MENDAKI – Merchant Scholarship: 2026 Profile
Download printable cheat-sheet (CC-BY 4.0)12 Oct 2025, 05:40 Z
TL;DR\ Introduced in 2024, the MENDAKI–Merchant Scholarship helps Malay/Muslim students from ITE or O-level streams excel in polytechnic—highlight resilience, service, and a clear plan to lead within your diploma community to earn the award.
Scholarship Snapshot
- Status: Application Cycle Closed (last checked 2025-10-13)
- Official Portal: MENDAKI – Merchant Scholarship
- Who It Targets: O-level or ITE graduates matriculating into full-time diploma programmes at Singapore polytechnics
- Eligibility: Singapore Citizen or PR Malay/Muslim students with solid academic results (L1R4 ≤ 15 / GPA ≥ 3.2), active CCAs, and household income within MENDAKI guidelines
- Tenable Institutions: All local polytechnics (NP, NYP, RP, SP, TP)
- Award Type: Full-term scholarship through graduation
Financial & Development Benefits
- Covers full tuition after MOE subsidies, plus registration and lab fees
- Provides a monthly allowance for transport, meals, and study resources
- Includes book and technology grants to support project-based learning
- Access to MENDAKI coaching circles and leadership camps, with emphasis on helping more students transition from ITE to polytechnic successfully
Selection Priorities
- Consistent academic performance and demonstrable effort to excel despite financial constraints
- Active contribution to school or community—student leadership, service-learning, entrepreneurship, or innovation challenges
- Strong character references highlighting resilience and teamwork
- Commitment to mentor peers or juniors navigating academic progression pathways
Application Roadmap
- Dec–Jan: Register during MENDAKI's scholarship briefings; gather academic transcripts and testimonials.
- Feb: Submit the online application, including essays on overcoming challenges and contributing to the community.
- Mar: Shortlisted candidates complete a group presentation on social mobility or education uplift.
- Apr: Panel interview with MENDAKI leaders and Merchant Fund representatives; expect questions about goal-setting and role-modelling.
- May: Recipients announced before Semester 1; induction includes mentorship pairing.
Tips to Shine
- Document tangible impact—e.g., leading ITE peer tutoring, organising charity drives, or launching campus projects.
- Emphasise growth mindset: share how setbacks shaped your approach to leadership and academics.
- Discuss future ambitions beyond diploma—university pathways, entrepreneurship, or social initiatives—and how the scholarship accelerates them.
- Prepare to articulate financial need transparently, showing prudent budgeting plans.
Scholar Obligations
- Maintain the GPA threshold each semester and attend academic coaching sessions when offered.
- Support MENDAKI outreach events, especially those guiding younger students through post-secondary options.
- Participate in leadership workshops, career clinics, and mentorship engagements organised by MENDAKI and Merchant Fund partners.
- Serve as alumni ambassador post-graduation, encouraging more youths from similar backgrounds to apply.
Staying Connected
- Follow MENDAKI's social platforms for clinic schedules and mentor matching announcements.
- Engage with your polytechnic's MENDAKI Club or Malay Cultural Society—they often host scholarship sharing sessions.
- If you plan to progress to university, stay in touch with MENDAKI; the scholarship network can advise on stacking options.
