The Tertiary Tuition Fee Subsidy (TTFS) scheme, introduced in 1991, is an education subsidy for Malay students, which covers their tuition fees at tertiary institutions. The Government, together with Yayasan Mendaki, has revised the income eligibility criteria for the scheme to benefit more Malay students in tertiary institutions. The new criteria will take effect from the next academic year (AY2012).
Changes in Criteria
2 The current income criteria is based on a two-tier scheme where tertiary students with monthly household income below $3,000 will be eligible for the following TTFS subsidies:
|
Monthly Household Income |
Eligible Subsidy |
|
$2,000 and below |
100% |
|
$2,001 - $3,000 |
70% |
3 The revised income criteria will be based on a three-tier system where students who come from households with per capita monthly household income (PCI) of below $1,500 will be eligible for the following TTFS subsidies:
|
Per Capita Income (PCI) |
Eligible Subsidy |
|
$1,000 and below |
100% |
|
$1,001 - $1,200 |
75% |
|
$1,201 - $1,500 |
50% |
4 The revised system has three key changes in the eligibility criteria:
a) Income Eligibility Criterion – the shift from using household income to per capita monthly household income (PCI). This takes into account household size to better reflect the family’s financial situation.
b) Three-Tier System – This retains the principle of differentiating subsidies for households with different abilities to provide for their children. At the same time, the refinement allows for a gradual differentiation of subsidies for households with different income levels.
c) Higher Income Eligibility Caps – the maximum income cap of PCI $1,500 corresponds to a household income of about $6,000 for a four-member household.
Enhanced Coverage of Malay Households
5 Consistent with the founding principles of TTFS, the revisions to the income eligibility criteria will ensure that students in financially challenged families are not denied access to higher education, while cultivating the spirit of self-reliance in more well-to-do families.
6 The new income criteria will broaden the eligibility coverage to benefit a larger proportion of households. As Malay households continue to progress financially, the Government will review the income criteria periodically to ensure that no less than two-thirds of Malay households in Singapore continue to benefit from the TTFS scheme.
7 MENDAKI will continue exercising flexibility in approving subsidies for families with extenuating circumstances, such as those supporting more than one child for tertiary education or families who may have members with chronic medical problems. This appeal mechanism will continue to function alongside the revised scheme.
8 The new criteria will take effect from the next academic year i.e. AY2012 onwards. Current TTFS recipients will not be affected by retrospective implementation of the criteria.
9 A list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) can be found
here.
10 The application form can be downloaded
here.
11 Please click below for more information on the various institutions: