IRAS Merit Undergraduate Scholarship: 2026 Public Finance Pathway
Download printable cheat-sheet (CC-BY 4.0)01 Oct 2025, 16:40 Z
TL;DR
IRAS funds your entire business, economics, or analytics degree (local or overseas), pays allowances, and locks in a five-year bond with rotations across tax policy, enforcement, and digitalisation teams—ideal for future public finance leaders.
Scholarship Snapshot
- Status: Application Cycle Closed (last checked 2025-10-01)
- Official Listing: IRAS Scholarships
- Who It Targets: A-Level, IB, NUS High, or polytechnic finalists keen on tax administration, policy, digital transformation, and data analytics work in the public sector
- Eligibility: Excellent academic track record, strong co-curricular leadership, and passion for shaping Singapore's tax system
- Tenable Institutions: NTU, NUS, SMU, SUSS, and approved overseas universities offering business, economics, statistics, IT, or real estate programmes
- Bond: Five-year service commitment with IRAS for full-term scholars
Award Components
- Full tuition and compulsory fees (local or overseas) with additional exam fee coverage
- Monthly allowance (local) or yearly stipend (overseas) to cover living expenses
- Hostel or accommodation support and book/computer allowances
- Funding for overseas exchange programmes and professional courses
- Vacation attachments within IRAS policy, compliance, or technology divisions
Eligibility Highlights
- Outstanding GCE A-Level, IB Diploma, NUS High, or polytechnic diploma results in relevant disciplines
- Leadership and community involvement (student councils, service projects, competitions)
- Strong interest in taxation, economics, analytics, or digital services affecting national revenue
- Willingness to undergo security clearance and commit to structured career development at IRAS
- Mid-term conversion option available for high-performing undergraduates (see separate profile)
Application Roadmap
- Monitor the PSC/IRAS scholarship window (typically opens November and closes mid-March).
- Prepare academic transcripts, testimonials, personal statements, and a resume highlighting finance or analytics exposure.
- Submit your application via the IRAS or PSC scholarship portal, indicating preferred disciplines and overseas aspirations if any.
- Complete aptitude tests, written case studies, and behavioural interviews examining policy awareness and analytical rigour.
- Attend panel interviews with senior IRAS leaders; expect questions on tax trends, digitalisation, and public service values.
- Upon acceptance, plan pre-university internships, exchange opportunities, and rotation preferences with your scholarship manager.
Preparation Playbook
- Keep up with Budget announcements, tax reforms, and IRAS digital initiatives (e.g., myTax Portal, API-driven compliance).
- Build quantitative muscle—data analytics, accounting, and programming skills strengthen your interview narrative.
- Practise policy discussion and situational judgement scenarios to demonstrate judgement, ethics, and stakeholder empathy.
- Seek internships or competitions related to finance, public policy, or analytics to showcase domain commitment.
- Draft a five-year development plan outlining rotations you hope to take (corporate tax, GST, data, international engagement) once bonded.
