Scholarships to Study in Singapore for Indian Students: 2026

Last Updated on: July 7, 2026

Scholarships to study in Singapore for Indian students fall into two groups: competitive merit awards from the universities, and the MOE Tuition Grant subsidy that lowers tuition in return for a work bond. As of 2026, the Ministry of Education states that the Tuition Grant Scheme bond runs for 3 years for international students. That bond is the part most families miss, so we treat it as a real cost, not a footnote. This guide also separates the awards Indians can actually win from the ones that quietly exclude them. The Key Takeaways below give you the short version.

All INR conversions use an approximate exchange rate as of 2026-06-30: S$1 ≈ ₹73.12 (mid-market; rates fluctuate intraday, so figures are indicative).

Written by

Nagesh Danagalla

Senior Counsellor for the Middle East and Asian countries

Nagesh Danagalla helps Indian students with university selection, admissions, and student visas for Middle East and Asian destinations at AOEC India. A B.Tech and M.Tech graduate of JNTU Hyderabad, he brings destination-specific expertise in admissions and visa documentation.

5 Years, 320 students counselled

Reviewed by

Sridhar Kongara

Managing Director

Mr. Kongara Sridhar, Director of AOEC India, has over 12 years of experience in overseas education consulting, admissions, and student visa guidance.

Over 12 years Experience

Key Takeaways

Singapore funding splits into the MOE Tuition Grant subsidy and competitive merit scholarships from NUS, NTU, SMU, and SUTD.
Many international undergraduates take up the Tuition Grant, which lowers tuition but ties you to a 3-year work bond at a Singapore-registered company.
Undergraduate scholarships add living allowances of S$5,800 to S$6,500 a year, but they are rare and very competitive for Indians.
The Dr Goh Keng Swee Scholarship lists India as eligible and lets you serve the bond from your home country.
Fully funded routes mainly sit at postgraduate level: SINGA for PhD students and the NUS Commonwealth Scholarship for eligible master’s research and PhD students.
The ASEAN Undergraduate Scholarship excludes Indian nationals, and ICCR funds foreign students coming into India, not Indians going abroad.

Table of Contents

The 7 funding routes at a glance Scroll here ↓ How does scholarship and grant funding work for Indian students in Singapore? Scroll here ↓ What is the MOE Tuition Grant, and who can take it? Scroll here ↓ What does the Tuition Grant bond actually commit you to? Scroll here ↓ Which undergraduate scholarships can Indian students realistically win? Scroll here ↓ What funding is open to Indian master’s and PhD students? Scroll here ↓ Other scholarships worth checking directly Scroll here ↓ Which Singapore scholarships do not apply to Indian students? Scroll here ↓ Which funding route fits your profile and budget? Scroll here ↓ How and when do you apply for a Singapore scholarship? Scroll here ↓ Frequently Asked Questions Scroll here ↓

The 7 funding routes at a glance

Here is the whole funding map in one place, numbered the way this guide works through it. The routes run from the base-layer subsidy, through the merit scholarships you compete for, to the fully funded research awards. Each section below picks up the same routes in this order.

#	Funding route	Level	What it can cover	Bond	Indian students eligible?
1	MOE Tuition Grant	Undergraduate	Subsidised tuition	3-year bond	Yes
2	NUS International Undergraduate Scholarship	Undergraduate	Subsidised tuition + S$5,800 (approx. ₹4.24 lakh) living allowance	3-year Tuition Grant bond	Yes
3	NUS Science & Technology Undergraduate Scholarship	Undergraduate	Subsidised tuition + S$6,000 (approx. ₹4.39 lakh) living allowance	6-year bond	Yes
4	Nanyang Global Scholarship	Undergraduate	Subsidised tuition + S$6,500 (approx. ₹4.75 lakh) living allowance	3-year Tuition Grant bond	Yes
5	Dr Goh Keng Swee Scholarship	Undergraduate	Tuition + living allowance	3-year bond, possible home-country route	Yes
6	SINGA	PhD	Tuition + monthly stipend + airfare + settling-in allowance	Check award terms	Yes
7	NUS Commonwealth Scholarship	Master’s research / PhD	Tuition + monthly stipend	No specific bond requirements	Yes (Commonwealth applicants)

How does scholarship and grant funding work for Indian students in Singapore?

