather than basic enrolled nursing, as MOH is ramping up foreign hiring in those sectors. You’re also very likely to be hired in both public and private health settings, so your future is likely secured.

Other than nursing, you’re also likely to join any of the allied health services in different capacities – most notably medicine, dentistry, or administration-based roles. In all cases, opportunities are aplenty and it’s a career field worth venturing into if you’re interested.

Finance and Economics

It’s no secret that the finance and investment sectors are basically the backbone of Singapore’s economy. With well-established key areas like banking, insurance, investment firms (like GIC) and public boards like MOF and EDB, it’s another strong ‘evergreen’ industry that will experience strong growth unless a catastrophe happens. The figures support this too, as foreign direct investments add up to a staggering 31.7% of Singapore’s GDP in 2022 alone.

As such, you’re likely not coming into the finance sector wanting to stay in public service. Graduates normally work in both MNCs and SMEs, and banks like OCBC continue to be strong companies that you can work for. Note, however, that the field is highly attractive and therefore very competitive – be prepared to constantly upgrade and have a proactive mindset to succeed here.

Land Transport

The transport scene in Singapore is a unique one. With 6.39m passengers using public transport and 2.7m people using the MRT per day, you’d expect growth to be extremely fast. However, the industry is currently experiencing slower growth – as job vacancy rates increased 2.4 times higher than pre-COVID levels. This makes the industry one of the few which have yet to recover fully.

The main reason why there’s a lack of manpower is because they require people with specialised skills – supply chain management, operations, and logistics in particular. However, since you’re likely working in a large firm (SBS Transit, SMRT, etc.) with a sole transport focus, switching to other industries down the line will likely not be as easy. Nonetheless, if you’re interested in these skills, and want to serve in a public capacity, we’d advise you to give it a go.

Food

This is an extremely niche industry. In the local context, most Singaporeans get their foot into the industry through research / niche skills, such as aquacultural science, food science, or biotechnology studies. It is slowly gaining recognition, as NUS has established a department of Food Science and Technology (FST) alongside the Singapore Institute of Food Science and Technology (SIFST).

Currently, careers in food science are limited now, as you’ll likely be working at food companies and MNCs who have an established quality control or research team. However, the true value is the experience you’ll gain if you wish to start a food startup or be involved in the food business in the future. We’d recommend this career pathway if it’s something you really like.

Social Services

Contrary to popular belief, the social service industry is booming in Singapore now. Not only has employment grown by over 9000 service workers since 2006 to well over 20,000 today, but it was also reported that there’s been a 19% growth in mid-career switches to the industry from 2016-2022. We attribute this to an increasing awareness of societal issues like mental health and underprivileged communities.

A career in social services likely involves care work with nonprofit organisations, so no MNCs or traditional SMEs are in clear view. We’d also like to state here that the average salary for a social worker is, well, average at $4000/month, and prospects for going higher than that are often hard to come by unless you step into leadership or policy development. If you’re willing to look past these and have a passion of helping others, a career here can be a meaningful one.

Maritime and Shipping

Another one of Singapore’s ‘evergreen’ industries, maritime and port operations contribute about 7% of Singapore’s GDP and continues to see expansion. With Tuas Port’s completion in 2040, one can expect an even stronger growth in the sector, with more job opportunities and stronger demand for such services.

When joining the industry, the key is to note which aspect of the industry you’re being involved in. For example, bunker (marine fuel) sales are currently on the decline, but alternative fuels are rapidly rising, and therefore it makes more sense to join a company focusing on alternative fuels. You’ll likely also be working for major shipping MNCs, or contributing to Singapore’s development at MPA. Either way, a career in shipping is not only safe, but also equips you with transferrable skills to transition away next time if you want to.

Energy

Contrary to popular belief, Singapore is just getting started in the global energy market. As a major energy trading hub and home to the world’s third largest oil refining centre, Singapore is also grappling with increased electricity consumption across all sectors. However, this doesn’t mean that there isn’t potential growth – clean energy sectors are poised to grow 80% in the next few years.

That said, a career in the energy sector must be thought through carefully. The most attractive segment is currently clean energy, and you’re likely be working in either public utilities or an MNC doing energy imports or exports. If you have the passion, a career here might just be more rewarding than you think.

School-Specific Scholarships


If you already know what school you want to study in or have already enrolled in a course / programme without knowing what you want to do, then a college-specific scholarship is something can consider.

Career Switch

These scholarships are designed to help you achieve your academic and career goals within a specific college or program. Their general characteristics are also slightly different from career-specific scholarships:

  • Commitment: Most of these are usually bond-free (meaning you can work for whoever when you graduate) without any commitments.
  • Duration: These scholarships often work on a renewal basis – with renewal per semester on the basis that you maintain your grades.

Here are some college-specific scholarships that you can take, if you’re enrolled in any one of these schools. Note that each scholarship has its own requirements.

NUS

SIT

SUSS

SUSS also offers other privately-sponsored scholarships. You can find the full list here.

NTU

SUTD

SMU

SMU has other donor-based scholarships you can apply for. See the full list here.

Ethnicity-based Scholarships

In Singapore, we love and celebrate the fact that we have people from many different backgrounds and cultures.

As such, some special ethnic and cultural groups, like SINDA and MENDAKI, offer scholarships to students who belong to their respective communities. For instance, SINDA gives scholarships to students who have at least one parent from an Indian sub-group.

These scholarships are important because it makes sure that minorities in the community are represented in higher education institutions. To apply, please make sure you’re part of the ethnic community and enquire directly with the group to see if you’re eligible.

MENDAKI

SINDA

SFCCA

Eurasian Association

Conclusion

So, there you have it – a comprehensive guide to scholarships in Singapore.

Scholarships are like that secret ingredient that can make pursuing higher education in Singapore not only affordable but also a unique adventure tailored to your goals and background.

However, don't forget that scholarships often come with their own set of criteria and commitments, so be sure to explore them thoroughly to find the perfect match.

In this diverse and multicultural society that is Singapore, opportunities abound, and these scholarships are a testament to the commitment to providing equal educational chances to all. No matter where you come from or where you're headed, there's a scholarship out there waiting for you.

So, don't be daunted by the cost of education – go ahead, explore your options, and keep levelling up!