All primary school fees for Singaporeans can be covered by Edusave from 2024

[The_King]

SINGAPORE: Singaporean primary school students at government and government-aided schools will not have to pay any out-of-pocket fees from 2024, when enhancements are made to the Edusave scheme and the MOE Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS).

The Ministry of Education (MOE) announced on Wednesday (Jul 5) that Edusave and FAS will be extended to fully cover all miscellaneous fees from 2024, instead of only a portion of them.

As primary school students receive S$230 (US$170) a year in their Edusave, the total miscellaneous fees can be fully covered by Edusave.

Every Singaporean has an Edusave account created automatically for them. Those in MOE schools receive annual contributions from the start of their primary school education until they complete their secondary school education.

SCHOOL FEES AND MISCELLANEOUS FEES 

The total fees paid by students every month comprise school fees, standard miscellaneous fees and second-tier miscellaneous fees. Those in autonomous schools will also have to pay an additional fee.

Primary school students pay no school fees, secondary school students pay S$5 a month and pre-university students pay S$6 per month.

On top of the school fees, students also have to pay standard miscellaneous fees and second-tier miscellaneous fees. The first is set by MOE while the latter is set by schools and capped at 100 per cent of the standard miscellaneous fee.

Currently, government and government-aided schools charge both sets of miscellaneous fees, which are used to defray the cost of school materials and programmes for students.

Singaporeans students can at the moment only use Edusave to cover their second-tier miscellaneous fees.

Those on the FAS do not have to pay any fees – their school fee and standard miscellaneous fee is covered by the scheme, while they can use Edusave to pay the second-tier miscellaneous fees.

From 2024, both Edusave and MOE FAS will be extended to fully cover both sets of miscellaneous fees, which will be merged into a single tier, said MOE. Students in the FAS will continue to not have to pay school fees.

It means Singaporean primary school children will no longer have to pay any out-of-pocket fees as all miscellaneous fees will be covered by Edusave or MOE FAS.

For secondary school students, although the combined miscellaneous fees can fully be covered by the S$290 they get in Edusave a year, parents still have to pay the monthly school fee, which is currently set at S$5.

(Table: MOE)

According to MOE, it is expected to spend an additional S$3.8 million per annum to extend MOE FAS’ miscellaneous fee coverage, which will help about 40,000 students.

Another 310,000 students not under the FAS can use Edusave to cover all miscellaneous fees.

This will allow parents "to reduce out-of-pocket expenses for their children’s educational needs, ranging from S$78 (in primary school) to S$162 (in pre-university) per year for their child", said MOE.

(Table: MOE)

No action is required by parents who are currently using their children’s Edusave to pay for their second-tier miscellaneous fee, said the ministry.

Automatic deductions will be made from Edusave to pay for the new single-tier miscellaneous fee from Jan 1, 2024.

Parents who are currently paying for their children’s second-tier miscellaneous fee via other methods but wish to use Edusave to pay for the newly merged single-tier miscellaneous fee can submit their request online.

They can also submit the online form via the Parents Gateway.

 

Source: CNA/rj(mi)

[ODACHEK]

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