Bursary
If your application for Leave of Absence (LOA) is approved, you may still apply for a bursary for the period you are actively enrolled and attending classes. However, bursary disbursement typically applies only to active study terms.
If your bursary application is approved this year, you will need to submit a new application for each subsequent year of study to be considered for renewal of the bursary. This ensures that your financial situation is up-to-date and eligibility is reassessed annually.
Please keep an eye out for the application period and deadline announcements each year.
To be eligible for a bursary, applicants typically need to demonstrate financial need based on criteria such as:
Household gross income (GHI) or per capita income (PCI) falling within prescribed limits set by the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the university.
Completion of the bursary application form with accurate and complete supporting documents (e.g., income statements, tax forms).
Being a full-time undergraduate student at SMU.
Meeting any additional criteria specific to certain bursaries or funding schemes.
Eligibility requirements may vary depending on the bursary scheme. We encourage you to refer to the official bursary guidelines or contact the Centre for Student Financial Assistance at finasst@smu.edu.sg for detailed information.
Please click below to check your eligibility for the various bursaries available to SMU students:
Apply via student portal OASIS (All Apps → Financial Aid Application) using your student computer account.
- Application period: 1 January to 28 February
- Applications are for the current academic year during active study.
- You must submit a new application each year if you want to be considered for bursaries in subsequent years.
Please refer to this link for more information.
You can contact the Centre for Student Financial Assistance at finasst@smu.edu.sg.
Bursary is tenable for only a year.
A new application is required for each academic year of study.
Should a student's household income be worsened due to justifiable unforeseen circumstances (for example, loss of income due to unemployment) after bursary application or award, the student may appeal to re-assess his/her eligibility for a higher quantum government bursary (no later than January 2026).
You can submit your appeal to the Centre for Student Financial Assistance at finasst@smu.edu.sg.
The financial award will be disbursed in two equal installments against your tuition fees by Week 7 of each term. This disbursement is conditional upon your active enrollment for the term (i.e., tuition fees are being paid). If you receive the funds but later become inactive for the term (i.e., tuition fees are no longer payable), you will be required to refund that term’s disbursement to the University. Please refer to your letter of offer for detailed payment information.
If you encounter difficulties setting up your receiving bank account or need assistance, please submit your enquiry to the Office of Finance via this link.
- Mendaki Tertiary Tuition Fee Subsidy
- External Sponsorships
- MOE Higher Education Community Bursary & Higher Education Bursary
- Bursaries / Scholarships
- SMU Access Plus
- SkillsFuture Credit; Post-Secondary Education Account; CPF Education Loan
- MOE Tuition Fee Loan; MOE Study Loan
Yes, it is possible to receive both a scholarship and a bursary in the same academic year, depending on the specific terms and conditions of each award. Some scholarships and bursaries can be held concurrently, while others may have restrictions.
We recommend reviewing the eligibility and holding conditions for your specific scholarship and bursary.
If you wish to seek further clarification, you may send your email to the Centre for Student Financial Assistance at finasst@smu.edu.sg, providing details of the schemes you are enquiring on.
A student in receipt of a scholarship, study award, study grant and/or bursary may be considered on a case-by-case basis. Our financial assistance managers will advise the applicants accordingly when they are processing the bursary applications.
- Concurrent receipt of Higher Education Bursary and Higher Education Community Bursary is not allowed.
- Concurrent receipt of Higher Education Bursary or Higher Education Community Bursary with other financial aid (SMU or external awarded study awards or scholarships or awards of similar nature) that cover or exceed your full tuition fee payable* and living expenses cap is not allowed.
- The above clauses should be applicable to the whole of the academic year where you are eligible to receive the bursary.
* Excluding Mendaki Tertiary Tuition Fee Subsidy
Recipients of government bursaries may be required to refund part or all of the bursary if they withdraw from studies, defer, take a leave of absence, are suspended or dismissed, or experience any changes to their enrolment status.
Additionally, if bursary recipients receive full scholarships, sponsorships, or other financial awards in the same academic year, they may also need to refund the government bursary, subject to the prevailing terms and conditions.
Recipients must promptly inform SMU via finasst@smu.edu.sg if they receive any scholarships, sponsorships, or financial awards during the academic year.
Refund amounts and requirements will depend on each case’s specific circumstances and timing.
This policy ensures responsible use of government bursary funds while supporting recipients facing genuine financial or medical challenges.
The bursary and Tuition Fee Loan (TFL) work together to cover your tuition fees. The bursary will be applied first to offset your tuition fees, reducing the amount payable. Any remaining balance after the bursary is covered by your Tuition Fee Loan.
- Government Bursaries – By SMU Centre for Student Financial Assistance
- Donor funded Bursaries – By SMU Centre for Student Financial Assistance
- Donor funded scholarships – By SMU Centre for Student Financial Assistance
- SMU Study Loan – By SMU Centre for Student Financial Assistance
- Tuition Fee Loan – By DBS Bank
- Mendaki Tertiary Tuition Fee Subsidy (TTFS) – By Mendaki
- Post-Secondary Education Account – By Ministry of Education
- CPF Education Loan Scheme – By CPF Board
As a recipient of the SMU Lee Kong Chian Scholars’ Programme, you remain eligible for the Higher Education Community Bursary. In this case, your tuition fees will first be offset by the bursary, and any remaining balance will be covered by your scholarship.
We encourage you to accept the bursary offer through the OASIS platform.
This approach reflects SMU’s core Circle Value of giving back to the community by enabling donor funds to support students meaningfully and responsibly.
For further information, please contact ssc@smu.edu.sg.
The Higher Education Community Bursary (Tier 1) will be applied first to offset your tuition fees. Any remaining tuition balance will then be covered by the SMU Access Plus Tier 1, ensuring your tuition fees are fully paid. The SMU Living Allowance will be disbursed separately as a cash payment to support your living expenses.
Yes, your Higher Education Community Bursary (Tier 2) and SMU Access Plus Bursary (Tier 2) will be automatically applied to offset your tuition fees. Any remaining fees not covered by these bursaries will be absorbed by SMU, so no action is required from you for this academic year.
Regarding the tuition fee loan, you do not need to apply this year since your tuition fees are fully covered. If your financial situation changes or you become ineligible for the bursaries next year, you may apply for the tuition fee loan then.
Scholarship
Prospective students should indicate their interest in the scholarship section of the admission application. No separate application is required.
Current students can apply for scholarships via OASIS > All Apps > Financial Aid Application in January every year.
Select:
Financial Aid Type: Scholarships
Application Form: SMU-Administered Scholarships
Prospective students can select up to 5 scholarships.
Current students can select up to 3 scholarships.
Your chances depend on how well your profile matches the eligibility criteria of each scholarship. We recommend reviewing the requirements carefully and applying for scholarships that best align with your academic achievements, financial needs, leadership experience, or other relevant factors.
To explore available scholarships and check your eligibility, please refer to the SMU Financial Aid Finder.
For prospective students, your application for scholarships is tagged to your admission application. If you are not shortlisted, you can apply for the current students' schemes when the annual application window opens on OASIS in January. We encourage you to explore the available options through the SMU Financial Aid Finder.
For current students, please submit your application when the annual application window opens on OASIS in January. We encourage you to explore the available options through the SMU Financial Aid Finder.
You will have to submit a separate application for financial aid if you are applying for need-based scholarships as these are generally awarded to applicants with demonstrated financial needs.
Current students can apply for financial aid via OASIS > All Apps > Financial Aid Application between January to February.
Financial Aid Type: Bursaries
Application Form: SMU-Administered Bursaries/Study Awards
Please refer to the list of supporting documents required here.
The application outcome for current students is expected to be released by mid-August.
We are sorry to hear that you were not awarded a scholarship during matriculation. Scholarships are highly competitive and limited in number. However, you may still have an opportunity! Current students can apply for scholarships during the annual application window in January. We encourage you to explore the available options through the SMU Financial Aid Finder and submit an application during that period.
Unless otherwise stated in the scholarship agreement, all scholarships will be applied towards the offsetting of tuition fees first. The remaining balance, if any, will be disbursed to the recipients in two equal instalments by Week 7 of Term 1 and Term 2.
