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Ministry of Education, Singapore

Ministry of Education, Singapore

ASEAN Scholarship

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About the Scholarship

Singapore's Ministry of Education runs this to bring teenagers from across ASEAN into its own schools, and it funds them properly: school fees, hostel accommodation with an annual allowance, a settling-in allowance, airfare home and back, the O-Level and A-Level examination fees once, and subsidised medical cover.

No figures are published. The Ministry lists what it pays for rather than what it pays, so the value of the package depends on the fees and boarding costs of the school a scholar is placed in.

Which door you come in through depends on your country. Brunei and Malaysia open Secondary 1, Secondary 3 and Pre-university 1. Thailand opens Secondary 3 and Pre-university 1. Indonesia opens Secondary 1 and Secondary 3. Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, the Philippines and Vietnam open Secondary 3 alone. A scholarship taken at Secondary 1 runs six years, at Secondary 3 four years, and at Pre-university 1 two years, all ending in the Singapore-Cambridge GCE A-Level or an equivalent.

The windows differ too, and by months rather than days. Applications open in January for Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, and in April for Cambodia, Lao PDR and Myanmar.

Selection is not on paper alone. Shortlisted candidates sit tests and then an interview, held in cities in their own country when enough candidates come forward, so the process reaches students who could not travel to Singapore to compete.

Renewal is annual and rests on school performance, so the award has to be held rather than merely won.

The scholarship pages were checked on 16 September 2026, when applications for every country were closed.

What It Covers

  • Tuition
  • Housing
  • Living stipend
  • Travel
  • Health insurance
  • Fees

Covers school fees, an annual allowance with hostel accommodation, a settling-in allowance, return economy airfare, examination fees for the GCE O-Level and A-Level or equivalent once, and subsidised medical benefits with accident insurance. For Malaysian scholars the travel benefit is return economy airfare for East Malaysians and a return transport allowance for West Malaysians. The Ministry publishes the components rather than any monetary figures. Each scholarship leads to the Singapore-Cambridge GCE A-Level certificate or a similar qualification, and is renewed each year on the scholar's performance in school.

Eligibility

Hold the nationality of one of the nine participating ASEAN countries, be proficient in English, have done consistently well in school examinations and have a good record of participation in co-curricular activities. Age windows are set by date of birth for each entry point and published on the country page. Scholars sit selection tests and a selection interview, held in named cities in the home country when enough candidates are shortlisted, and the award is renewed annually on school performance.

Eligible Countries

Nationals of the nine ASEAN countries the Ministry runs the scheme for. Entry points differ by country: Brunei and Malaysia offer Secondary 1, Secondary 3 and Pre-university 1; Thailand offers Secondary 3 and Pre-university 1; Indonesia offers Secondary 1 and Secondary 3; and Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, the Philippines and Vietnam offer Secondary 3.

🇧🇳 Brunei🇮🇩 Indonesia🇰🇭 Cambodia🇱🇦 Laos🇲🇲 Myanmar🇲🇾 Malaysia🇵🇭 Philippines🇹🇭 Thailand🇻🇳 Vietnam

How to Apply

Apply online to the Ministry of Education during the country's own application window. Selection tests follow a few months later, then an interview, then the award, with scholars arriving in Singapore before the school year. Applications for every country are currently closed, and the Ministry invites candidates to join a mailing list to be told when the next round opens.

Application Routes and Dates

Brunei

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🇧🇳 Brunei

Recurring deadline: مارس (check provider for current cycle)

Recurring opening: 01 (check provider for current cycle).

Timing source · Checked 2026-09-16

Cambodia

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🇰🇭 Cambodia

Recurring deadline: مايو (check provider for current cycle)

Recurring opening: 04 (check provider for current cycle).

Timing source · Checked 2026-09-16

Indonesia

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🇮🇩 Indonesia

Recurring deadline: فبراير (check provider for current cycle)

Recurring opening: 01 (check provider for current cycle).

Timing source · Checked 2026-09-16

Lao PDR

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🇱🇦 Laos

Recurring deadline: مايو (check provider for current cycle)

Recurring opening: 04 (check provider for current cycle).

Timing source · Checked 2026-09-16

Malaysia

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🇲🇾 Malaysia

Recurring deadline: أبريل (check provider for current cycle)

Recurring opening: 01 (check provider for current cycle).

Timing source · Checked 2026-09-16

Myanmar

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🇲🇲 Myanmar

Recurring deadline: مايو (check provider for current cycle)

Recurring opening: 04 (check provider for current cycle).

Timing source · Checked 2026-09-16

The Philippines

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🇵🇭 Philippines

Recurring deadline: فبراير (check provider for current cycle)

Recurring opening: 01 (check provider for current cycle).

Timing source · Checked 2026-09-16

Thailand

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🇹🇭 Thailand

Recurring deadline: مارس (check provider for current cycle)

Recurring opening: 01 (check provider for current cycle).

Timing source · Checked 2026-09-16

Vietnam

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🇻🇳 Vietnam

Recurring deadline: مارس (check provider for current cycle)

Recurring opening: 01 (check provider for current cycle).

Timing source · Checked 2026-09-16