Funding a Singapore degree comes in three layers: the MOE Tuition Grant subsidy that lowers tuition for international students, the university merit scholarships you compete for on top of it, and the graduate or external research awards for master's and PhD applicants. Scholarships to study in Singapore for Indian students sit on top of the grant, not instead of it.

So where does your family actually start? Almost every Indian family gets the order wrong. The grant is the base layer that brings fees down, the merit award is the top-up you compete for, and the research awards are a separate track. Mix these up, and you either miss free money or budget for the wrong number.

If you want the wider picture on fees, intakes, and visas before you shortlist funding, our overview of how to study in Singapore sets the scene. The Singapore scholarships for Indian students worth chasing are the ones that match your level, your grades, and your appetite for the bond. Here is the honest split most families need to hear.

Tuition Grant (subsidy): open to international students at the autonomous universities, but it bonds you for 3 years.
University merit scholarships: rare, prestigious, and add a living allowance on top of the subsidy.
Research awards: SINGA (PhD only) and the NUS Commonwealth Scholarship (master’s research and PhD), often fully funded.

What is the MOE Tuition Grant, and who can take it?

The MOE Tuition Grant (TGS) is a Singapore government subsidy that lowers tuition at the autonomous universities. As of 2026, the Ministry of Education lists eligibility for Singapore Citizens, Permanent Residents, and international students who sign the bond. This makes the grant the default first step for almost every Indian undergraduate, not a competitive scholarship.

Here is where parents often relax too soon. The Tuition Grant is one of the few Singapore government scholarships-style schemes open to outsiders, but it is a subsidy, not free money. You still pay subsidised tuition fees, just at a lower rate than the full international price. The autonomous universities, which include NUS, NTU, SMU, and SUTD, all sit inside this scheme.

Why does this matter for your shortlist? Because the Tuition Grant is also where most of the scholarships in Singapore for international students story begins. Many merit awards assume you have already taken the grant, then stack a living allowance on top. So the grant is rarely the end of your funding plan, but it is almost always the start of it.

Quick term check: "Autonomous universities" are Singapore's government-funded public universities (NUS, NTU, SMU, SUTD, and others). "Subsidised tuition fees" means the grant lowers your bill but does not erase it.

What does the Tuition Grant bond actually commit you to?

The Tuition Grant bond is a service obligation requiring international students who accept the MOE Tuition Grant to work after graduation. As of 2026, the Ministry of Education sets this bond at 3 years for international students. This means the subsidy is repaid through committed early-career work, not cash, which reshapes the true cost of studying in Singapore.

Major Canadian scholarships can cover full tuition for outstanding international applicants. The Lester B. Pearson International Scholarship at the University of Toronto covers tuition, books, incidental fees and full residence support for four years, per the University of Toronto Lester B Pearson scholarships page. High-value awards meaningfully change the funding maths for top students.

This is the section most competitor articles skip, and it is the one your parents will care about most. The bond is a legal work obligation, not a polite suggestion. Take the subsidy, and you sign up to repay Singapore with your early career.

As of 2026, the standard Tuition Grant bond requires international students to work for a Singapore-registered company for three years immediately after graduation, under the Ministry of Education’s Tuition Grant Scheme terms. That is three years of your early career committed before you have even started your degree.

Does every award add a bond on top? No, and this is where the detail pays off. As of 2026, NTU states that no extra bond attaches to the Nanyang Global Scholarship beyond the standard 3-year Tuition Grant bond. So a Nanyang Global Scholarship does not double your obligation. One scholarship, however, goes the other way.

As of 2026, NUS states that its Science & Technology Undergraduate Scholarship carries a six-year bond with a Singapore-registered company. That is double the standard term. A bigger award can mean a longer leash, so read the bond length before you celebrate the stipend.

Can the bond be served from India?

Here is the angle that changes the maths for many families. The bond does not always mean staying in Singapore. As of 2026, the Association of Banks in Singapore states that the Dr Goh Keng Swee Scholarship bond can be served at an approved company in Singapore or a Singapore-based company in your home country. For an Indian student who wants to return home, that home-country option is a quiet but real advantage.

We are deliberately not running the “is the bond worth it” tuition-versus-salary maths here. That ROI calculation depends on full fee figures, so it belongs with the numbers. Our breakdown of the cost of studying in Singapore walks through the bond economics properly, with the tuition tables this article deliberately leaves out.