Your CPF Education Loan Scheme / MOE Tuition Fee Loan / MOE Study Loan will not be activated if your tuition fees are fully covered by your scholarship.
If your scholarship is awarded before the start of the academic year, the living allowance will be credited to your SMU receiving bank account in two equal instalments by Week 7 of Term 1 and Term 2.
If your scholarship is awarded after the start of the academic year, the first instalment of the living allowance will be credited to your SMU receiving bank account within 4 to 6 weeks from the date of award.
Please submit the following documents to your scholarship administrator to claim your overseas allowance.
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Depending on the overseas programme:
- Exchange – Acceptance from host university and approval issued by SMU GEO Office
- Internship – Offer letter from employer and approval issued by Dato’ Kho Hui Meng Career Centre
- Study Mission – Approval issued by your school
- Summer and Winter Exchange – Acceptance from host university and approval issued by SMU GEO Office or your school
- Community Service Projects – Approval issued by Centre for Social Responsibility
- Flight itinerary or e-tickets (both ways)
With effect from Academic Year 2025/26, recipients of scholarships that include a laptop grant will no longer need to submit a claim. The laptop grant will be disbursed by Week 7 of Term 1.
We recommend that students purchase their laptops through the SMU PC Tender for optimal compatibility with our IT systems.
Recipients will be responsible for any costs that exceed the value of the laptop grant.
Recipients are not permitted to hold other awards of a similar nature during the tenure of their scholarship, except with the prior written approval of the University.
If you require further clarification on your eligibility, please contact your scholarship administrator.
If your LOA is approved for one term, your scholarship tenure will be extended by one term. No disbursement will be made during the period of your LOA.
You are eligible for 50% of the scholarship quantum for each active term of study. If you graduate earlier, you will not be eligible for the balance quantum.
Your academic performance will be monitored every term. Recipients who do not meet the minimum CGPA requirement stated in their scholarship agreements will be notified.
Recipients of need-based scholarships will have to apply for financial aid every year for income eligibility assessment. Those who do not meet the income requirement of their scholarships will be notified.
For prospective students, please contact SMU Admissions at admissions@smu.edu.sg.
For current students, please contact the Centre for Student Financial Assistance at finasst@smu.edu.sg.
The living allowance and accommodation allowance will be disbursed in two equal instalments by Week 7 of Term 1 and Term 2.
The laptop grant will be disbursed by Week 7 of Term 1 in the year of your matriculation.
Please submit the following documents to your scholarship administrator to claim your overseas allowance.
-
Depending on the overseas programme:
- Exchange – Acceptance from host university and approval issued by SMU GEO Office
- Internship – Offer letter from employer and approval issued by Dato’ Kho Hui Meng Career Centre
- Study Mission – Approval issued by your school
- Summer and Winter Exchange – Acceptance from host university and approval issued by SMU GEO Office or your school
- Community Service Projects – Approval issued by Centre for Social Responsibility
- Flight itinerary or e-tickets (both ways)
With effect from Academic Year 2025/26, recipients of scholarships that include a laptop grant will no longer need to submit a claim. The laptop grant will be disbursed by Week 7 of Term 1.
We recommend that students purchase their laptops through the SMU PC Tender for optimal compatibility with our IT systems.
Recipients will be responsible for any costs that exceed the value of the laptop grant.
The scholarship covers recipients enrolled in Double Degree Programmes; however, recipients must complete their candidature within 4 years.
Recipients are not permitted to hold other awards of a similar nature or loans during the tenure of their scholarship, except with the prior written approval of the University.
If you require further clarification on your eligibility, please contact your scholarship administrator.
Recipients may participate in overseas programmes lasting up to one academic term. Participation in such programmes is not permitted during the final year of study.
Recipients must maintain a minimum CGPA of 3.4 out of 4.0. Academic performance will be monitored every term.
The University reserves the right to withdraw the scholarship at any time if the recipient’s academic performance or conduct is deemed unsatisfactory.
If your LOA is approved for one term, your scholarship tenure will be extended by one term. No disbursement will be made during the period of your LOA.
You are eligible for 50% of the scholarship quantum for each active term of study. If you graduate earlier, you will not be eligible for the balance quantum.
The ASEAN Undergraduate Scholarship and ASEAN Undergraduate Merit Scholarship have no bond; however, recipients are required to accept the MOE Tuition Grant. Singapore Permanent Residents and International Students who accept the MOE Tuition Grant are required to serve a three-year bond with a Singapore-registered company immediately upon graduation.
Recipients of the Science & Technology Undergraduate Scholarship and Science & Technology Undergraduate Merit Scholarship are required to serve a six-year bond with a Singapore-registered company immediately upon graduation.
Recipients are responsible for securing their own employment to fulfill their bond obligations. SMU does not guarantee or provide job placement upon graduation.
In the event of premature termination of the scholarship or breach of any of the stated terms and conditions, the recipient shall be liable to repay liquidated damages.
With effect from 1 August 2017, students who did not apply for their scholarship through SMU and who are not scholars of Singapore Government Ministries, Organs of State, or Statutory Boards must liaise directly with their sponsors for the settlement of tuition fees.
To avoid being placed on finance hold due to delayed fee payment, you are advised to either:
(a) Make the payment yourself and seek subsequent reimbursement from your sponsor; or
(b) Forward the invoice to your sponsor immediately upon receiving the billing notification, so they can make payment directly to SMU.
As SMU may not be aware of your scholarship arrangement, TFL/SL will continue to be disbursed if there are outstanding tuition fees in your account. It is your responsibility to ensure that you comply with your scholarship’s terms and conditions.
If your scholarship prohibits additional financing, you must notify the Student Loans Team at studentloans@smu.edu.sg to request cessation of TFL/SL financing.
Failure to do so will result in continued loan disbursements as long as tuition fees remain outstanding at the time of disbursement.
Overseas Programmes & Internships
The MOE Overseas Student Programme (OSP) Loan Scheme is aimed at enabling more Singaporean students to take advantage of various overseas experiences so as to gain international exposure and consequently develop a more global mindset. The loan scheme is available for students participating in OSPs approved by SMU.
For more information and application, please go to the MOE Overseas Student Programme Loan page or visit our Student Loans e-Portal for more details.
If you are a non-Singapore Citizen, you would need to find alternative financing to fund your overseas experience. That said, grants and scholarships are available to help students (including non-Singaporean students) defray part of their costs. Should you be eligible, you may wish to consider applying for these schemes. For further information and application, please go to the Financial Assistance Schemes website.
The approved MOE Overseas Student Programme (OSP) Loan quantum will be processed only after the application approval by OCBC Bank is received by SMU. The funds will be disbursed to you (via Inter-bank GIRO arrangement to the bank account maintained with SMU), no earlier than six weeks prior to trip departure (as indicated in your application form), or within 4–6 weeks from OCBC Bank's approval, whichever is later.
Students who submit an application for loan financing within one month of the date of departure may not be able to receive the funds before departure, as the loan agreements must be signed and the loan duly awarded before the funds can be disbursed to your bank account maintained in OASIS.
Overseas student programme (exchange, study mission, internship, short-term study programme, community service) donor-funded financial aid applications are generally very competitive as there are a lot of applications and awards are limited in number.
The majority of the donor-funded awards are needs-based and require a PCI eligibility criterion. Priority may be given to students who are financially needy with lower PCI. Selection of the awards is at the discretion of the selecting committee or donors.
You can consider applying for PSEA, OSEP subsidy, or MOE OSPL to finance your overseas student programme if you’re unsuccessful in your exchange, study mission, internship, short-term study programme, or community service award application.
Your award will be cancelled in OASIS if you withdraw from your overseas student programme. A refund will be required from you if disbursement has already been made to your receiving bank account.
Emergency Grant
The SMU Student Emergency Financial Grant is a one-off emergency financial grant by the University to assist full-time undergraduate students facing sudden and unforeseen financial crisis and who would require interim financial assistance while their families seek long-term solutions to meet their financial needs (e.g. medical emergencies, family crisis, or unexpected loss of income).
