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SINGAPORE – An average of around 1,600 international students received tuition scholarships during each of the past five years to study at Singapore’s autonomous universities (AUs), Education Minister Lawrence Wong said on Tuesday (October 6).
This represents less than 10 percent of the annual admission of college students.
Mr. Wong was responding in Parliament to Mr. Darryl David (Ang Mo Kio GRC), who had asked how many international students had been admitted to local universities under the Tuition Grants Program of the Ministry of Education (MOE).
Under the scheme, recipients must post a three-year bond with a Singaporean entity upon graduation.
Mr. David and Associate Professor Jamus Jerome Lim (Sengkang GRC) also asked how the Ministry of Education intends to help international students who cannot find work in today’s job market to fulfill their obligations.
Mr. Wong acknowledged that recent graduates find it difficult to find work in this economic climate. The Ministry of Education’s priority is to help locals find employment, he said, but it will also provide fair treatment to tuition scholarship holders.
“In particular, the Ministry of Education works with universities and other public agencies to facilitate their applications for work pass agreements here, while maintaining the Fair Consideration Framework,” he said.
Flexibility is given in evaluating the work pass applications of these international students, he added, and they are also given time to stay in Singapore to look for work.
“Those who have real difficulties finding employment here or abroad can go to universities and the Ministry of Education for help, and we will assess their situation and see how we can best help them on a case-by-case basis,” Wong said.
“We will continue to monitor the situation and adjust our approach according to the situation and the economic outlook.”
Furthermore, Mr. Wong said that no Singaporean is displaced from a university place because of an international student.
“Places in the UAs are planned primarily for Singaporeans, in accordance with the 40% cohort participation target. This year, we reserved more places in the UAs to serve Singaporean students whose study abroad plans they were interrupted by the Covid -19 pandemic, “he said.
“UAs first admit Singaporean students who can meet their admission standards. Then they raise the bar a few levels and admit a small number of international students in addition to local students.”
He said having a few international students adds to the “diversity of the overall educational experience” and cultivates the global perspective of students, preparing them for a future workplace where they may have to interact with people of different nationalities.
“We will continue to review and adjust the number of international students with tuition scholarships in the future, taking into account the quality of applicants and other factors,” said Mr. Wong.
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