| Q1 |
How do I apply to study in Singapore? |
| A. |
Application procedures are dependent on the type of institutions the students are applying to. In general, you need to check the application procedures with the educational institution of your choice.
Click here for the general application procedures for application to the following institutions:
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| Q2 |
What are the entry requirements to study at educational institutions in Singapore? |
| A. |
Entry requirements vary from institution to institution. As English is the common language of instruction, most institutions require students to meet a minimum standard of English. Generally, certification of competence in English is in the form of:
- General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE)
- Test of English As a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
- International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
Besides English, different institutions and courses have different minimum requirements. Generally, for government, government-aided and independent schools, the general application procedures will be as follows:
Step 1: Apply at school of choice1
The parent/guardian submits the completed application form for school admission together with all the necessary original documents directly to a school of choice.
Step 2a: School conducts placement test and issues Letter of Acceptance
School will conduct placement test for the applicant if there is a vacancy.
If applicant passes the placement test and the school accepts him/her, the school will issue a Letter of Acceptance. The Letter of Acceptance will indicate in-principle acceptance of the applicant to the school. The applicant can proceed to ICA to apply for a student's pass with this letter (see Step 3).
Acceptance to the school is subject to the applicant obtaining and returning with a student's pass from Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) within 2 weeks from date of issue of the Letter of Acceptance.
Applicants who are holding a Dependant's Pass (DP) or an Immigration Exemption Order (IEO) are not required to apply for a student's pass from ICA. He/She can be admitted by the school immediately upon passing the placement test (go to Step 5).
Step 2b: School issues Letter of Referral to ICA for clearance
Applicants with parents working in Singapore but not eligible for DP need to be referred to ICA before the school can conduct the placement test. School will fax a Letter of Referral to ICA.
ICA will follow up with the applicant directly on matters regarding immigration clearance and issue a letter of clearance to the applicant. The applicant can then approach the school for a placement test with this letter (refer to Step 2a).
Step 3: Apply student's pass at ICA
The Letter of Acceptance is valid for 2 weeks from date of issue. Upon receiving the Letter of Acceptance, the applicant should proceed to ICA immediately to apply for a student's pass. Applicant must produce the original Letter of Acceptance endorsed by the School to ICA.
Step 4: Return to school within 2 weeks with student's pass
The applicant must return to school with a valid student's pass within 2 weeks from the date of the Letter of Acceptance. The applicant will forfeit his/her admission to the school if he/she does not return within 2 weeks.
Step 5: Donation to the Education Fund
After the applicant has been successfully admitted to the school, the Ministry of Education will send a letter to him/her requesting for the biennial donation to the Education Fund, i.e $1,000 for every 2 years.
For more information, please visit http://www.moe.gov.sg/esp/foreign/
For other private, foreign system, international schools and universities, polytechnics or institute of technical education:
- Apply directly to the educational institutions accompanied by the relevant certification and documentation.
- Some institutions or courses may require you to undergo an interview or placement test. Some schools may also require work experience.
These requirements are usually stated in the course prospectus, brochures or websites of the institutions.
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| Q3 |
How do I find out which institution offers courses I am interested in? |
| A. |
For a list of educational institutions in Singapore, please go to the pages on Education Programmes. You may also surf the institution's website for a complete listing of courses available.
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| Q4 |
What is the difference between private and public institutions? |
| A. |
Public Schools are government schools. They are registered and managed by the Ministry of Education, Singapore.
In Singapore, there are 11 gazetted public holidays and three scheduled school holidays in a calendar year.
For more details on scheduled school and public holidays for 2004, click here.
Private Schools - There are various types of private schools in Singapore. Private schools are generally run by private companies or non-profit organisations. There are also some private institutions that receive public funds, eg. NAFA (The Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts), SMU (Singapore Management University) and LASALLE-SIA college of the Arts.
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| Q5 |
Do I need a Visa and Student's Pass to study in Singapore? |
| A. |
Any international student wishing to study full-time in Singapore is required to apply for a Student's Pass and visa (if applicable) from the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA). For applicants who require a visa to enter Singapore, please ensure that your application for the Student Pass is submitted to the ICA at least 2 months before the commencement date of the course.
Basic requirement:
- Applicant must first be accepted by an approved Singapore institution to pursue an approved full-time course.
- A local sponsor is required for the application for a Student's Pass. Local sponsor must be a Singapore Citizen/Singapore PR above age of 21 or the educational institution where applicant intends to study. (Exception: A local sponsor is not needed for students applying to the polytechnics and universities - 5 local polytechnics, NUS, NTU, SMU, INSEAD & University of Chicago)
- Student's Pass application must be submitted at least 2 months in advance and not more than six months from the course commencement date.