Prior to applying for the emergency grant, students are required to first submit a bursary application in OASIS for income assessment and PCI verification.
Students can submit the emergency grant application form via OASIS > All Apps > Financial Aid Application > Grant > Application for Emergency Grant and upload the relevant and updated supporting documents to support the unforeseen emergency situation.
Unforeseen emergency examples (domestic helper and family pets are excluded):
- Unexpected chronic health condition/medical bills (e.g. stroke, cancer, Parkinson disease – self or immediate family)
- Sudden loss of household income (e.g. retrenchment, illness of breadwinner)
- Accidents or disasters causing financial strain
- Other critical situations impacting ability to pay for education or basic needs
- For medical emergencies: hospital bills, doctor’s memo/letter, police report on accident, insurance claim statements.
- For loss of income: retrenchment letter, hospitalisation leave/medical certificate of breadwinner, CPF Transaction History record to show unemployment status.
- For other emergencies: any recent official documentation showing the financial impact (e.g. death certificate of family sole breadwinner, overdue household utilities bills).
Processing may take about 2–3 weeks, depending on completeness of documents. Urgent cases may be expedited.
Your emergency grant application will be reviewed by the Schools committee/donors. The amount varies depending on need and assessment. It is typically a one-off grant meant to provide immediate relief.
If your emergency grant application is approved, you can expect to receive the cash disbursement via your receiving bank account, registered in OASIS, within 1 to 1.5 months after your grant offer acceptance in OASIS.
The emergency grant is a separate grant scheme and does not affect your eligibility for other financial aid schemes.
If successfully awarded, you can concurrently hold the emergency grant with your other financial awards such as bursaries, scholarships, or grants.
The emergency grant is not a loan. Repayment is not required.
However, a refund may be required if the student withdraws from SMU after receiving the emergency grant.
You can email the Centre for Student Financial Assistance at finasst@smu.edu.sg, or approach your School's Dean of Students office for guidance. You may also approach the Mrs Wong Kwok Leong Student Wellness Centre (MWKLSWC) counsellors at counselling@smu.edu.sg if you need further counselling and advice on your well-being.
Your emergency grant application and the reason provided will be kept private and confidential. Only the Schools' office, reviewing committee/donors, and the Centre for Student Financial Assistance will be aware of your emergency situation.
MOE Tuition Fee & Study Loan
Yes, the MOE TFL/SL cover the tuition fee for all terms, including the summer term (i.e., Term 3). The financing also includes regular terms where a student goes on leave of absence but failed to apply for it within the stipulated deadline.
Please visit our Student Loans e-Portal for more details.
If you are already on the MOE Tuition Fee Loan (TFL) and/or MOE Study Loan (SL) Schemes, you will continue to receive the same quantum of student loan financing, which is pegged to the subsidised tuition fee payable by a Singaporean student, until you graduate. Please write to studentloans@smu.edu.sg to inform the Student Loans Team of your extended study so that the loan tenure can be extended accordingly.
If, however, you are an International Student who was not on MOE student loan financing schemes, you would not be eligible to apply for the financing, as International Students are not eligible to apply for MOE student loan financing if they are pay
MOE Tuition Fee Loan – apply directly to OCBC Bank (wef 24 January 2024)
Complete the application form accordingly before printing out the hardcopy form.
- Proceed to any of the OCBC FRANK retail stores or branches with the hardcopy form and guarantor to complete the application and signing process.
- Physical NRIC/Passport and SMU Student Card and photocopies of each identification are required for verification purposes. (Freshmen who have not collected their SMU Student Card may provide an Enrolment Status Letter as proof of admission by requesting the letter via OASIS > Home > Finance & Admin > Certification & Personal Info > Enrolment Letter & Academic Summary.)
MOE Study Loan and/or MOE Overseas Student Programme Loan
The loan application is done via your student portal OASIS > All Apps > Financial Aid Application or via Finance & Admin > Fee Matters & Financial Assistance Schemes > Schemes & Obligations > Apply for Finance Aid (located at the end of the page).
- Financial Aid Type: Loan
- Financial Aid Form: Select as appropriate – (a) Study Loan; (b) Overseas Student Programme (OSP) Loan
The MOE Tuition Fee Loan (TFL) and MOE Study Loan (SL) finance only up to 90% and the remaining 10% (subject to eligibility) respectively of the subsidised tuition fee payable by a Singaporean student. Both TFL and SL, however, do not cover the annual fees which need to be paid by you.
Thus, if you are a Singapore Citizen paying subsidised tuition fees and have not applied for the Living Allowance (LA) under the MOE SL scheme, the reminder serves to prompt you that you have not paid the annual fees which are not covered by the MOE TFL and MOE SL schemes.
If you are a Singapore Citizen paying full fees due to studies (excluding Leave of Absence terms without fee obligations) beyond the normal candidature of 8 terms, the reminder serves to prompt you that there are partial tuition fees and/or annual fees which remain outstanding and have not been paid.
If you are a Singapore Permanent Resident (SPR) or International Student (IS), the maximum loan quantum of 100% and LA are unable to cover your full tuition fee. The reminder consequently serves as a notice to prompt you that you have outstanding tuition and/or annual fees that have not been paid.
Should you have unpaid annual fees and/or remaining tuition fees not financed by MOE TFL, SL, and LA, you would need to settle them through the various payment modes available.
If you are still unsure of the balance tuition fee to pay after taking into account your approved loans, you may make use of the online Tuition Fee Calculator to simulate the Net Tuition Fee Payable Amount (i.e., net amount payable after approved loan financing).
If you pre-terminate your studies or withdraw from SMU without completing your course of study, the MOE-funded loan(s) that you have taken out during your stay at SMU will become immediately due and repayable in full to OCBC.
Interest will be chargeable with effect from the first day of the month following the termination if the loans remain outstanding.
For UG withdrawal, please refer to OASIS > Finance & Admin > Absence & Withdrawal > File a Withdrawal.
As the CPF Education Loan Scheme (CPFELS) is ranked higher in priority in terms of disbursement (based on the order stipulated by MOE), the CPF funds will be disbursed first to finance your tuition fees. The MOE Tuition Fee Loan (TFL) and MOE Study Loan (SL) will be disbursed accordingly to cover the balance outstanding tuition fee only if there are insufficient CPF funds to pay off the full tuition fee. Consequently, you would not be able to utilise the CPF funds last.
Besides, the MOE TFL and MOE SL cover 100% of the subsidised tuition fees payable by a Singapore Citizen. If you are a Singapore Citizen and eligible for both MOE TFL and MOE SL, you will not require a CPF Loan and may wish to consider revoking the CPF arrangement.
If, however, you are a non-Singapore Citizen, you may specify the percentage of CPF funds you wish to utilise when submitting the application to the CPF Board so that the balance outstanding tuition fees will be financed by the MOE TFL and MOE SL. Please note that CPFELS, MOE TFL, and MOE SL do not cover the annual fees which need to be paid by you.
MOE Tuition Fee Loan (TFL) applications are to be submitted to OCBC Bank.
Please note that it is compulsory to indicate your SMU Student ID (e.g. 01234567) in the TFL application form, or your application will be rejected by the bank. Prospective students should apply for the TFL only after they have received their SMU Student ID/Card. Those who have not collected their SMU Student ID/Card may provide a copy of the Enrolment Status Letter as proof of admission, which can be requested via OASIS > Home > Finance & Admin > Certifications & Personal Info > Enrolment Letter & Academic Summary.
For MOE Study Loan (SL) applications, you can apply via your student portal OASIS > All Apps > Financial Aid Application or > Finance & Admin > Fee Matters & Financial Assistance Schemes > Schemes & Obligations > Apply for Finance Aid (located at the end of the page).
- Financial Aid Type: Loan
- Financial Aid Form: Select as appropriate – Study Loan
Please visit our Student Loans e-Portal for more details.
For single module billing charge queries, you may enquire with http://ofnsupport.smu.edu.sg.
If you have existing loans with us, your MOE Tuition Fee Loan and MOE Study Loan will finance up to 90% or 10% (respectively) of the Singaporean subsidised tuition fees for your single course billing.
Please visit our Student Loans e-Portal for more details.