Which undergraduate scholarships can Indian students realistically win?

Undergraduate scholarships in Singapore for Indians come mainly from NUS and NTU, adding living allowances on top of the Tuition Grant. For the 2026 intake, NTU offers the Nanyang Global Scholarship with a living allowance of S$6,500 per year. These awards are prestigious and scarce, so realistic candidates are top-of-cohort applicants.

Let’s be honest with each other here, because false hope helps nobody. The headline undergraduate scholarships in Singapore exist, the amounts are real, and Indians do win them, but the numbers are small. If your child is a strong-but-average student, treat these as a stretch goal and build a backup plan around the Tuition Grant instead.

That Nanyang Global Scholarship living allowance is paid each academic year, on top of the subsidised tuition, which makes it one of the more generous merit scholarships in Singapore at undergraduate level. NUS runs two parallel options that Indian students should know by name.

NUS International Undergraduate Scholarship – the best all-round pick for strong international applicants across most courses.
NUS Science & Technology Undergraduate Scholarship – best for STEM students, but weigh the longer six-year bond before you accept.
Nanyang Global Scholarship (NTU) – the highest living allowance of the undergraduate set, and open to all nationalities.
Dr Goh Keng Swee Scholarship – the standout for Indians, with India named as eligible and a home-country bond option.

For the 2026 intake, NUS offers the International UG Scholarship with a S$5,800 annual living allowance (approx. ₹4.24 lakh). NUS confirms this award is open to citizens of all countries except Singapore, so Indian nationals qualify. These are the NUS scholarships for international students you will see named most often.

For the 2026 intake, the NUS Science & Technology UG Scholarship pays a S$6,000 annual living allowance (approx. ₹4.39 lakh). It carries the longer six-year bond noted earlier, so weigh the higher allowance against the extra commitment. For the 2026 intake, the Association of Banks in Singapore lists India among the 15 economies eligible for the Dr Goh Keng Swee Scholarship. From 2026, that award is offered only at NUS. These Singapore university scholarships for Indians reward genuinely top applicants. To see which campuses host them, browse the universities in Singapore guide. The NTU scholarships for international students, led by the Nanyang Global Scholarship, round out the realistic undergraduate set.

What funding is open to Indian master’s and PhD students?

Postgraduate funding in Singapore centres on research awards covering tuition plus a monthly stipend. As of 2026, the NUS Graduate School offers the Commonwealth Scholarship paying a S$3,000 monthly stipend for PhD students and S$2,900 for master's students. Because India is a Commonwealth member, Indian research students are eligible for this fully funded route.

If undergraduate awards felt out of reach, this is where the picture brightens. The genuinely fully funded scholarships in Singapore mostly live at the research level, and Indians are squarely eligible. Two routes matter most for postgraduate applicants.

The first is SINGA (Singapore International Graduate Award), a PhD-only funding scheme run with A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research). It funds doctoral research, not master’s study. As of 2026, the SMU programme page states SINGA pays a monthly stipend of S$2,000 before the PhD qualifying exam, rising to S$2,500 after (approx. ₹1.46 lakh rising to ₹1.83 lakh). Beyond the stipend, SINGA covers subsidised tuition fees for up to four years, plus a settling-in allowance and airfare. For an Indian student set on a doctorate, it is one of the most complete PhD funding packages on offer.

S$3,000

Commonwealth monthly stipend (PhD) NUS Graduate School, 2026

S$2,900

Commonwealth monthly stipend (Master's) NUS Graduate School, 2026

₹2.19L

INR equivalent of S$3,000/month At S$1 ≈ ₹73.12

The Commonwealth Scholarship runs for up to four years for a PhD and up to two years for a master’s, so the monthly stipend stretches across your whole degree. It is the route to watch among master’s scholarships in Singapore, because it funds eligible master’s research students, not just PhDs. For a master’s student, that allowance works out to roughly ₹2.12 lakh a month at today’s rate. Worried about funding the second year of a research degree? These stipends are built to carry living costs for the full duration, which removes the August panic many families face.

Other scholarships worth checking directly

The seven routes above are the ones with clear, current terms for Indian students, but they are not the entire map. A few more awards are worth a look once your shortlist firms up, especially at graduate level, where research funding goes well beyond the Commonwealth route.