- The normal processing time is about 4 weeks, though some applications may take a longer time to process.
Note: For PRC national who wishes to pursue a language, commercial, vocational or fine arts course at private schools in Singapore (with the exception of students taking a degree or postgraduate degree course and students studying at SQC for PEOs schools), applicant is required to submit Student's Pass application through the Singapore Embassy in Beijing.
With the launch of CaseTrust for Education under the Education Excellence Framework, all private education organisations will need to have the CaseTrust-endorsed Student Protection Scheme to offer school placement for international students. This is effective from December 1 2004.
For more information, please refer to www.ica.gov.sg.
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| Q6 |
How much security deposit is required from the local sponsor upon approval of student pass application? |
| A. |
A security deposit may be required from local sponsor upon approval of student pass application.
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Country
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Rate per person and Form of Security Deposit
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Malaysia and Brunei
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Nil |
Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand |
S$1,000 in the form of a Banker's Guarantee from any established banks in Singapore or Cashier's Order or NETS |
People's Republic of China,
India, Bangladesh and Myanmar |
S$5,000 in the form of a Banker's Guarantee from any established banks in Singapore or Casher's Order |
Others
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S$1,500 in the form of a Banker's Guarantee from any established banks in Singapore or Cashier's Order or NETS
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Exemption from the security deposit requirement may be granted to:
- Malaysians / Brunei nationals
- Holders of valid Dependent's Pass, long term social visit pass and work pass
- Children of Singapore Citizens / Permanent Residents
- Foreign students who study in kindergartens registered with Ministry of Education / Childcare centres licensed by MCYS
- Foreign students who attend a full-time course at an approved private education organization that is awarded Singapore Quality Class for Private Education Organisation, or SQC(PEO), by SPRING, Singapore
- Foreign students who pursue a full-time university degree (Graduate / Post-Graduate) programme at an approved private education organization.
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| Q7 |
How much are the school or tuition fees?What is MOE Tuition Grant? Is there a bond to the grant? |
| A. |
School or Tuition Fees may vary according to type of course and type of school (private or public). For course fees of private schools, please check directly with the institutions. Typical fees for public schools are:
|
Level / Course
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School / Tuition Fees
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Primary |
$80 per month (Government & Government-Aided Schools)(excluding other charges eg. miscellaneous fees) |
Secondary |
$130 per month (Government & Government-Aided Schools)(excluding other charges eg. miscellaneous fees) |
Junior College |
$240 per month(excluding other charges eg. miscellaneous fees) |
Polytechnic |
$2,150 per academic year(excluding other charges eg. exam fees, miscellaneous fees, sports fee, student union fee, etc) |
University |
From $6,220 per academic year for non-lab based courses to $17,820 per academic year for medical / dental courses (excluding other charges eg. exam fees, miscellaneous fees, sports fees, student union fees, etc)
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MOE Tuition Grant
MOE Tuition Grant is applicable to undergraduate students at universities and diploma students at polytechnics.
The cost of University education is highly subsidised by the Singapore Ministry of Education (MOE). The high subsidy is provided in the form of a Tuition Grant (TG). The TG is the difference between the full fees (cost of training at the University) and the tuition fees payable by the student (i.e. direct payment). The TG is offered to all admitted full-time undergraduate and polytechnic students. Students who accept the TG need only pay the portion of the fees not covered by the TG. The TG is very substantial and works out to be about 65% - 80% of the full tuition fees. E.g. (Business Bachelors course in NUS without TG is S$19,350/annum, with TG is S$6,220/annum).
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Note
1 Alternatively, the parent/guardian can enroll the child to take a Certification Test conducted by PAI. For parents who are prepared to have their children placed in schools other than the top schools requiring a CQT (as in 2.7) should consider having their children taking the Certification Test. Organised by the Principals Academy Inc, the Certification Test open doors for international students who wish to study in Singapore. It is a test that help schools administer the testing of foreign students and to assess the educational levels of these students for admission purposes.
The Certification Test aims to provide these students with the ease and convenience of applying into local schools, whilst saving them the trouble of having to take multiple entry tests at different schools. PAI does not, however, place students into schools.
Only Mathematics and English will be tested. Both subjects will be tested on the same day. Please note that PAI do not provide study and reference materials to the applicants.
Test fee is charged at S$200.00 for primary school applicants and S$250.00 for secondary school applicants. Payment made through cheque, bank draft or cashier's order. Test fees are non-refundable.
The Certification Test results will be released within 1 month after the test date and posted to the applicant. The test result will be valid for 12 months.
The process is attached in the following page in the form of a flowchart.
For more information, including list of participating schools and test dates -
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