A guarantor should guarantee a maximum of 2 MOE student loans. However, if you are unable to find a suitable alternative guarantor and your guarantor is prepared to act as the guarantor of your student loans, depending on the loan in which you are intending to apply for, you may approach the following to appeal for exceptional approval to be granted, on a case-by-case basis, for your proposed guarantor to be allowed to guarantee more than 2 MOE student loans.
(a) MOE Tuition Fee Loan – Visit any OCBC FRANK retail stores or branches during operational hours.
(b) MOE Study Loan / MOE Overseas Student Programme Loan – Write in to the Centre for Student Financial Assistance at finasst@smu.edu.sg.
Prior to the appeal, you must ensure that you inform your guarantor of the additional financial obligations he/she would need to shoulder should, for some unfortunate reason, the loans he/she acts as a guarantor for default.
All guarantors based in Singapore must come to OCBC Bank with the student to sign the loan agreements in the presence of a bank officer. The same guarantor stated on the application form must be present when the student signs, and that guarantor must continue to comply with the requirements. If not, the loan application will be rejected.
If the guarantor is not in Singapore, please follow the instructions stated on the OCBC website.
Application for financing under the MOE Tuition Fee Loan (TFL) / MOE Study Loan (SL) schemes is a one-time application only. If your application is approved, you do not need to submit a new application in your subsequent years of study.
The financing will take effect from the approved term and shall remain for the remaining tenure of your course of study (including summer term), unless you inform the Student Loans Team at studentloans@smu.edu.sg that you have alternative financing and do not require the loan disbursements.
The application window for MOE-funded loan(s) financing opens twice an academic year (students will be notified via email of the exact dates):
- Between May and September
- Between December and February
If you miss the application windows stated above, you can wait for the application window to open before the start of the next academic term.
Please visit our Student Loans e-Portal > Loan Application for more details.
Financing under the MOE Tuition Fee Loan (TFL) / MOE Study Loan (SL) schemes is effective from the approved term and may not be backdated to prior terms.
If you have outstanding tuition fees from prior terms that have not been paid, you will need to f
International Students who are paying non-subsidised tuition fees are not eligible to apply for student loans. You may apply for student loan financing if you are paying subsidised tuition fees and have completed the requirements set out in the MOE Tuition Grant (TG) process.
If you have been awarded student loan financing prior to completing the MOE TG process, you must ensure that you fulfil all requirements outlined in the TG process, as the award of the student loan financing is contingent upon completion of the MOE TG process.
Financing Type
Financial Aid Scheme
Application Period
For tuition fees
MOE Tuition Fee Loan (up to 90% of a Singaporean student’s annual subsidised tuition fee)
MOE Study Loan (up to remaining 20% of a Singaporean student’s annual subsidised tuition fee)
MOE Tuition Fee Loan & MOE Study Loan
May to September (Term 1)
December to February (Term 2)
*All applications must be submitted in the application periods stated above.
For living expenses
MOE Study Loan (up to $3,600.00 annual living allowance)
MOE Study Loan
May to September (Term 1)
December to February (Term 2)
For financial assistance to Singaporean undergraduate students in OSPs approved by the University
MOE Overseas Student Programme (OSP) Loan
Applications are accepted all year round
*Note: For MOE Overseas Student Programme (OSP) Loan applicants, please submit your applications at least 2 months prior to departure.
MOE Tuition Fee Loan (TFL) finances up to 90% of the subsidised tuition fee payable by a Singaporean student. Subject to meeting the eligibility criteria, you may apply for MOE Study Loan (SL) to finance the remaining 10% of the subsidised tuition fee payable by a Singaporean student and, if applicable, an annual living allowance (LA) of $3,600 (maximum).
For further information and application, please visit our Student Loans e-Portal.
The MOE Tuition Fee Loan (TFL) will only be disbursed to your Student Account after you and your guarantor have signed the loan agreement and the loan application status has been approved by OCBC Bank. The disbursement will take place approximately 4 to 6 weeks after loan approval.
SMU has appointed Overseas-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC Bank) as agent to administer the MOE-funded loans (i.e. Tuition Fee Loan, Study Loan, and SMU Overseas Student Programme Loan) schemes and has completed the transition since 20 January 2024.
Repayment of loans starts upon your graduation according to the terms and conditions stated in your signed loan agreement. You will be notified upon graduation regarding your loan repayment commencement.
It is crucial that your contact details are kept updated so that correspondences relating to your MOE-funded loan(s) can reach you. Please visit any OCBC branch to update your latest contact details if there are any changes from the details lodged during your loan application.
For more information about loan repayment matters, please visit OCBC’s website, contact OCBC at 1800 363 3333 (local) / +65 6363 3333 (overseas), or visit any OCBC branch during their operating hours.
Contact Us | OCBC Bank 24-hour Hotline | Branches or ATM Near You
The student loans are interest-free during the course of study. The interest chargeable on the loans will commence after graduation.
Depending on the term in which a student graduates, interest will be chargeable with effect from the following dates:
Term 1 - 1st March
Term 2 - 1st Aug
Term 3 - 1st Oct
SMU has appointed Overseas-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC Bank) as agent to administer the MOE-funded loan (ie. Tuition Fee Loan, Study Loan and Overseas Student Programme Loan) schemes and has completed the transition on 20 January 2024. Please contact OCBC Bank to enquire.
Tel: 1800 363 3333 (within Singapore)
+65 6363 3333 (outside Singapore)
Once your application has been approved, a notification will be triggered by OCBC Bank to inform you on the application status.
The MOE Tuition Fee Loan (TFL) finances up to 90% of the subsidised tuition fee payable by a Singaporean student. Subject to meeting the eligibility criteria, you may apply for MOE Study Loan (SL) to finance the remaining 10% of the subsidised tuition fee payable by a Singaporean student and if applicable, an annual living allowance (LA) of $3,600 (maximum).
Therefore, if you had opted for only MOE TFL when you applied for loan financing, you will need to pay the balance fees not financed by the MOE TFL.
In addition, the annual fees are not covered under the loan financing. You will need to pay for these charges every Term 1. However, if you are a Singaporean student who is eligible for MOE SL and had opted for MOE SL with LA, you do not need to pay any fee as the LA can be used to offset the annual fees.
For further information and application, please visit our Student Loans e-Portal for more details.
If you are a full-fee paying (ie, have fully utilised the MOE Tuition Grant (TG) and no longer paying subsidised tuition fees) SC or SPR, you may still apply for MOE student loans to finance the tuition fees payable even though you previously have not applied for the loan(s) when you were paying subsidised tuition fees.
For further information and application, please visit our Student Loans e-Portal
For financing of tuition fee under the MOE Tuition Fee Loan (TFL) and MOE Study Loan (SL) Schemes, the full quantum will not be disbursed upfront as the total financing required for your course of study cannot be ascertained at this point. The disbursement will be done on a per term basis and the quantum may vary from term to term, depending on whether there are other financial aids that ranked in higher priority (based on the order stipulated by MOE). The loan(s) will be disbursed directly to your Student Account to offset against your outstanding tuition fees (if any).
If you have applied for Living Allowance (LA) under the SL Scheme, the annual LA will be disbursed over 2 terms to the (receiving) bank account that you maintained in OASIS, after offsetting against the outstanding tuition fees and annual fees (if any).
The MOE Tuition Fee Loan (TFL) finances up to 90% of the subsidised tuition fee payable by a Singaporean student.
Subject to eligibility, the MOE Study Loan (SL) finances the balance of the subsidised tuition fee payable by a Singaporean student. In addition, a loan of up to $3,600 (maximum) per annum to help students meet their daily living expenses is available under the SL scheme.
Both MOE TFL and MOE SL however, do not cover the annual fees which need to be paid by the student. If the annual fees remain unpaid, the living allowance (LA) will be used to offset against the annual fees before the net amount is disbursed to the student.
For further information and application, please go to Student Loans e-Portal.
The MOE student loans only cover subsidised tuition fees. Annual fees are not covered under these loans and would need to be paid separately to the University.
