The Anti Neo-Democracy Theorist

Tension looms in National University? Is it a Public Relations issue? Can more be done to foster interactions between foreign students and local students? Should local students make more efforts to interact with foreign students? Should local students appreciate more the diversity that foreign students bring ? Do some of the Singaporean students’ reactions merely reflect the national psyche? How much should the tuition fee be charged? Why not the same? Why different? Difficult questions with difficult solutions

The Straits Times
Foreigners get 4 in 10 bursaries given by NUS this year;
But S’pore students come first, it says in response to some rumblings

Sandra Davie, Education Correspondent

FOUR in 10 bursaries awarded by the National University of Singapore (NUS) this year went to foreigners, a move by the university to signal that it embraces talented students from anywhere.

But Singapore students will be catered for first, before the funds go out to foreign students.

The NUS financial aid office has offered 1,500 bursaries so far this year, with 60 per cent, or 900, going to Singaporeans. No local applicant who met the eligibility criterion of per capita monthly household income of up to $900 was turned away.

They were awarded bursaries ranging from $1,000 to $2,000.

Foreigners who could show proof of hardship took the rest of the bursaries, with each getting about $300 less than their local counterparts.

The move by NUS has led to rumblings among some alumni, students and parents, who called The Straits Times to complain about what they see as an ‘inappropriately large number of bursaries’ going to foreigners.

Their beef is that the bursaries are funded out of the NUS budget, which comes from taxpayers, and alumni contributions, which come mostly from Singaporeans, so why should so much of it go to foreigners, they ask.

When asked to comment, NUS reiterated that local students are given priority for bursaries, noting that all Singapore applicants who applied received them.

Foreign students also get less than locals, it said.

NUS vice-provost Lily Kong said its bursary scheme is in line with the university’s commitment to ensure that no student is denied a university education due to financial difficulty.

She said: ‘If we believe that foreign students add diversity and enrich the learning environment, then we must be prepared to extend help to them if they are in need.’

She added that the foreign students at NUS are among the best, and have offers of places from top American and British universities.

‘Our students gain from having them here, because they challenge them to perform better.”

Some NUS alumni feel that the university is right to extend financial help to foreigners, and pointed out that top universities elsewhere do the same.

America’s Harvard University, for example, expanded its aid scheme further this year, exempting students from low-income families from anywhere in the world from paying for both tuition fees and accommodation.

But the detractors think too many foreigners are getting help.

They feel foreign students are already subsidised by the Singapore Government, as they pay only 10 per cent more in fees than locals.

Mr N. Riva, 44, a businessman and donor, added: ‘I decided against giving after I found out that it went to foreigners as well. Just last year, NUS said it did not have enough to help all needy students.’

NUS came under fire last year when it revealed that only 492 out of 1,074 bursary applicants had received funds. It responded by pledging to top up alumni donations with its own money.

NUS bursaries are the only free form of financial help for needy students.

Its other aid schemes are mostly loans which are generally interest-free until the students graduate.

Foreign students receiving the NUS bursaries were grateful for the help.

Mr Ushan Premaratne, 21, from Sri Lanka, a second-year law and business double degree student, takes on loans and temporary jobs to support himself. By the time he graduates, he would have taken about $50,000 in loans for his NUS education.

Said Mr Premaratne: ‘I am thankful for the bursary, I don’t have to work more hours and I can keep up with the demands of my double degree programme.’

sandra@sph.com.sg