NTU Research Scholarship and the Nanyang President’s Graduate Scholarship are graduate research awards listed on NTU’s postgraduate scholarships page, with stipends set per cohort.
NUS undergraduate awards beyond the three named here sit on the full NUS list of scholarships for freshmen international students, so scan it before you finalise a shortlist.
SMU and SUTD awards run on their own cycles, so a strong applicant to either should check that university’s own scholarship page too.

Amounts and eligibility for these shift from one cohort to the next, so treat the official NTU and NUS pages linked here as the source of truth rather than any third-party list. Verifying one live figure beats trusting a number copied across ten blogs.

Which Singapore scholarships do not apply to Indian students?

Some Singapore awards marketed to "international students" are restricted by nationality. As of 2026, NUS limits its ASEAN Undergraduate Scholarship to citizens of an ASEAN member country. India is not an ASEAN member, so Indian students are ineligible for this award despite its international-sounding name.

This is the section that saves families from wasted applications, and it is where many guides get it plain wrong. Two well-known schemes get listed for Indian readers when they should not be. Reading this now spares you weeks of false hope.

Take that ASEAN Undergraduate Scholarship first. It is open only to ASEAN-member nationals, and India simply is not on the list. So Indian nationals cannot apply, full stop. If a listicle tells you otherwise, that page is wrong, and acting on it costs you an application slot you could have spent elsewhere.

The second confusion is ICCR (Indian Council for Cultural Relations). As of 2026, the ICCR scholarship portal funds foreign nationals coming to study in India, not Indians heading to Singapore. It runs in the opposite direction, so it is not a Singapore funding route at all. Keep your financial aid to study in Singapore search focused on the awards that genuinely accept Indian passports.

Skip these for Singapore: the ASEAN Undergraduate Scholarship (ASEAN citizens only) and ICCR (funds inbound students to India). Neither helps an Indian student fund a Singapore degree.

Which funding route fits your profile and budget?

Your best funding route depends on your profile, not on the most famous award name. There are four profiles: the top-merit applicant who chases a scholarship, the strong-but-not-top student who takes the bonded subsidy, the researcher who applies for fully funded awards, and the self-funder who plans around loans. The right scholarships to study in Singapore for Indian students follow from which one fits you.

So how do you and your family actually choose? Sit down together and be honest about which of these four profiles fits. Most families we counsel in Hyderabad land in the second or third box, not the first.

Go for a merit scholarship

Class toppers with strong activities should target the Nanyang or NUS International UG awards and their living allowances.

Tuition Grant plus the bond

If a merit award is a stretch, take the Tuition Grant, accept the 3-year bond, and plan finances around subsidised tuition.

SINGA or Commonwealth

Master’s and PhD applicants should chase the fully funded research routes, which Indians are eligible for.

Self-fund plus part-time work

If no scholarship lands, budget for full costs, use education loans, and factor in permitted part-time work.

Parents reading this: the figure that matters most is the gap between subsidised tuition and the living allowance, not the headline scholarship name. If no award comes through, a self-funded plan is still workable, but you will have to show those funds to secure your pass. Our guide to the Singapore student visa sets out the proof-of-funds the ICA looks for, so you can build that fallback before you commit. The best scholarships to study in Singapore for Indian students are the ones that match your real profile, not the most famous name on a list.

How and when do you apply for a Singapore scholarship?

Applying for a Singapore scholarship means tracking each award's annual cycle and submitting before its deadline. For the 2026 intake, the Association of Banks in Singapore set the Dr Goh Keng Swee Scholarship deadline at 23 February 2026. Because that cycle has closed, treat the date as the annual window and prepare early for the next round.

Knowing how to get a scholarship in Singapore is mostly about timing and matching the right intake. Each award runs on its own cycle, and most close months before the academic year starts. That late-February Dr Goh Keng Swee deadline is a useful marker, so build your calendar backwards from a similar early-year window for the next cycle.

Shortlist by eligibility: confirm your passport, level, and grades match before you start.
Apply for admission first: most scholarships need a university application or offer in hand.
Prepare your Student’s Pass documents: the Student’s Pass is the study visa issued by ICA (Immigration & Checkpoints Authority).
Submit before the deadline: track each award’s annual cycle and apply early in that window.