Effective 20 January 2024, Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation Limited ("OCBC") will take over the administration of your MOE Tuition Fee Loan, MOE Study Loan and/or MOE Overseas Student Programme Loan from Singapore Management University ("SMU"). Please contact OCBC directly.
Please visit our Student Loans e-Portal for more details.
If you are already on the MOE Tuition Fee Loan (TFL) and/or MOE Study Loan (SL) Schemes, you will continue to receive the same quantum of student loan financing, which is pegged to the subsidised tuition fee payable by a Singaporean student, until you graduate. No action is required from you as Office of Finance would have already extended your loan tenure accordingly based on your approved LOA application.
However, if you are not on MOE student loan financing schemes and would like to apply for the financing, you may do so when the application window opens. Please note that International Students who are paying non-subsidised tuition fees are not eligible to apply for the MOE student loan financing.
Please visit our Student Loans e-Portal for more details.
If you have applied for MOE student loan financing but the loan application (i) has not been approved or (ii) has been approved but the loans have not been disbursed to your account, it is not necessary for you to settle the full tuition fee.
You are required to settle only the remaining balance of your tuition fee not financed by the MOE student loans and the mandatory annual fees (if applicable) if the annual fees are not covered by any of your approved financial aids or scholarship.
As an International Student, you will not be able to finance your tuition fees fully with the various financial assistance schemes as the MOE Tuition Fee Loan (TFL) and MOE Study Loan (SL) finance only up to 90% and balance 10% (subject to eligibility) respectively of the subsidised tuition fees payable by a Singaporean student.
Should you be eligible for the MOE Study Loan Living Allowance (LA), the scheme may potentially provide additional financing of up to $1,800.
Nevertheless, if you are a Singapore Permanent Resident (SPR), you would be able to fully finance your tuition fees if you are eligible for all of the above 4 financial assistance schemes.
Please visit our Student Loans e-Portal for more details.
The financial loan schemes only cover subsidized tuition fees. Miscellaneous fees are not covered under these loan schemes and are usually paid separately to the University.
You would need to check the terms and conditions of your scholarship to find out if you are eligible for other financial aids. Please ensure that you do not breach the terms and conditions of your scholarship. If however you are unsure, do contact your sponsor or Centre for Student Financial Assistance (CSFA) (finasst@smu.edu.sg) (if applicable) for clarity.
Should you need to cease the loan disbursement, please write in to Student Loans Team at studentloans@smu.edu.sg (provide your campus ID) and visit our Student Loans e-Portal > Loan Repayment for details on how to repay your loans.
We have a range of financial loan schemes to assist students in the payment of the tuition fees. Please note that these loan schemes cover the subsidized tuition fees and exclude the non-tuition fees charged by the University. Detailed information on the application for these loans will be sent to the students in the Matriculation Pack. Please visit our Student Loans e-Portal for more details.
Full-fee paying International Students are not eligible to apply for any MOE loan schemes. However, if you are unable to fund your education, you may consider applying for a bursary or emergency relief fund (subject to eligibility). For further information and application, please go to the Financial Assistance Schemes website
Please refer to this link Documents Required for the list of documents required to support your MOE loan application.
If however, you are applying for student loans which are subject to household income assessment (ie, PCI assessment), you would need to submit the relevant supporting documents to substantiate your application.
Your guarantor may not be a full-time student. As he intends to pursue full-time education after he completes National Service, we would encourage you to look for an alternative guarantor due to the financial burden that he would need to shoulder should for some unfortunate reasons, the loans that he acts as a guarantor for, default during his full-time education.
The financing under the MOE Tuition Fee Loan (TFL) and MOE Study Loan (SL) Schemes is not sufficient to cover the tuition fees payable by you. As such, the Living Allowance (LA) which is disbursed over 2 terms annually has been used to offset the outstanding tuition fees.
International Students currently overseas can open a local bank account with DBS without being physically present in Singapore. It will take 3–5 working days to get the account opened (from the application and submission of the full supporting documents online). The links can be found below.
Applicants will just need to upload the supporting documents during their online application.
- Online Opening of personal account:
https://www.dbs.com.sg/personal/deposits/bank-with-ease/addon-casa - Supporting Documents required for the online account opening, under the section: "Foreigner (Studying in Singapore)"
https://www.dbs.com.sg/personal/support/bank-account-opening-documents-required.html
A guarantor for the MOE TFL needs to meet the following eligibility criteria:
(a) Must be at least 21 years old and below 60 years old
(b) Must not be an undischarged bankrupt or a student pursuing full-time education
(c) May not serve in this capacity for more than two outstanding student loans, including the loan being applied for
And one of the following conditions:
(i) Must be a Singapore Citizen for an applicant who is a Singapore Citizen
(ii) Can be either a Singapore Citizen or a Singapore Permanent Resident for an applicant who is a Singapore Permanent Resident
(iii) Can be of any nationality for an applicant who is a non-Singaporean/Singapore Permanent Resident
MOE student loans and scholarship are separate financial assistance schemes. Award of the loans and bursary are based on separate eligibility criterias. You may hence, apply for loans and scholarship concurrently. That said, you will need to act accordingly to ensure that you do not breach the terms and conditions of your scholarship.
Application for financing under the MOE TFL/SL schemes applications is one-time only, regardless of change in course plan. If you are approved of your application, you do not need to submit a new application even though you may be pursuing a different course in your subsequent year of study. The financing will continue with amount adjusted accordingly (where applicable) until you complete your course of study (including summer term) unless you inform Student Loans Team (studentloans@smu.edu.sg) that you have alternative financing and do not require the loan disbursements.
MOE student loans and CPF Loan are separate financial assistance schemes. . You may hence, apply for both loans concurrently. However, the CPF Loan will take precedence in terms of disbursement priority (as stipulated by MOE).
MOE Tuition Grant (TG) is a grant from the Singapore Government to help students manage the costs of full-time tertiary education in Singapore. It is applicable to eligible Singapore Citizens (SC), Singapore Permanent Residents (SPR) and International Students (IS) enrolled in full-time diploma or undergraduate courses at the autonomous universities, polytechnics and art institutions. For more information and application, please go to Tuition Grant Subsidy scheme located on the Ministry of Education (MOE) website or call the MOE Tuition Grant Section Hotline at 65-6872 2220.
MOE Tuition Fee Loan (TFL) is a loan to help students who require financial assistance to pay the tuition fee. It will help students finance up to 90% of the tuition fee payable by a Singaporean student. The MOE TFL is interest-free during the course of study and repayable after graduation. For more information and application, please go to MOE Tuition Fee Loan or visit our Student Loans e-Portal for more details.
It is not a requirement that your guarantor has to be in employment. Guarantors must however, meet the eligibility criteria as set out in the application instructions. For more information on the eligibility criteria for guarantors, please go to Student Loans e-Portal > Loan Application.
It is not a requirement that your guarantor has to be in employment. Hence, it is not necessary to produce any income statement unless you are applying for a student loan that requires household income assessment (ie, PCI assessment). For more information on the eligibility criteria for guarantors, please go to Student Loans e-Portal > Loan Application.
As there is concern that they may be misled into signing legally binding documents and to safeguard their interest, the visually impaired are not allowed to be guarantors of the student loans. Hence, the visually impaired person whom you are proposing to be guarantor will not be able to act as your guarantor even though he may have met the other eligibility criteria of a guarantor.
If your proposed guarantor is hearing impaired and is able to read English, he may act as your guarantor as he would be able to understand and be aware of his obligations and responsibilities under the loans. He would however, not be able to act as your guarantor if he does not meet the eligibility criteria of a guarantor.
All Singapore Citizens, SPRs, foreigners pursuing MOE-subsidised UG programmes at SMU except the following:
- Students on Government/ Statutory Board/ any scholarship
- Students receiving full subsidy from Mendaki
- Students using 100% CPF
- Students on self-funded courses
- Full-fee paying foreign students
The MOE TG agreement may be signed in the presence of a/an (i) lawyer/solicitor, (ii) Notary Public or its equivalent or (iii) official from the Singapore Embassy/Consulate Office. However, the signing of the loan agreements may only be witnessed by a/an (a) Notary Public or its equivalent or (b) official from the Singapore Embassy/Consulate Office.
