Will there be any fee increase for AY2013/2014?

There will be adjustments made to the tuition fees for AY2013/2014. A schedule of the graduate tuition fees can be found at https://share.nus.edu.sg/registrar/info/gd/GDTuitionCurrent.pdf

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Q02.

How much can we expect the fee increment to be?

Fees for the incoming AY2013/14 intake of students for graduate coursework programmes, with the exception of graduate courses offered by the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, will be adjusted upwards by 10%. The tuition fees for graduate coursework degrees offered by the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy will be 15% higher than the fees for the AY2012/2013 intake. In subsequent years, the fees for the AY2013/2014 intake will be increased by 3% annually for the remaining course duration.

Fees for the incoming AY2013/14 intake of students for graduate research programmes will be adjusted upwards by 10%, with the exception of Nursing. The tuition fee for Nursing’s graduate research courses remains unchanged. In subsequent years, the fees for the AY2013/14 intake will be increased by 3% annually for the remaining course duration.

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What are the reasons for the proposed fee adjustments?

NUS has been very successful in providing a very affordable and internationally recognised education that gives our students the competitive edge needed to succeed in the globalised world. This requires hiring and developing top academic manpower and supporting staff, as well as investing in and maintaining quality teaching facilities and enhancing student amenities. As such, a tuition fee increase is necessary to help preserve and improve the quality of teaching. These adjustments are necessary to allow NUS and its Faculties to cope with the reality of the cost of education - a higher cost of operations arising from higher prices of supplies and services.

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Have cost cutting measures been considered?

Keeping costs under control is always a top priority for the University. Through streamlining of administrative processes, and competitive tendering for goods and services, cost increases have been kept low. In addition, the University has taken decisive steps to further reduce costs and expenditure so that more resources can be channeled to priority areas such as enriching their learning experience; to recruiting and developing strong academics who are key to high-quality education and research; and to further enhancing the quality of our administrative, professional and support staff.

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Which set of fees would be applicable if I have accepted NUS’ offer of admission earlier and been granted deferment of my actual admission to August 2013 (AY2013/14)?

You will be considered a new student of the AY2013/14 intake. As such, the fees for "new students admitted in AY2013/14", as published on the graduate fee webpage, will apply to you.

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How will these changes affect fees charged to international students?

New Singapore Permanent Residents (SPR) and International Students (IS) admitted to NUS from AY2013/14 will pay higher fees. The higher fee differentiation is in line with the Government’s move to, over time, sharpen the differentiation between Singapore Citizens (SC), SPR and foreigners to reflect the privileges of citizenship. For the student cohort to be admitted in AY2013/14, SPR as well as IS who are under the Service Obligation Scheme for graduate students will pay higher fees of between $640 and $3,680 more than the existing annual rates for SPR, and between $1,270 and $6,000 more than existing annual rates for IS. Existing students will continue to be subject to the current fee differentiation framework that was applied to them.

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With the tuition fee increase for AY2013/14, will there be any enhancements made to the programmes?

The implementation of this modest increase and thorough cost-cutting measures will enable NUS to press ahead with significant enhancements to our educational programmes. The University will continue to attract the best faculty, staff and students to further propel NUS to the forefront of research and education. With additional faculty, improvement in the number of students to each faculty member can be expected and further enhancements will be made to several student-related services such as career and academic counselling services.

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Can we expect financial assistance or scholarships to help students with the fee increase?

Students can apply for a range of scholarships and financial aid from the University and the Ministry of Education. These options include Lee Kong Chian Graduate Scholarship, President’s Graduate Fellowship, SMA Graduate Fellowship at SMART, NUS Research Scholarship, NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences & Engineering Scholarship (NGSS), Singapore International Graduate Award (SINGA), ASEAN Foundation Research Scholarship and NUS Graduate Scholarship for ASEAN Nationals (GSA), Tuition Fee Allowance, and Tuition Fee Loan. More information on graduate scholarships and financial aid can be found at
http://www.nus.edu.sg/admissions/graduate-studies/fees-faid-scholarships.php.

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Would NUS provide more on-campus job opportunities for students, including international students, to cope with the fee adjustments?

Besides the Part-time Appointment Scheme, the NUS Career Centre in the Office of Student Affairs provides services to help students find part-time jobs on and outside campus. Students who are interested are invited to check with the NUS Career Centre, or directly with the Faculties, and Departments for such part-time job opportunities.

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With the increased pressures in workload and expectations from graduate students, would NUS consider scholarship extensions for graduate students exceeding their academic term?

The Faculties already do consider such requests on a case-by-case basis. Factors that are taken into consideration include the reason(s) for extension, and the performance of the student. Nonetheless, upon extension of candidature, there is no guarantee of similar extension of scholarship and government subsidy.

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For those who are staying for extra months not amounting to a complete semester, are there any considerations for lowered / discounted fees?

Currently, graduate research students are given a full waiver of their tuition fees if they submit their theses within the first two instructional weeks of the start of a semester and a 50% discount if their theses are submitted by end September in Semester 1 or end March in Semester 2.

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If I already have a graduate degree, will I still be able to enjoy the government subsidy if I wish to pursue a second graduate programme?

Students who have previously enjoyed government subsidy or sponsorship by a Singapore government agency (such as scholarships offered by the Ministries, Public Service Commission and Statutory Boards) in a graduate programme will not be eligible for government subsidy in another graduate programme at the same or lower level. For example, a student with a subsidised Master’s degree who wishes to upgrade in another discipline area where the programme has a combination of Master’s and PhD studies, will not be eligible to enjoy government subsidies during the Master’s candidature.

Students who are not eligible for government subsidy are also ineligible for some scholarships. For example, the President’s Graduate Fellowship, SMA Graduate Fellowship at SMART, NUS Research Scholarship, Tuition Fee Allowance, NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences & Engineering Scholarship (NGSS).

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