Higher income eligibility cap for MOE financial aid schemes, bigger transport subsidies for students

“With HOMES, most applicants no longer need to submit supporting documents, such as income documents, thus making the application process more convenient for them,” said the ministry.

Means-testing for MOE financial assistance will consider the household income of all family members living with the student and the average household income over the past 12 months.

“This approach provides a fair and representative indication of the family’s household income,” said the ministry.

All income from employment and trade, including bonuses and allowances, will also be included in the income assessment. This also applies to other sources of administrative income, such as rental income, as reflected in the Notice of Assessment issued by the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS).

The financial assistance schemes for GGAS, SS, ISSIS, and SPED will also be enhanced to provide more financial support.

The school bus subsidy for primary school students under financial assistance will be raised from 65 per cent to 70 per cent of the monthly school bus fare. Public transport subsidy for these primary and secondary school students will also increase from S$17 to S$21 per month.

Subsequently, the annual pre-university bursary quantum will increase from S$1,200 to S$1,600, with the monthly S$21 public transport subsidy, which is currently distributed separately, to be folded in. This change will also apply to pre-university students receiving assistance under the MOE ISB.

In addition, the annual UPLIFT Scholarship amount will increase from S$1,000 to S$1,200 to better support students from lower-income households in ISSIS who have performed well academically or demonstrated strengths in specific talent areas.

PSEIS BURSARY QUANTA

MOE will raise the bursary quanta for both full-time and part-time students at publicly-funded PSEIs.

Full-time Singaporean ITE Nitec and Higher Nitec students from lower-income families who qualify for the highest bursary tier will continue to have 100 per cent of their tuition fees subsidised and a cash bursary to cover other education-related expenses.

MOE will also increase the cash award for the merit-based ITE Community Scholarship from S$1,800 to S$2,050 per year.

Furthermore, full-time Singaporean diploma students from lower-income families who qualify for the highest bursary tier will continue to benefit from bursaries valued at about 95 per cent of the subsidised tuition fees. 

The annual bursary quanta for full-time Singaporean undergraduates, excluding medicine and dentistry courses, will remain unchanged. Those from lower-income families studying general undergraduate courses who qualify for the highest bursary tier will continue to benefit from bursaries valued at about 75 per cent of their subsidised tuition fees.

Meanwhile, the government bursary for medical and dental undergraduate students will be revised so that those who qualify for the highest bursary tier pay no more than S$5,000 per year in tuition fees for the 2026 academic year. This amount takes into account the financial assistance provided by their university.