As such, if your guarantor approaches a lawyer/solicitor to witness the signing of the loan agreements, your guarantor would need to ensure that the lawyer/solicitor is a Notary Public or its equivalent. Documentary evidence to support the Notary Public or its equivalent status is necessary.
MOE Tuition Fee Loan application – Apply via the OCBC website (FRANK x SMU Student Loan | FRANK by OCBC).
MOE Study Loan and MOE Overseas Student Programme (OSP) Loan – application forms can be found in your student portal OASIS > All Apps > Financial Aid Application or > Finance & Admin > Fee Matters & Financial Assistance Schemes > Schemes & Obligations > Apply for Finance Aid (located at the end of the page)
- Financial Aid Type: Loan
- Financial Aid Form: Select as appropriate – (a) Study Loan and (b) Overseas Student Programme (OSP) Loan
Contact OCBC FRANK Retail Stores or Branches for enquiries relating to MOE Tuition Fee Loan application status.
Tel: 1800 363 3333 (within Singapore)
+65 6363 3333 (outside Singapore)
For MOE Study Loan (SL) and MOE Overseas Student Programme (OSP) Loan:
Please log on to your student portal OASIS > All Apps > Financial Aid Application to check > Finance & Admin > Fee Matters & Financial Assistance Schemes > Schemes & Obligations > Financial Aid Application History.
Contact OCBC FRANK Retail Stores or Branches for enquiries relating to application status after your loan signing process is completed.
You would be eligible to apply for student loans provided you are paying subsidised tuition fee (i.e., if you are not an International Student paying non-subsidised tuition fee) at the point of application.
Office of Finance will disburse the LA starting Week 7 of Term 1 and Term 2. However, if you apply for the LA only during the application window prior to the start of the term, you will only receive the LA after you and your guarantor have signed the loan agreement and you have been awarded the loan scheme.
The MOE Study Loan Living Allowance (LA) is disbursed over 2 terms annually. If you have outstanding tuition fees and/or annual fees, the LA will be used to offset the outstanding fees before the net amount is disbursed to you.
Except for the interest-free MOE Study Loan Tier 1, the interest rate payable on the rest of the student loans is based on 3-month compounded Singapore Overnight Rate Average (3M SORA) plus 1.5 percentage points or such other rates as may be determined from time to time by the bank or SMU**.
** The interest rate is subject to change on a half-yearly basis based on the 3M SORA published on the MAS website on 1 March or 1 September.
The MOE student loans are interest-free during the course of study. Consequently, if you fully repay the loans prior to graduation, you are not required to pay any interest as the loans are still interest-free. However, if you do not fully repay the loan before graduation, you would need to pay interest on any outstanding balance not repaid when interest starts after graduation.
There is no penalty or administrative charge for fully repaying the loans before graduation or before the maximum repayment period.
The MOE Study Loan Living Allowance (LA) is a form of financial assistance extended to needy students to help them pay for their daily expenses. The LA is part of the MOE Study Loan (SL) Scheme and thus, a loan that is also repayable after graduation.
You may start the repayment of your MOE student loans before you graduate.
If, however, you are not repaying the loans in full during your course of study, it is preferable that the repayment be in the form of lump sum or partial payment, as the repayment instalment plan cannot be paused once the plan has commenced. Penalty interest at 1% per month will be charged on overdue instalments.
Please visit our Student Loans e-Portal > Loan Repayment for more details.
SMU has appointed Overseas-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC Bank) as agent to administer the MOE-funded loan (i.e., Tuition Fee Loan, Study Loan, and Overseas Student Programme Loan) schemes and has completed the transition on 20 January 2024. Please visit the OCBC website for more details on loan repayment.
Study Loan cannot be applied on its own and must be applied together with Tuition Fee Loan (TFL) or CPF Education Loan Scheme (ELS).
CPF Education Loan
CPF savings can only be used to pay tuition fees. You may utilise your own PSEA funds and/or repay your MOE Student Loans by contacting or visiting any OCBC branch for further assistance.
Alternatively, you may wish to visit our Student Loans e-Portal > Loan Repayment for more details.
The CPF Education Loan Scheme (CPFELS) is a loan scheme which enables members to use CPF savings from their Ordinary Account (OA) to pay for their children's, spouses’, or their own tuition fees. The student has to repay the amount withdrawn plus interest, in cash subsequently into the payer’s (the CPF member’s) Ordinary Account. Repayment commences one year after the student graduates or leaves the educational institution. Only full-time MOE-subsidised courses at approved local educational institutions are included under this loan scheme.
Please click this link for more information on CPF Education Loan Scheme.
You are eligible for CPFELS if you are:
a) A full-time student at an approved local tertiary institution
b) A Singapore citizen or Permanent Resident
c) Enrolled in a subsidised course approved by MOE
You are not eligible for CPFELS if you are:
a) A student who has exceeded your normal candidature and have fully utilised the MOE Tuition Grant
b) Paying full fees (non-subsidised), i.e., not taking up the MOE Tuition Grant or were given an admission offer without the MOE Tuition Grant
You can use the CPF Ordinary Account (OA) savings of:
a) Your own
b) Your parents
c) Your spouse
d) Your siblings
e) Your relatives (subject to CPF Board’s approval)
CPF Education Loan Scheme only covers subsidised tuition fees. It does not cover other fees such as annual fee, hostel, registration, or administrative charges.
Two Activities Required of You:
Activity 1: Apply to CPF Board website
Activity 2: Your Notification to SMU on Activity 1
Please click this link for CPF Application Instructions.
Term 1: July to Mid August
Term 2: November to Mid December
Term 3: March
Kindly look out for email notification from Centre for Student Financial Assistance at finasst@smu.edu.sg for the application dates and instructions.
You may also refer to this link for the application schedule per CPF website.
To switch to a different eligible CPF member's account for tuition fee deduction, you must first revoke the existing payer. After revocation, you may submit a new application using the alternative CPF member’s account within the designated CPF application period, subject to approval by the CPF Board.
Students are required to submit only one application for the CPF Education Loan Scheme for the entire duration of their course of study at SMU. Once your application has been approved, there is no need to reapply in subsequent years or semesters. The loan will continue to be applied automatically, provided you remain eligible under the scheme’s terms.
The CPF member must submit a Revocation Form online.
Please note that CPF withdrawals will continue until you graduate, cancel, or revoke your application. If you no longer wish to utilize CPF funds for your tuition fees, it is important to cancel or revoke your application promptly to avoid incurring unnecessary charges.
An administrative fee is applicable each time a deduction is made from the payer’s Ordinary Account.
Please click this link to submit a revocation form online using your Singpass.
It is standard procedure for all students, including those under the CPF Education Loan Scheme, to receive a tuition fee bill. The billing is issued to all students initially, after which the CPF deduction is processed.
Please note that CPF deductions typically reflect in your student account within 3 to 4 weeks from the date of the charge. No action is required on your part unless you receive a reminder or follow-up notice after this period.
No upfront payment is required if your CPF Education Loan Scheme application has been approved. The tuition fee charge will remain in your student account temporarily and will be cleared once the CPF Board disburses the funds, subject to the availability of funds in the payer’s account at the time of deduction.
The CPF Education Loan Scheme and the Tuition Fee Loan (TFL) are distinct financial assistance schemes. Utilize both schemes concurrently, subject to the deduction order stipulated by the MOE. CPF will be deducted first to offset your tuition fees. If your CPF is insufficient to cover the full amount, the TFL will be used to cover the remaining balance, up to 90% of subsidised tuition fee.
While it's not compulsory, you are encouraged to set up a GIRO as a backup payment method. In the event that CPF funds do not fully cover the tuition fees, any remaining balance may be deducted via GIRO. Additionally, GIRO can be used to settle annual fees and other charges that are not covered under the CPF Education Loan Scheme.
Yes. You are required to repay the full amount withdrawn plus interest computed based on the prevailing CPF Ordinary Account (OA) interest rate.
Please visit this link for more information.
Repayment must begin (whichever is earlier):
a) One year after graduation, or
b) One year after leaving the course of study
Please visit this link for more information.
