Liberated from financial worries, NUS Computing students and inaugural recipients of the KPMG Scholarship reach for new heights.

Amid a widening socioeconomic gap, scholarships can be life-changing. For two students from the NUS School of Computing (SOC), this timely financial aid has been the key to opening doors to opportunity and growth. 

Established in 2023 by the major accounting firm KPMG, the KPMG Scholarship has turned adversity into opportunity for its inaugural recipients, Mr Yu Xinyang and Mr Tristan Seow.

Igniting Potential: Yu Xinyang

With support from the KPMG Scholarship, Mr Yu Xinyang has been empowered to achieve his full potential at NUS School of Computing.

Xinyang’s academic journey started off as an uphill climb. Arriving in Singapore from China at the age of 12, he had minimal command of English and failed three subjects in his first year in primary school. “I was drowning in silence,” he recalled.

The son of a hairdresser and a technician, Mr Yu was determined to make the most out of every opportunity. Driven by his passion for technology, he worked hard to study Information Technology during his years in polytechnic. The course offered valuable experience, such as an internship with GovTech, where Xinyang contributed to security infrastructure used by civil servants.

“But the real test came during National Service,” he recounted. “I was physically exhausted and mentally strained by the uncertainty of my future. My parents couldn’t afford university fees, and my NS pay was not much, meaning that every dollar had to be stretched.”

Refusing to let circumstances stagnate his learning, Xinyang printed his computer science notes and sealed them in a waterproof Ziploc bag every Sunday before booking into camp. “For the next five days in the forest, I would be coding algorithms on paper, debugging in my head; all without a laptop,” he shared. “It was gruelling, but those years taught me that progress isn’t about talent or timing. It’s about outlasting your doubts.”

While Xinyang poured in the effort to excel in his education, his financial situation was still a source of anxiety. The scholarship he received was his lifeline to opportunity. “The KPMG Scholarship didn’t just lift my financial burden,” he reflected. “It ignited hope in me.”

Freed from financial worries, Xinyang went all out to maximise his opportunities in his first year, securing internships at Jump Trading and Binance. He was also able to pursue passion projects, such as building the open-source learning platform Computer Science Second Brain, now used by 1,000 monthly visitors, and becoming a finalist out of 747 participants in Hack&Roll 2025.

“With the support from KPMG, I’m turning barriers into bridges at NUS, striving to democratise knowledge and empower future dreamers,” he added. “I’ll pay it forward by proving that resilience defines outcomes far more than circumstances.”

An Education to Enjoy: Tristan Seow

Mr Tristan Seow enjoys exploring interdisciplinary interests as an NUS student.

For Tristan, the KPMG Scholarship has allowed him to find joy and fulfilment in his academic pursuits. Raised in a household that valued effort over outcomes, Tristan learnt early on that perseverance trumps innate talent. “Experiencing failure at a young age taught me to recover quickly and grow,” he reflected.

Thanks to the support from the Scholarship, Tristan has enjoyed free rein to explore interdisciplinary interests, as he pursues a double major in Computing and Mathematics. He is thriving in his first year of university life, participating actively in hall activities and even getting to play drums for the NUS Jazz Band.

“Balancing these commitments is an achievement I’m proud of,” he noted, highlighting that this has only been possible with the Scholarship’s financial assistance. At the same time, he has not lost sight of his academic focus and aspires to “advance the application of mathematics and computer algorithms in society”. 

Multiplying Talent

KPMG’s partnership with NUS underscores a commitment to fostering talent where it might otherwise be overlooked. As Xinyang put it: “Education is the gift that multiplies.”

It might only be their first year in NUS, but for these scholars, the multiplier effect has already begun.

Your gift has the power to change lives. Open doors for more students like Xinyang and Tristan when you make a gift today a gift today.