Documents to prepare for a scholarship application

Most Singapore scholarship applications ask for the same core set, so pull these together early:

Academic transcripts and marksheets (Class 10, Class 12, and any degree records).
Your latest or predicted results, plus proof of your university application or offer.
An English-test score (IELTS or TOEFL) where the award or course requires one.
A personal statement or scholarship essay, and one or two recommendation letters.
A valid passport copy and a recent passport-style photograph.

That set covers the scholarship form itself. The visa and proof-of-funds paperwork sits one layer down: our page on the requirements to study in Singapore for Indian students covers the Student’s Pass documents and the proof-of-funds figures in full. Use this list for the scholarship, and that guide for the visa stage.

When to apply: a quick timeline

Funding route	When to apply	Status for 2026
UG merit scholarships (NUS, NTU)	Alongside or just after your university application, ahead of the August intake	Apply with admission
Dr Goh Keng Swee Scholarship	Annual cycle closing in late February	2026 cycle closed; prepare for the next round
SINGA and NUS Commonwealth (research)	With the graduate-school admission cycle for your intended start date	Runs per intake

Get in Touch

Preferred Intake

Preferred Contact Timings

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Contact no

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Indian students get a fully funded scholarship to study in Singapore?

Yes, mostly at postgraduate level. SINGA covers PhD students, while the NUS Commonwealth Scholarship covers eligible master’s research and PhD students, each with tuition plus a monthly stipend. At undergraduate level, awards usually pair the Tuition Grant subsidy with a smaller living allowance, so full funding is far rarer before a master’s or PhD.

Does the Tuition Grant bond mean I have to stay in Singapore after graduating?

Usually, but not always. The standard bond needs three years at a Singapore-registered company. The Dr Goh Keng Swee Scholarship is the exception: its bond can be served at a Singapore-based company in your home country, so an Indian student could potentially complete it from India.

Is the ASEAN Undergraduate Scholarship open to Indian students?

No. It is restricted to citizens of ASEAN member countries, and India is not a member of ASEAN. Several listicles wrongly list it for Indian readers, which leads to wasted applications. Focus your effort on awards that explicitly accept Indian nationals instead.

Are education loans worth it if I do not win a scholarship?

Yes. The same Indian education-loan route that funds other overseas degrees applies here: lenders such as HDFC Credila, Avanse, and public-sector banks finance study-abroad costs, and an education loan can bridge whatever a scholarship or the Tuition Grant does not cover. Run the EMI against expected starting salaries before you commit.

Ardent Overseas has counselled Indian students and their families on overseas admissions since 2014, with offices in Hyderabad and Tirupati. We work through scholarship shortlists, bond decisions, and loan planning with families every week, and we follow a published process for the figures we cite. You can read how we research and verify funding data in our editorial standards.

Sources

Official sources first, then reputable third-party.

Ministry of Education Singapore (MOE), Tuition Grant Scheme: Bond matters, retrieved 30 Jun 2026, moe.gov.sg
Ministry of Education Singapore (MOE), Tuition Grant Scheme: Overview, retrieved 30 Jun 2026, moe.gov.sg
National University of Singapore (NUS), Science & Technology Undergraduate Scholarship, retrieved 30 Jun 2026, nus.edu.sg
National University of Singapore (NUS), NUS International Undergraduate Scholarship, retrieved 30 Jun 2026, nus.edu.sg
National University of Singapore (NUS), ASEAN Undergraduate Scholarship, retrieved 30 Jun 2026, nus.edu.sg
Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Nanyang Global Scholarship, retrieved 30 Jun 2026, ntu.edu.sg
Singapore Management University (SMU), College of Graduate Research Studies, Singapore International Graduate Award (SINGA) – SMU Programme, retrieved 30 Jun 2026, graduatestudies.smu.edu.sg
The Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS), Dr Goh Keng Swee Scholarship, retrieved 30 Jun 2026, abs.org.sg
NUS Graduate School, Commonwealth Scholarship, retrieved 30 Jun 2026, nusgs.nus.edu.sg
Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), ICCR Scholarship Portal, retrieved 30 Jun 2026, a2ascholarships.iccr.gov.in
Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Postgraduate Scholarships, retrieved 30 Jun 2026, ntu.edu.sg
National University of Singapore (NUS), Scholarships for Freshmen (International Students), retrieved 30 Jun 2026, nus.edu.sg

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