You can check the reason for rejection of your CPF Education Loan Scheme application under "Activities" by logging in to CPF website with your Singpass.
As the CPFELS is ranked in higher priority in terms of disbursement (based on the order stipulated by MOE), the CPF funds will be disbursed first to finance your tuition fee. The TFL and SL will be disbursed accordingly to cover the balance outstanding tuition fee only if there is insufficient CPF funds to pay off the full tuition fee. Consequently, you would not be able to utilise the CPF funds last.
That said, if you wish to maximise the TFL financing, you would need to specify the percentage (10%) of CPF funds you wish to utilise when submitting the application to CPF Board so that the balance outstanding (90%) tuition fees will be financed by the TFL.
All applications under the CPF Education Loan Scheme should be submitted within the application period. You may refer to the Application schedule to apply for CPF education loan.
The outstanding fees may be due to the following:
i) Compulsory miscellaneous fees
Students are required to pay tuition fees and compulsory miscellaneous fees each semester. As CPF funds can only be used to finance up to 100% of the MOE Subsidized tuition fees, there will be outstanding miscellaneous fees if you did not arrange for payment using other resources (i.e. PSEA, credit card/GIRO).
ii) Exceeded available withdrawal limit
Members can use their Ordinary Account (OA) savings up to the Available Withdrawal Limit under the Education Scheme to finance up to 100% of the MOE Subsidized tuition fees. The Available Withdrawal Limit is either 40% of the member's accumulated OA savings, or remaining OA balance, whichever is lower. If there are insufficient savings in the OA for withdrawal to pay for your tuition fees, your tuition fees will hence become outstanding.
You may have to make alternative arrangement to pay your outstanding tuition fees in credit card/GIRO, or consider other financing options such as the Tuition Fee Loan or Post-Secondary Education Account (PSEA) savings.
iii) Tuition fees not subsidized by MOE
CPF Education Funds can only be used to finance MOE subsidized tuition fees. If you have exceeded the normal programme duration and your tuition fees are not subsidized by MOE, CPF funds cannot be withdrawn to pay for tuition fees that are not subsidized by MOE.
Mendaki Tertiary Tuition Fee Subsidy
Mendaki Tertiary Tuition Fee Subsidy (TTFS) is an education subsidy for Malay students that covers their tuition fees at local government tertiary institutions.
To find out your eligibility for Mendaki Tertiary Tuition Fee Subsidy (TTFS), please refer to Mendaki's website at https://www.mendaki.org.sg/assistance_landing/tertiary-tuition-fee-subsidy-ttfs/.
Two Activities Required of You:
Activity 1:
Apply online via the MyMENDAKI portal.
- Sign up for an account in the MyMENDAKI portal.
- Fill up your particulars in “My Profile”. You can also use MyInfo to autofill your details.
- Go to “Assistance” and select the TTFS scheme catered to your institution.
- Click on “Apply now”.
Activity 2: Your Notification to SMU on Activity 1
(a) To submit your online application
Go to: OASIS > All App > Financial Aid Application
- Financial Aid Type: Subsidy
- Financial Aid Form: Notification to SMU on Application for MTTFS for Malay Students
(b) Fill in all required fields:
- Transaction ID = application number from Activity 1
- Application Term
- % of Tuition Fee Financing Required
(c) Proceed to submit your form.
Term 1: June to July
Term 2: Mid November to Mid December
Kindly look out for email notifications from the Centre for Student Financial Assistance at finasst@smu.edu.sg for the application dates and instructions.
You need not reapply every year unless there are changes in your household income and you need to reapply for a higher subsidy. The TTFS will continue automatically for the rest of your course, as long as you remain eligible.
You have to appeal via the MyMENDAKI portal.
Mendaki Tertiary Tuition Fee Subsidy (TTFS) covers regular term subsidised tuition fees only.
Mendaki Tertiary Tuition Fee Subsidy (TTFS) does not cover Summer Term Tuition Fee and Annual Fee.
If your Mendaki Tuition Fee Subsidy (MTFS) covers 100% of your tuition fees for AY2025/26, your Government bursary (Higher Education Bursary Tier 1 or 2) will be disbursed to you in full as cash, rather than being used to offset your tuition fees.
Post-Secondary Education Account (PSEA) Scheme
You may apply to use the funds in your PSEA account to repay your loan if you are no longer studying at SMU (i.e., graduated or withdrawn). For more information and application, please go to the Post-Secondary Education scheme located at the MOE PSEA website.
That said, you may withdraw the PSEA funds during your course of study to pay the tuition fees if you are still an undergraduate so that you do not have to incur a bigger loan at the end of your study at SMU.
Please visit our Student Loans e-Portal > Loan Repayment for more details.
The Post-Secondary Education Account (PSEA) is a government-administered savings scheme in Singapore designed to help Singaporeans pay for post-secondary education expenses. It is open to all eligible Singapore Citizens.
You may use your siblings' (up to 3) with their consent and after using up your own PSEA funds.
To find out your eligibility for PSEA, please refer to MOE's website at https://www.moe.gov.sg/financial-matters/psea/overview.
PSEA funds may be used for:
- Payment of Tuition Fees and annual miscellaneous fees
- Reimbursements of course fees/expenses related to overseas programme approved by SMU.
You may apply via FormSG using SingPass (with parental approval if needed), then submit a grant application through OASIS, indicating category (e.g., TTF-FULLQ for tuition and annual fees, EPC-OTRIP for overseas programmes). This has to be done every term you intend to use PSEA to pay for your tuition fees.
You may check your PSEA balance by calling the 24-hour MOE hotline at 6260 0777.
Please click here for application instructions.
Tuition Fee Financing
Term 1 - 1 August to 15 September
Term 2 - 1 January to 15 February
Term 3 - 1 May to 31 May
Overseas Trip Reimbursements
Within 1 month of returning from the Overseas Programme
For Tuition Fees, you may still apply to use PSEA. However, do note that processing time takes up to 6 weeks and you might be placed on finance hold for outstanding fees.
For Overseas Programme reimbursements, please note that if you have exceeded the 1 month from the completion of the programme, you will need to submit an appeal to accountenquiry@smu.edu.sg. This is subjected to approval.
Yes, you may use your PSEA for Overseas Programme approved by SMU. Please note that it is on a reimbursement basis and the application has to be submitted within 1 month from the completion of the programme.
Please click here for application instructions.
You will receive the reimbursement in 4–6 weeks' time after your application is "Awarded" in OASIS. It will be remitted to your receiving bank account maintained in OASIS.
Repayment of Government Education Loans and Approved Financing Schemes
If you have a PSEA (Post-Secondary Education Account), you can use your funds to pay back the loan amount and interest for the following government loans:
- CPF Education Loan Scheme
- Tuition Fee Loan (TFL)
- Study Loan (SL)
- Overseas Student Programme (OSP) Loan
You must have already left your school before using your PSEA to repay these loans. PSEA funds cannot be used for other types of loans that are not listed above.
What Happens to Unused PSEA Funds
Your PSEA account will close when you turn 31. Any money left in the account will automatically go into your CPF Ordinary Account. You cannot take out the money in cash or transfer it to a bank account.
MOE will notify students about the result of their application. If there were any PSEA contributions, withdrawals, or refunds in the past month, a monthly Transaction Statement will be sent to the account holder.
To check your PSEA balance, you can also call the MOE Customer Service Hotline at 6260 0777.
SkillsFuture Credits (SFC)
SkillsFuture Credit (SFC) aims to encourage individuals to take ownership of their skills development and lifelong learning. All Singaporeans aged 25 and above will receive an opening credit of S$500 from January 2016.
For account balances, you can check via the SFC portal using your Singpass.
You can use your credit to pay for or offset skills-related course fees by applying for claim(s) starting January 2016. All Singaporeans aged 25 years old and above will be able to access their SFC account and submit a claim via www.skillsfuture.sg/credit once they receive their account activation letter.
To use your SkillsFuture Credit, first download your Statement of Account from OASIS, then submit your claim with supporting documents at MySkillsFuture to get a Claim ID. Next, log in to OASIS again and complete the process by submitting the Claim ID through the "Financial Aid Application" under SFC. Your credit will be applied once approved; if the claim fails, you’ll need to pay the balance using other methods.
