The MOE (Ministry Of Education) financial assistance scheme is aimed at helping Singapore citizens who need assistance for school fees and other expenses. This applies to government, government-aided, specialised and some independent schools.
The motive of this financial assistance scheme (FAS) is based on the fundamental idea that education is the basic right of every child. No one should be left behind and deprived of the opportunity due to a lack of financial stability. In a class, there may be students of varying socioeconomic background; some may need financial assistance while others may be well-off.
No matter how different every child’s family situation may be, Singapore education system teaches students to empathise with one another and be accepting of differences.
There are many parents who are unsure as to how this financial assistance scheme works. So, here are some commonly asked questions about this scheme which will be answered right here for you!
#1: HOW WILL I KNOW IF MY CHILD QUALIFIES FOR THIS SCHEME?
Ministry Of Education has an eligibility checker on its website and this is a useful tool for you to check out if your child is eligible for this scheme. This may require you to fill in some details in order for the system to assess if you meet the criteria for financial assistance.
Some information that needs to be filled in includes,
- Monthly household income
- Number of members in household
- The school your child is attending
Based on these details the website will tell you the options available. The general rule of thumb is that you can qualify for the financial assistance scheme only if you have a monthly gross household income of $2,750 or less, or a monthly per capita income of $690 or less.
#2: HOW CAN WE APPLY FOR THE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE SCHEME?
You can either get the application form from the school, or download it from the official MOE website. The form consists of various segments that need to be answered, such as,
- Particulars of child or children studying in Government or Government-aided schools
- Information on Other Household Members
- Request for Free Textbooks and School Attire
- Modes of Transport between Home and School
- Application for Subsidised New Computer
#3: IF MY CHILD QUALIFIES FOR THE FAS, WHAT WILL HE/SHE RECIEVE?
After consideration based on monthly household income and the kind of school your child attends, your child may receive the following under the MOE FAS,
- A full subsidy of $5 per month for school fees.
- A full subsidy of $10 per month for standard miscellaneous fees.
- Free textbooks and school attire.
- $15 transport credit per month if your child takes public transport.
- A $2.90 per meal subsidy for school meals, applicable to 10 meals per school week.
#4: DO I NEED TO SUBMIT SEPERATE FAS APPLICATION FORMS FOR EACH CHILD?
There is no need to submit separate application forms for each child. You can fill in all the details for all your children in one form.
#5: WHAT ARE THE DOCUMENTS THAT NEED TO BE SUBMITTED FOR THIS SCHEME?
The documents that need to be submitted includes,
- CPF Transaction Statement or Contribution History for past 12 months.
- Latest Income Tax Notice of Assessment (for both employed and self-employed household member(s)).
- Latest payslip or a letter from the employer certifying gross monthly income (applicable only for employed household member(s)).
- Proof of other sources of income (e.g. rental, pension, and etc), if applicable.
- Declaration of unemployment (if applicable).
- Student/Matriculation card for full-time student at tertiary institutions (e.g. ITE, Polytechnics, Universities, private schools) / Identification card for full-time National Servicemen (if applicable).
- Copies of NRIC of household members, other than parents and unmarried siblings of the child.
- Where applicable, documents showing proof of legal guardianship
This is discussed in much more detail in the official MOE website. So, for more specific details, you can visit the website, contact MOE or reach out to your child’s school for assistance.
#6: IF MY CHILD MOVES FROM ONE SCHOOL TO ANOTHER, IS THERE A NEED TO RESUBMIT THE FAS APPLICATION FORM?
There is no need to reapply when transitioning from one school to another. The validity of the scheme continues to remain till the end of the year. If you wish for your child to remain in the scheme for the following year, you would need to reapply.
#7: IS THERE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE PAST SECONDARY SCHOOL EDUCATION?
Yes, there is financial assistance for what is called as “Post-Secondary Education Institutions (PSEIs)”. There are individual government bursaries for ITE, Polytechnic, NUS/NTU Medicine or dentistry course and Autonomous university. Every institution has its own assistance schemes as well.
#8: WHAT SHOULD I DO IF MY CHILD IS IN SINGAPORE SPORTS SCHOOL OR IN SCHOOL OF THE ARTS?
In this case, you should apply for financial assistance directly with the schools as they have their own financial assistance schemes.
BOTTOM LINE
There is no need to fear or worry as the government is there to guide you and your child. No child will be deprived of opportunities and every child will be guided well to achieve success!