SINGAPORE – Singaporeans whose monthly household income is $5,000 or below can now apply for a bond-free scholarship to pursue full-time language, linguistic and humanities degree courses at Singapore universities.

The Lim Kim San Memorial Scholarship is open for applications from now until April 30. 

The scholarship was established in 2006 at the suggestion of the late Lim Kim San, Singapore’s first minister for finance.

Since then, 171 students have benefited from the scheme, which is funded by the SPH Foundation.

Mr Lim, who died in 2006, was the executive chairman of Singapore Press Holdings between 1988 and 2002. The firm’s media business was spun off as SPH Media Trust in December 2021.

The scholarship covers course fees, including tuition and examination fees, for students. It includes a living allowance of $2,000 and a $300 book allowance per year.

The scholarship will apply for the minimum time it takes recipients to earn a degree – including an honours degree if applicable – but it should not exceed four years.

Even though the scholarship is bond-free, recipients are expected to serve society through community work, such as with social service agencies and self-help groups, during or after their studies.

If there are suitable vacancies, scholarship recipients may be granted an internship at SPH Media, which publishes titles such as The Straits Times.

Scholarship applicants must separately seek admission to the universities and must be accepted, or should have already been admitted to the universities before the scholarship’s final selection.

To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants should have good results at the GCE O- and A-level exams or polytechnics, as well as in the annual exams at the local universities, and have consistently good co-curricular activity records.

Applications should be submitted online by April 30. Shortlisted candidates will be interviewed in June.