SINGAPORE - Non-Singaporean students enrolled in government-funded schools will need to pay higher fees from next year.

Monthly school fees will go up in 2022 and 2023 by between $25 and $60 for permanent residents (PR), the Ministry of Education (MOE) said on Thursday (Oct 21).

International students will pay between $25 and $150 more, depending on their educational level, said MOE.

The changes will kick on from January in both years.

MOE said the fee hike is part of a regular review of school fees, and the information is to help parents with their planning.

For primary school pupils, fees for PRs will rise from $205 a month this year to $230 a month next year, and then to $255 a month in 2023.

If they are international students from Asean countries, fees are set to rise from the current $465 a month to $490 next year, and $515 in 2023. If they are from countries outside Asean, fees will rise from $775 a month to $825 next year and $875 in 2023.

PRs in secondary schools now pay about $380 a month but will pay $440 a month next year, and $500 a month in 2023.

Foreign secondary school students from Asean countries now pay $780 but will pay $840 in 2022, and $900 in 2023.

Those from outside Asean countries now pay $1,450 a month. From next year, they will pay $1,600 a month, and $1,750 in 2023.

PR students doing pre-university courses now pay $460 a month. From next year, they will pay $520 a month, and $580 a month the year after.

Foreign students from Asean in these courses now pay $1,040. From next year they will pay $1,070 a month, and this will increase to $1,100 in 2023.

Those from outside Asean are now paying $1,800 a month. They will have to pay $1,950 a month next year, and $2,100 a month in 2023.

For Singaporeans, school fees and standard miscellaneous fees are unchanged, added MOE.

Singaporeans do not pay monthly fees for primary school, and pay $5 a month for secondary school, and $6 a month for pre-university courses.

Miscellaneous fees are set at $6.50 a month for primary school, $10 a month for secondary school, and $13.50 a month for pre-university.

School fees for non-Singaporean students have climbed steadily over the past few years. In 2017, MOE said fees would rise for PRs and foreigners in 2018, 2019 and last year, from between $25 to $60 a month for PRs and by $25 to $150 a month for international students.

Monthly primary school fees for PRs rose from $130 in 2017 to $155 in 2018, $180 in 2019 and $205 last year.

MOE said it would not be increasing school fees for Singapore citizens, permanent residents and students from Asean this year.

However, it said there would be an increase of about 3 per cent in fees for non-Asean foreign students in government and government-aided schools.