Debated in Parliament on 1 Aug 2017.
Mr Pritam Singh asked the Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) (a) how will the Ministry ensure that the cost of the modules and courses available for mature students at autonomous universities that lead to the award of degrees will be affordable; and (b) whether there are plans to extend some tuition subsidies to such students who may already have been awarded first degrees at subsidised rates.
Within the constraints of our budget, the Ministry of Education (MOE) is committed to ensure that education and training remain affordable.
Today, Singaporeans will typically receive a subsidy of 75% for full-time and part-time degree programmes offered at the Autonomous Universities (AUs). The subsidy rate goes up to 90% for those aged 40 and above undertaking degree programmes for the first time. We also make available education bursaries and loans to individual students, with lower income individuals receiving more.
Besides degree programmes, AUs also offer many industry-relevant modular courses that help adult learners update their skills and knowledge and stay employable and competitive. These courses are also subsidised, generally from 70% to 90% of the course fees. In 2015, the AUs delivered about 15,000 training places, many of which were offered as modular courses. MOE will work with the AUs to expand such offerings to support lifelong learning and subsidise such courses so that they are more accessible to adult learners.
An instance where an individual finds that he is not receiving a subsidy is when he is taking a second degree. But given that resources are limited, we have to prioritise Government subsidies for those pursuing their first degrees. While we support lifelong learning strongly, budget constraints are still a reality and prioritisation on how we spend public funds is needed.
PAPERCUTS