Extending MOE Tuition Grant to all graduate law students in local universities

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Mr Raj Joshua Thomas, Nominated Member of Parliament

Question

To ask the Minister for Education whether the Government will consider extending the MOE Tuition Grant to all graduate law students in local universities even if they have utilised the grant for their first degree so as to encourage more diverse entrants into the legal profession.

Response

1. The Ministry of Education (MOE) provides substantial subsidies to all Singaporean students in the Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) pursuing their first tertiary-level qualification, including undergraduate degrees. Students who have previously received an MOE subsidy or government sponsorship for their first degree are not eligible for further MOE subsidies to pursue a second degree at the Autonomous Universities. This is to ensure parity in subsidy allocation for Singaporeans to access tertiary education at our publicly-funded universities.

2. The National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore Management University (SMU) and Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) offer the Juris Doctor (JD) programme, which is a basic law degree for students with an undergraduate degree in other disciplines.

3. Students in the SUSS JD programme who do not qualify for MOE subsidies may apply for the MinLaw-SUSS Study Award to offset their course fees. The majority of students in the SUSS JD programme are mid-career adult learners, with prior careers such as paralegals, law enforcement officers, and social workers.