What I hate about the current Singapore

[vinegar]

I think the unhappiness is always amongst the sandwiched class. Not poor enough to get bursaries, but not rich enough so univ fees are a significant burden on family finances.


True...Majority of singaporean fall under this category...

[longmao.029846irene]

:goodpost:

pirate:

Just relax:

I think the relevant point is that if a Singapore child works hard and gets the good grades, the child will not be deprived of a university education just because the child is poor. What more can the Govt. do. Many of my friends went to Uni on bursaries as well as their grades were not good enough for scholarships but were still poor enough to get full bursaries for fees, transport and books. The message is clear, if you work hard enough to get to Uni, there is a way to actually go to Uni without worrying about the fees.

I think the unhappiness is always amongst the sandwiched class. Not poor enough to get bursaries, but not rich enough so univ fees are a significant burden on family finances.

The other thing is the prestige attached to the term 'scholarship' as opposed to 'bursary' and the belief (misguided or otherwise) that scholarships open doors to better careers. When some scholars from overseas underperform, it creates the impression that the gov is prepared to give scholarships to sub-par foreign students, and that the playing field is not level because Singapore students need to do better than foreign students in order to enjoy the prestige of putting 'scholarship' (rather than 'bursary' which means nothing more than one is poor) on their CVs.

Perhaps only the best foreign students should be given 'scholarships'. The rest can be given 'bursaries'.

[Musings]

vinegar:

I think the unhappiness is always amongst the sandwiched class. Not poor enough to get bursaries, but not rich enough so univ fees are a significant burden on family finances.


True...Majority of singaporean fall under this category...

It is true that most people fall in the non scholarship, non bursary category.

However, everyone is entitled to take up tuition fee loan which finances up to 90% of the fees payable. Some of these figures may have changed, but this is my brother's experience. My brother just graduated from local uni last Dec.

His fees are approx S$9k per academic year x 4 years = S$36k. He got the tuition fee loan which covers 90% of the 9k. Because my parents are retired, he was eligible to take up another loan to cover the balance 10%. This means my parents paid NOTHING for his uni education. He was also eligible to take up a 3rd loan which paid him living expenses of S$3600 per year and also a loan to buy a laptop. All these loans are interest free during the period of university education. Now that he has graduated, he will take a job and pay back with his income.

With the above loan, my brother used it to finance his trip to Russia and Europe on 2 occasions for school CCA activities. He bought a laptop which lasted him the whole uni education.

BTW, 9k per year for university education is definitely affordable even without loans given that KSP forummers routinely spend more than $1k every month on childcare fees, tuition fees etc.

Being the only other child in the family, I was prepared to finance my brother's university education. But as it turned out, I paid NOTHING thanks to all the available loans.

So the saying that university education is unaffordable is absolutely not true.

[winchester]

Musings:

Being the only other child in the family, I was prepared to finance my brother's university education. But as it turned out, I paid NOTHING thanks to all the available loans.

So the saying that university education is unaffordable is absolutely not true.

yes, but must take loans. not say \"affordable\" and pay out of pocket.

we as society don't like the idea of loans even for uni education altho it is common overseas.

[dolphinsiah]

Musings:

vinegar:

I think the unhappiness is always amongst the sandwiched class. Not poor enough to get bursaries, but not rich enough so univ fees are a significant burden on family finances.


True...Majority of singaporean fall under this category...

It is true that most people fall in the non scholarship, non bursary category.

However, everyone is entitled to take up tuition fee loan which finances up to 90% of the fees payable. Some of these figures may have changed, but this is my brother's experience. My brother just graduated from local uni last Dec.

His fees are approx S$9k per academic year x 4 years = S$36k. He got the tuition fee loan which covers 90% of the 9k. Because my parents are retired, he was eligible to take up another loan to cover the balance 10%. This means my parents paid NOTHING for his uni education. He was also eligible to take up a 3rd loan which paid him living expenses of S$3600 per year and also a loan to buy a laptop. All these loans are interest free during the period of university education. Now that he has graduated, he will take a job and pay back with his income.

With the above loan, my brother used it to finance his trip to Russia and Europe on 2 occasions for school CCA activities. He bought a laptop which lasted him the whole uni education.

BTW, 9k per year for university education is definitely affordable even without loans given that KSP forummers routinely spend more than $1k every month on childcare fees, tuition fees etc.

Being the only other child in the family, I was prepared to finance my brother's university education. But as it turned out, I paid NOTHING thanks to all the available loans.

So the saying that university education is unaffordable is absolutely not true.

Thank you Musing ...for letting us now how to find the $$$ to make sure my kids are able to go to local U.....

But in your information , where you told us your brother took up loan to finance his U.....
which means before he starts work he already has a debt of around 50K to bear....

To me is stress...spending future money.... :frustrated:

[3Boys]

dolphinsiah:

Thank you Musing ...for letting us now how to find the $$$ to make sure my kids are able to go to local U.....

But in your information , where you told us your brother took up loan to finance his U.....
which means before he starts work he already has a debt of around 50K to bear....

To me is stress...spending future money.... :frustrated:

But if it's YOUR education, what's wrong with YOU paying for it? Or do you think it's fair someone else (the taxpayer) foots the bill instead?

G'ment money not free leh, it comes from taxes.....

[Imp75]

my basic expectation of staying in Spore (and what govt does rightly) is that no one should be denied the opportunity for education or healthcare needs just because they are poor

[dolphinsiah]

3Boys:

dolphinsiah:

Thank you Musing ...for letting us now how to find the $$$ to make sure my kids are able to go to local U.....

But in your information , where you told us your brother took up loan to finance his U.....
which means before he starts work he already has a debt of around 50K to bear....

To me is stress...spending future money.... :frustrated:

But if it's YOUR education, what's wrong with YOU paying for it? Or do you think it's fair someone else (the taxpayer) foots the bill instead?

G'ment money not free leh, it comes from taxes.....

I know nothing is for free in this world...especially in Singapore.... :roll:

But how do you encourage the next generations to get marry...have lots of kids.... :?
when before start work...already in Debt.... :nailbite: :nailbite:

[cherrygal]

Yup, my friend took so many years to pay back her study loan and get a healthy bank balance and she’s still not married coz now she wants to accumulate money to buy property etc. She’s "late" in all her financial milestones when compared to those who started on a clean slate. Need to thank our parents for investing in us.

[limlim]

dolphinsiah:

But how do you encourage the next generations to get marry...have lots of kids.... :?
when before start work...already in Debt.... :nailbite: :nailbite:

That is something that they'll have to figure out themselves..

Why in debt for study loan cannot marry and have kids? It is not as if the banks are chasing them into a corner.. I guess the installment can pay like only few hundred per month.. shd not affect their 3 meals for kids and family for a grad.

Of coz, cannot factor in luxury item lah..

btw, even after they grad, guess the interest rate is quite low also..