My child is at NUS High (IP school) - do they qualify for ISB?

NUS High School is a Specialised Independent School and its students may qualify for ISB. Confirm the current ISB terms for NUS High with the school's financial aid office.

What if my JC is a government JC (not independent)?

Most government JCs do not charge ISB-eligible school fees and ISB does not apply. Students at government JCs may apply for MOE FAS for other miscellaneous fee support.

Is there a separate ISB for Millennia Institute students?

MI is a government-aided school, not an independent school, so ISB fee subsidies typically do not apply in the same way. Students at MI may qualify for MOE FAS instead. Confirm with MI's student services team.

I'm at a school that runs the IB programme - is ISB available?

Some IB-programme schools are independent schools and ISB may apply. Confirm with your specific school's financial aid office. Use the Integrated Programme Fees & Bursary Planner to plan how ISB tiers combine with MENDAKI or clan aid before you submit the forms.

MOE ISB for Independent JCs & Specialised Independent Schools 2026

TL;DR

Some pre-university institutions in Singapore are Specialised Independent Schools (SIS) - including NUS High School, School of the Arts (SOTA), School of Science and Technology (SST), Hwa Chong Institution (JC), and Raffles Institution (JC).

Sponsor: Ministry of Education (MOE)Bond: Bond-FreeOverseas: Primarily Singapore

Find matching scholarships Browse bursaries hub

Download printable cheat-sheet (CC-BY 4.0)

21 Mar 2026, 08:00 Z· Last updated 26 Jan 2026

Reviewed by

Marcus Pang·Managing Director (Maths)

Join our Telegram study group

Planning a revision session? Use our study places near me map to find libraries, community study rooms, and late-night spots.

Q: What does this guide cover?
A: The MOE Independent School Bursary (ISB) for students at independent JCs and Specialised Independent Schools (SIS) - what SIS are, ISB income tiers, how to apply through your school, and stacking with EMB and CDAC. For ISB at independent secondary and IP-stream schools, see the ISB for independent secondary schools guide.

TL;DR Some pre-university institutions in Singapore are Specialised Independent Schools (SIS) - including NUS High School, School of the Arts (SOTA), School of Science and Technology (SST), Hwa Chong Institution (JC), and Raffles Institution (JC). Students at these schools may qualify for ISB fee subsidies, tiered by household income (GHI/PCI). Apply through your school. Can stack with EMB and community fund bursaries.

Status: Last verified 2026-03-21 against MOE's financial assistance page (last checked 2026-01-26). Confirm current ISB income tiers following the January 2026 threshold update on moe.gov.sg/financial-matters/financial-assistance.

Quick links: Bursaries hub, ISB for secondary schools, EMB for JC/MI students, 2026 bursary application guide

What Are Specialised Independent Schools (SIS)?

Specialised Independent Schools are MOE-designated institutions with niche educational programmes (e.g., science and mathematics, arts, sports). Because their fees and programmes differ from government JCs, MOE provides ISB-based support:

School	Focus
NUS High School of Mathematics and Science	Mathematics and science (IP school; no A-Levels)
School of the Arts (SOTA)	Integrated arts and academic curriculum
School of Science and Technology (SST)

Sources

https://www.moe.gov.sg/financial-matters/financial-assistance

Tier	Typical Income Band	Coverage
Tier 1 (lowest income)	GHI ≤ S $4,000 or PCI ≤ S$ 1,000	Full fee waiver + school charges
Tier 2	GHI S $4,001–S$ 7,500 or PCI S $1,001–S$ 1,875	Partial fee reduction
Tier 3	GHI S $7,501–S$ 11,000 or PCI S $1,876–S$ 2,750	Smaller reduction

Scheme	Can Stack?	Notes
Edusave Merit Bursary (JC/MI)	Yes	EMB is an Edusave credit; ISB is a fee subsidy - both can apply
CDAC Post-Secondary Bursary	Yes	CDAC is administered separately; eligible students can hold both
MENDAKI TTFS	Not applicable	TTFS is for polytechnic/university tuition; ISB is for school fees
LBKM school-level bursary	Yes	LBKM applies to Malay/Muslim students; can hold alongside ISB

MOE ISB for Independent JCs & Specialised Independent Schools 2026

What Are Specialised Independent Schools (SIS)?

Sources

Income Tiers

How to Apply

Document Checklist

Stacking with Other Aid

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Posts