BCA Undergraduate Scholarship: 2025 Profile
Download printable cheat-sheet (CC-BY 4.0)03 Oct 2025, 09:30 Z
TL;DR
BCA funds full-time built-environment undergraduates locally or abroad with tuition, living support, and structured development (rotations, secondments, milestone programmes). Apply via BrightSparks between 1 November and 7 March, prepare for assessments, and commit to a four-year (local/mid-term) or six-year (overseas) public service bond with the authority.
Scholarship Snapshot
- Status: Application Cycle Closed (last checked 2025-10-03)
- Who It Targets: Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents pursuing or planning full-time built environment degrees locally or at reputable overseas universities
- Eligibility: Outstanding academic record, leadership and co-curricular contributions, and strong interest in a public service career with BCA
- Tenable Institutions: NTU, NUS, SIT, SUTD, SMU, and approved overseas universities with built environment specialisations
- Bond: Four years for local or mid-term scholars; six years for overseas scholars, served with BCA
Award Components
- Full coverage of tuition and compulsory university fees
- Monthly maintenance allowance during the academic year
- Allowances for books, computer purchase, and approved pre-studies expenses
- Funding for one student summer or winter exchange programme
- Return economy airfare for overseas scholars
- Minimum eight-week internship placement with BCA and mentor/buddy support
- Structured development: job rotations, secondments to public agencies, attachments to private firms, cross-functional project teams, and milestone programmes
Eligibility Highlights
- Citizenship status: Open to Singapore Citizens and Singapore Permanent Residents.
- Academic standing: Requires outstanding GCE A-Level, IB, NUS High, polytechnic diploma, or strong university transcripts for mid-term applicants.
- Leadership & CCAs: Applicants should show meaningful leadership experience and co-curricular involvement.
- Course fit: Preferably pursuing architecture, engineering (civil, structural, mechanical, electrical), project and facilities management, data science, sustainable built environment, or smart-city management.
- Career motivation: Demonstrated commitment to shaping Singapore's built environment and serving in the public sector.
- Developmental fit: Willingness to undertake BCA's rotations, attachments, milestone training, and internship requirements.
Application Roadmap
- Mark the annual application window (1 November to 7 March) and prepare certified academic transcripts, CCA records, and identity documents.
- Submit the scholarship application through the BrightSparks portal and indicate your intended course and university choices (local or overseas).
- If you are awaiting university acceptance, update BCA once your offer letter arrives to support placement decisions.
- Prepare for interviews and assessments that evaluate technical aptitude, public service motivation, and knowledge of the built environment sector.
- Shortlisted candidates should review bond obligations, internship expectations, and the structured rotation/secondment pathway before accepting the offer.
- Finalise Tuition Grant or overseas study arrangements and coordinate with your assigned BCA mentor for pre-studies briefings.
Preparation Playbook
- Build a portfolio that showcases design, engineering, or sustainability projects aligned with Singapore's built environment priorities.
- Seek internships, competitions, or community projects that demonstrate how you collaborate across disciplines.
- Study BCA's transformation initiatives (e.g., BuildSG, digitalisation, sustainability) to ground your interview responses.
- Discuss the bond commitment with family and mentors to map out long-term public service career goals.
- Map how BCA's rotations, attachments, and milestone programmes align with your long-term development so you can speak to the opportunities during interviews.
- Plan financially even with stipends in mind, especially if you intend to study overseas where living costs vary widely.
Useful Resources
- Email jennifer_koh@bca.gov.sg (scholarship officer listed on the official page)
