Temasek Foundation launches 3 bond-free scholarships for students from lower-income families
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Scholarship recipients studying in polytechnics will receive $4,000 for each year of study, while those in ITEs or universities get $3,000 and $5,000, respectively.
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SINGAPORE - Three bond-free scholarships – worth more than $4 million over five years – were launched on Tuesday by Temasek Foundation for students from lower-income backgrounds, whose families will also receive awards.
This will benefit 39 students from institutes of higher learning each year, or nearly 200 individuals from 2023 to 2027.
Scholarship recipients enrolling in the Institute of Technical Education will receive $3,000 for each year of study, while those in polytechnics and universities will receive annual payments of $4,000 and $5,000, respectively, for the duration of their course.
Each of their families will get a $2,000 family recognition award, which will be paid annually over the course of their studies.
Temasek Foundation said this is to mitigate the financial issues faced by lower-income families when one member takes time off work to pursue further studies and to recognise the contributions of family members to support the recipient.
To be eligible for the scholarships, an applicant must be a Singaporean who has a household income per capita of less than $1,875 per month. Application opened on Tuesday, with the first batch of recipients expected to be awarded later in 2023.
Temasek Foundation is a Singapore-based non-profit organisation under the philanthropic arm of the Republic’s investment company Temasek.
Each of the scholarships is named in honour of a late unionist – Mr G. Muthukumarasamy, Mr R.K.S Nachiappan and Mr Nithiah Nandan Arumugam.
Mr Lim Hock Chuan, head of programmes at Temasek Foundation, said the scholarships aim to give recipients an extra boost in their educational journey so that they can realise their full potential.
“Individuals who come from lower-income backgrounds may face more hurdles in furthering their education and skills upgrading due to financial pressures.
“We hope to inspire students of all ages to follow in the footsteps of unionists G. Muthukumarasamy, R.K.S. Nachiappan and Nithiah Nandan Arumugam, who recognised the value of education and promoted lifelong learning.”
Mr Muthukumarasamy, who died in 2019 at the age of 68,
It was subsumed under the Amalgamated Union of Public Employees in 2021.
Mr Nithiah and Mr Nachiappan were both with the Union of Power and Gas Employees, with the former serving as executive secretary and the latter a founding member of the union.
Mr Nithiah died in 2007 at the age of 57 while Mr Nachiappan died in 2021 at age 67.
Along with the scholarships, book prizes for children of the two unions’ members were also launched on Tuesday.
