Bond-Free Scholarships in Singapore: Primary to Specialist Playbook
Download printable cheat-sheet (CC-BY 4.0)06 Dec 2025, 02:00 Z
Bond-free scholarships reward academic consistency, leadership, and all-rounded portfolios without locking students into post-graduation service bonds. Families use them to offset fees, fund overseas immersion, and keep pathways flexible before deciding on bonded awards later. Use this guide to map the mainstream timeline first, then branch into specialist tracks that match your child's strengths.
How to Use This Guide
- Start with the core timeline. Work through each school level to confirm eligibility windows, checkpoints, and readiness signals.
- Shortlist specialist pathways. Once the timeline is under control, pivot to the polytechnic, foundation, university flagship, or community awards that align with your portfolio.
- Deploy the readiness toolkit. The final section packages tracking and rehearsal routines so supporting evidence is always submission-ready.
Core Bond-Free Timeline by Level
Upper Primary (P5-P6)
| Scholarship | Who it serves | Timeline | Key moves |
| Edusave Scholarship (Primary) MOE | Singapore Citizens in government or government-aided schools who are within the top 10% of their level and have good conduct | Automatically awarded after year-end examinations | Track weighted assessment averages, reflect on each checkpoint, and schedule weekly PSLE-format practice so results stay inside the top decile |
| Edusave Scholarships for Independent Schools (ESIS) MOE | Top PSLE performers entering independent schools (or later-year ESIS test achievers) | Offers issued with posting results and renewed annually with good progress and conduct | Review independent-school fee structures early, plan how ESIS offsets tuition for 4–6 years, and keep behaviour records spotless for renewal |
Checkpoint: Maintain performance inside the top 10% and document enrichment or STEM curiosity projects—this foundation keeps future MOE scholarships and programme nominations within reach.
Lower Secondary (Sec 1-2)
| Scholarship / Programme | What it offers | When to act | Action steps |
| ESIS (Yearly award) MOE | Up to $2,400 a year for the top 10% in independent schools, subject to good conduct | Results announced at the start of each academic year | Review exam scripts with subject heads, log reflections that evidence growth, and meet form teachers to confirm conduct grades |
| UPLIFT Scholarship MOE | Additional $1,000 cash award for lower-income ESIS recipients in independent schools; no bond | Auto-awarded once the Independent School Bursary is approved | File ISB paperwork promptly, map how the cash award covers CCA/transport costs, and keep attendance above 90% |
| Programme-specific scholarships (CLES/MLES/TLES/BSPS/RSPS) MOE | Allowances and overseas immersions for language and regional studies tracks; bond-free | School nominations consolidate mid-year; MOE selection panels sit in Term 3 | Build reading lists and cultural portfolios, seek teacher recommendations early, and rehearse language/current-affairs interviews |
Upper Secondary (Sec 3-4 / IP Years 3-4)
| Scholarship | Highlights | Application window | Preparation checklist |
| Programme-specific scholarships (Pre-University) MOE | Humanities, Language, Art, Music, and Bicultural tracks with annual allowances and overseas exposure; no bond | School shortlists in Term 3; MOE interviews in Aug–Sep | Maintain distinction-level grades, curate audition/portfolio pieces, and practise subject-specific case discussions |
| MOE Pre-University Scholarship MOE | Covers school fees (capped at $2,400 per year) plus a $750 allowance for two years; bond-free | Integrated Programme nominations open mid-Oct; O-Level candidates are invited after results release | Consolidate rank-point evidence, compile CCA leadership testimonials, and rehearse interview stories that show service commitment |
| ESIS (Pre-University 1) MOE | Up to two years of independent-school fee coverage for top O-Level scorers or ESIS test achievers | Eligibility confirmed alongside O-Level results or Pre-U ESIS test | Audit capstone grades, refresh leadership narratives, and align nomination paperwork with school submission deadlines |
Checkpoint: Demonstrate sustained excellence, national-level competition credentials, and leadership roles. Archive certificates with annotations so you can deploy evidence quickly during MOE or school interviews.
Post-Secondary Readiness (JC, Polytechnic, ITE)
- Layer scholarships and bursaries intentionally. Independent-school students can stack ESIS with the UPLIFT Scholarship once the Independent School Bursary is approved, keeping fees aligned with government-school rates while remaining bond-free.
- Stay interview-ready through JC. MOE's Pre-University Scholarship panels begin in March/April; final shortlists expect polished policy views, leadership stories, and consistent conduct records.
- Use official directories for polytechnic pathways. Temasek Polytechnic's scholarship hub consolidates donor-funded awards that do not impose service bonds, and each polytechnic publishes similar listings. Reach out to awards teams early so testimonial and results deadlines don't clash with examinations.
- Watch Temasek Foundation's bond-free scholarships. The foundation's merit-based awards provide $3,000–$5,000 in annual living allowances plus a $2,000 family recognition award without any work obligations, and applications are routed through the Institutes of Higher Learning.
University Flagship Scholarships Without Service Bonds
- CN Yang Scholars Programme Scholarship (NTU) NTU — Covers subsidised tuition fees, offers a $6,500 annual living allowance, up to $2,000 housing support, a $2,000 one-off computer grant, an $8,000 overseas research allowance, and carries no bond beyond the standard MOE Tuition Grant obligation.
- Temasek Foundation Scholarships (University tier) Temasek Foundation — Bond-free, renewable scholarships delivering $5,000 in annual living expenses for university students plus a $2,000 family recognition award, available for up to five years depending on course length.
Where to Expand Your Search
- MOE awards and scholarships directory — central catalogue for Edusave, programme-specific, and pre-university awards.
- Temasek Polytechnic scholarship listings — example of a polytechnic hub covering merit scholarships with no service commitments.
- Temasek Foundation scholarship overview — includes application windows and contacts for ITE, polytechnic, and university partners when bond-free community scholarships open.
- SIT bond-free scholarship directory — details institution-administered scholarships that do not come with service obligations.