Dr Goh Keng Swee Scholarship of Singapore

The Dr Goh Keng Swee Scholarship was established by the financial community of Singapore to honour Dr Goh Keng Swee, former Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore. Dr Swee played a pivotal role in the economic development of the country. He also helped Singapore become a strong financial centre during his regime as the Deputy Prime Minister. The scholarship is a private sector scholarship offered to students aspiring to take admission to undergraduate courses at 4 universities in Singapore. Every year, 3-4 students from 15 Asia-Pacific countries are awarded this scholarship. In this blog, we will cover everything about the Dr Goh Keng Swee Scholarship for international students.

Name	Dr Goh Keng Swee Scholarship
Provided by	The Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS)
Applicable Universities	Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) National University of Singapore (NUS) Singapore Management University (SMU) Nanyang Technological University (NTU)
Applicable Courses	Undergraduate Programmes
Applicable Citizens	Brunei Vietnam China Thailand Cambodia Taiwan India The Philippines Hong Kong SAR Myanmar Indonesia Malaysia Korea Laos Japan
Bond Period	3 years after Completion of the Course

What is Dr Goh Keng Swee Scholarship?

The Dr Goh Keng Swee Scholarship is a prestigious award offered by the Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS) to outstanding students from Asia-Pacific countries. It was named after Dr Goh Keng Swee, Singapore’s former Deputy Prime Minister. This scholarship aims to support talented international students who want to pursue their undergraduate studies in Singapore’s top universities. It not only covers tuition fees but also provides a living allowance, hostel accommodation, and airfare.

Dr Goh Keng Swee Scholarship Eligibility

The ABS allows citizens and passport holders of certain Asian countries to avail of the Dr Goh Keng Swee Scholarship. The administering authority also requires the applicants to adhere to take some tests to apply for the scholarship. Here are the eligibility criteria for this scholarship.

Applicable Nationals

• The ABS allows citizens and passport holders of Vietnam, Laos, Brunei, the Philippines, Cambodia, Malaysia, Korea, Thailand, Myanmar, Japan, China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Hong Kong SAR, and India to apply for the Dr Goh Keng Swee Scholarship. 
• Singapore citizens and permanent residents (PRs) cannot apply for the scholarship.

Applicable Universities

Students who have applied for admission to Singapore Management University (SMU), National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), or Nanyang Technological University (NTU) are eligible for the scholarship.

Admission Requirements 

• Students must ensure that they clear the required entrance tests of the aforementioned universities and meet the admission guidelines and deadlines of the same. 
• Applicants must have taken the Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) or have registered for the SAT.

Personal Requirements

• Students must display strong leadership qualities.
• Applicants must have displayed exemplary performance in academics and co-curricular activities.  

Also Read: International Student Excellence Scholarship by the University of Auckland: A Guide

Validity and Awards

The scholarship can support students for up to 4 years of an undergraduate program. The scholarship includes the following:

• Tuition fees and other mandatory fees.
• Airfare- From the home country to Singapore and a return ticket after completion of the study.
• Annual maintenance allowance- INR 3,99,691
• Hostel allowance.
• Settling-in allowance (one-time expense)- INR 12,300

Note: The scholarship awards are reviewed every academic year and are subject to satisfactory academic results and performance. 

Application Process

The application process for this scholarship started on 1st July 2025 and will close on 22nd August 2025. 

• Eligible students can apply at www.pscgateway.gov.sg/app/gks/account/uidsignin.
• Shortlisted applicants will have to take an online personal profiling test.
• Selected students will be required to appear for the final interview to be scheduled in May-end or June 2026. The final dates will be announced after the announcement of the list of selected applicants.

Also Read: Agatha Harrison Memorial Fellowship

Bond Requirements

The ABS has a provision for a bond under the Scholarship. This condition is only applicable after the applicant has applied for and secured the scholarship successfully.

• After completion of their courses/programmes/studies in the applicable universities, successful applicants must procure employment for a period of 3 years in an approved enterprise in Singapore or an approved Singapore-based enterprise in their own country. 
• Dr Goh Keng Swee Scholarship Fund decides the deployment of scholarship holders for the completion of their bonds.
• Successful applicants cannot adjourn their bond for postgraduate studies or any other reason. 

FAQs

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If you have already applied to undergraduate programmes of SUTD, SMU, NTU and NUS or are planning to apply, then you can apply for Dr Goh Keng Swee Scholarship, a private scholarship designed for students of 15 Asia-Pacific nations. If you are planning to go on an academic voyage abroad, Leverage Edu is here to provide all the help you need. For assistance and a 30-minute free counselling session, connect us at 1800 572 000.