Please click here for application instructions.
You are required to submit your applications to both SFC and OASIS websites within the claim period (2 weeks before course start date).
If you miss the SkillsFuture Credit application deadline (which usually ends one day before the course begins), you won’t be able to use your credit for that course and will need to pay the full fee using other payment options.
To avoid this in the future, ensure you submit your claims on both the SkillsFuture and OASIS platforms within the allowed timeframe. If you need assistance or have special concerns, contact the MySkillsFuture hotline at 6785 5785.
General FA Enquires
There are 3 components to Annual Fees:
- Student Activities
- Insurance
- IT Facilities
Please click here to get more information on student insurance.
All students are charged the mandatory miscellaneous fees regardless of whether you are on Leave of Absence (LOA) for a term.
Please check your account for outstanding fees. Upon successful payment updates, your account will be lifted within 48 hours.
You may use the Student Financial Needs Calculator to help determine if you are eligible and to find out the type and quantum of financial aid that you may qualify for.
SMU has a comprehensive range of financial aid schemes to help students in the payment of their tuition fees. These schemes cover only the subsidised tuition fees. They do not cover the miscellaneous fees charged by SMU. Please click here for more details.
Students must first matriculate before they apply. Apply online via OASIS Applicant's Self Service.
Your tuition fee will be deducted by the following order of priority as stipulated by MOE (with 1 being the highest priority to be disbursed first):
- Mendaki Tertiary Tuition Fee Subsidy (TTFS)
- External Sponsorships
- MOE Higher Education Community & Higher Education Bursaries
- Bursaries / Scholarships
- SMU Access Plus
- Skills Future Credit
- Post-Secondary Education Account
- CPF Education Loan Scheme
- Tuition Fee Loan; Study Loan
Please click here to get more information on postgraduate financial aid.
You may refer to the link for a simplified process flow of the MOE loan application.
SMU has appointed Overseas-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC Bank) as agent to administer the MOE-funded loan (i.e. Tuition Fee Loan, Study Loan, and SMU Overseas Student Programme Loan) schemes and has completed the transition on 20 January 2024. Please visit the OCBC website for more details on loan repayment.
Please click here for the user guide on setting up your paying bank account.
For payment via online credit card, please retain a copy of the receipt generated from the system supported with your Statement of Account (can be obtained from the Account Inquiry App) for your necessary claims.
- Interbank GIRO (undergraduates only)
- Online payment through Debit/Credit Cards by VISA, MasterCard, and AMEX
- Over-the-counter payment at Student Services Hub (SSH)
Possible reasons for declined transaction:
- Expired card or wrong expiry date.
- General decline of the card. No other information was provided by the issuing bank.
- Insufficient funds in the account.
- Inactive card or card not authorized for card-not-present transactions.
- The card has reached the credit limit.
- Invalid CVN/CVV. Please ensure you have entered the credit card details correctly.
Alternatively, you may try using another card. If you wish to find out the reason for a declined transaction, please check with your issuing bank.
You can terminate GIRO under OASIS > All Apps > Maintain Bank Accounts > Add Paying Bank Account.
You can view the previous submission under OASIS > All Apps > Maintain Bank Accounts > Add Paying Bank Account.
Please be informed that no invoice will be issued. Instead, all charges will be posted to your online Statement of Account.
To view your online Statement of Account, please login to OASIS > All Apps > Account Inquiry.
Payments from the University to students are managed via interbank GIRO. You must, therefore, register your receiving bank account information with the University.
A bank account registered and not belonging to you (singly or you not being a joint account holder) will not be accepted.
Please login to OASIS > All Apps > Maintain Bank Accounts > Receiving Bank Account Details.
If you exceed the 4-year candidature, you will no longer receive the Tuition Grant and full tuition fees will apply, as stated in OASIS. The University is required to charge the full rate beyond the 4th year.
Yes, you may apply for subsidised tuition fees in your 5th year if you need to extend your studies or are pursuing a double degree programme.
Important Notes:
- Approval is not guaranteed and is subject to case-by-case review.
- Submit your application no later than the end of your sixth regular term of study.
Submit your application via OASIS > All Apps > Financial Aid Application
Select FA Type: Subsidy
Choose Application Form: Application for Subsidised Tuition Fee in 5th Year of Study
Students will be put on Finance Hold.
A notification email will be sent to inform students who are on Finance Hold.
Students will NOT be allowed to view their examination results and bid for courses in BOSS.
If a student drops a course for Term 3A within the first 3 days of Term 3A, there will be a 60% refund of the tuition fee paid/charged for Term 3A. Thereafter, there will be no refund.
Students who have opted to pay their tuition fee by education loans will have to clear the fees due for the term and outstanding loans with CPF Board.
For students who have applied and are successful in the application for internship placement in the summer term (Term 3), 100% of the tuition fee will be refunded if you drop Term 3A/3B courses during BOSS 2.
For students who drop Term 3A/3B courses after BOSS 2, there will be no refund and the grade of “W” will be recorded.
If a student drops a course for Term 3B within the first 3 days of Term 3B, there will be a 60% refund of the tuition fee paid/charged for Term 3B. Thereafter, there will be no refund.
Students who have opted to pay their tuition fee by education loans will have to clear the fees due for the term.
The effective date will be the date on which students present their official documents to the Office of Registrar (registrar@smu.edu.sg). Any adjustment on the tuition fees will be made if the effective date falls before the start of the academic term. Otherwise, the fee adjustment will take effect from the following academic term.
DDP students are required to pay the higher of the tuition fees if both degree programmes are priced differently.
Students paying unsubsidised tuition fees are not eligible for any financial aid or scholarships administered by the Singapore Ministry of Education (MOE) or SMU.
Students will be notified via email of any charges (and their payment due date) posted to their online Statement of Account. Students may view their online Statement of Account by logging in to OASIS > Finance & Admin > Fee Matters & Financial Assistance Schemes > Account Inquiry.
If the withdrawal is effected within the first 2 weeks of the term, tuition fees charged will be reversed.
If you are applying to change your primary degree programme in Year 2, you shall be liable for payment of the prevailing rate of tuition fees applicable to the new programme if approved.
National Servicemen will lose the fee privilege granted for admission to the previous programme.
The Office of Registrar will inform you of the outcome of your application.
For tuition fees and annual miscellaneous fees, payment is due 30 days after billing. For trips and ad-hoc charges, payment deadlines are dependent on the programme manager.
Students who have completed the coursework requirements for their degree but not their internship need not pay tuition fees for the remaining term(s) while fulfilling their internship.
Term fees will be posted to your account 2 to 3 weeks before the start of a regular term. A notification email will be sent to all students via their respective SMU email accounts for any new charges, and the relevant charges will be posted to their online Statement of Account. To view your online Statement of Account, please log in to the Account Inquiry App.
Student is required to pay the regular term fees regardless of the number of courses registered.
Unlike the regular terms, the tuition fee for Term 3 is priced on a per course basis and is subject to revision without prior notice. To find out the charges of Term 3 course fees, please click here.
If a student is on internship and has yet to complete his/her coursework requirements, he/she is liable for tuition fees unless a Leave of Absence (LOA) is applied for and granted (approved) for that period.
The MOE Tuition Grant is a grant provided by the Government of Singapore to help students manage the costs of full-time tertiary education in Singapore. Eligible Singapore Citizens, Permanent Residents, and international students enrolled in full-time undergraduate courses at the autonomous universities may receive it.
Please click here for more information.
There was a change in 2006 in government funding for undergraduate education, in which every undergraduate student admitted from Academic Year 2006-07 or thereafter is only funded up to the normal candidature of four (4) years.
If a student has yet to graduate after the 4th year of study, there will be no further Tuition Grant from the government to fund this student. The student will then be liable for unsubsidised tuition fees.
The normal candidature period (single and double degree) is 4 years. Students should attempt to graduate within the normal candidature period. The candidature period includes time taken to fulfil the internship and community service requirements, as well as time taken to undertake external study programmes (such as international exchange programme).
Leave of absence that has been approved will not be counted within the candidature period.
