SINGAPORE - More than 70 per cent of Institute of Technical Education (ITE) students received some form of financial aid or scholarships in the 2016 academic year.

Associate Professor Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education, said on Wednesday (July 11) that higher education is significantly subsidised.

Course fees at ITE have a more than 90 per cent subsidy, he said in Parliament in response to Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC), who had asked about financial assistance for ITE students and how such schemes are publicised so students do not miss out on help.

Prof Faishal said the Ministry of Education's financial assistance schemes are designed to support up to two-thirds of students enrolled in post-secondary institutions like ITE.

There are also merit-based scholarships that defray students' fees and school-related expenses, and other financial aid schemes offered by self-help groups and other organisations, he said.

He added that ITE has been increasing its outreach efforts to encourage needy students to apply for financial assistance, by sharing information widely online and offline and reaching out to students previously on financial aid when they were younger.