STUDY ABROAD CONSULTANCY FOR SINGAPORE

Singapore is a premier education hub which offers students an international perspective and diversity of options. In an environment that is inspiring and conducive to education, Singapore provides high quality of teaching and research. From an internationally recognized public school system, to world class universities, Singapore ensures a comprehensive education environment. More than 16 leading foreign universities have also set up centers of excellence in education and research in Singapore. Quality private education organizations add further diversity to the nation’s education landscape.

Singapore is consistently acknowledged to be a global business hub with its developed infrastructure, political stability and open business policy.

FACTS

Full name: Republic of Singapore

Population: 49,87,600 (2009 estimates)

Capital: Singapore

Singapore is among the 20 smallest Country in the world

Area: 710.2 sq km

Official languages: English, Malay, Mandarin Chinese, Tamil

Monetary unit: 1 Singapore dollar SGD)

GNI per capita: $47,940 (World Bank, 2008)

International dialing code: +65

Economy

Climate

Singapore has a tropical rainforest climate with no distinctive seasons, uniform temperature and pressure, high humidity, and abundant rainfall. Temperatures range from 22 to 34 °C (71.6 to 93.2 °F).

May and June are the hottest months, while November and December make up the wetter monsoon season. However, there is rainfall throughout the year. From August to October, there is often haze, sometimes severe enough to prompt public health warnings, due to bush fires in neighboring Indonesia.

Culture

Due to its diverse population and immigrant background, Singaporean culture has often been described as a mix of cultures – British, Malay, Chinese, Indian and Peranakan. Foreigners also make up 42% of the population in Singapore and they play an important role in influencing Singaporean culture.

Time Zones

Singapore Standard Time (SST) – 2:30 hours plus IST

IST – Indian Standard Time

Education in Singapore follows the four-tier model which includes primary schools, followed by secondary schools, pre-tertiary level at Junior Colleges or Polytechnics and tertiary education at a university.

After completion of two-year or three-year courses in Junior Colleges or Millennia Institute, students may go ahead to earn degrees awarded in the Universities.

Polytechnics

Polytechnics in Singapore provide 3-year diploma courses and, they accept students based on their GCE “O” level, GCE “A” level or Institute of Technical Education (ITE) results.

Polytechnics offer a wide range of courses in various fields, including engineering, business studies, accountancy, tourism and hospitality management, mass communications, digital media and biotechnology. There are also specialized courses such as marine engineering, nautical studies, nursing, and optometry. They provide a more industry-oriented education as an alternative to junior colleges for post-secondary studies.

Graduates of polytechnics with good grades can continue to pursue further tertiary education at the universities, and many overseas universities, notably those in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

Universities

Universities provide both undergraduate education and postgraduate education and grant academic degrees in a variety of subjects.

Universities accept students after GCE “A” Level or diplomas from Polytechnics.

Our experts will help you with the application procedure.

1. Intake Period:

• Main Courses by Government University – August/February
• Polytechnics – April/September
• Private Education Organization – Jan/ Feb/July/Aug/Sep/Oct

2. Language Requirements:

Course	IELTS
Under Graduate	6.0
Post Graduate	6.5

The above is exempted if students has completed school and college in English medium and have also scored above 70% in the main exams.

3. Eligibility:

• Polytechnic Courses – 60% in year 12th grade
• Bachelor’s Degrees – 70% and above in year 12th grade
• Master’s Degree – 60% above in bachelor’s Degree

*The eligibility criteria vary from University to University.

4. Documents:

Our counselors will assist you in compiling and attesting all the necessary documents*. In addition, they will also –

Application Fees, Application Form, Statement of Purpose, Essays, Resume, Reco Letters, Transcripts, Mark sheets & Cert., Bank Statement, Affidavit of Financial Statements, Test Score Report.

The annual fees for international students at the three local universities are in Singapore dollars.

For Government and Private Universities

UG - 25,000 - 40,000 Singapore dollars

PG - 30,000 - 45,000 Singapore dollars

Living expenses

Singapore offers a high, yet affordable, quality of life. The cost of living in Singapore is significantly lower than that of developed countries such as Australia, UK and USA. An international student in Singapore spends on average about SGD 1515 to SGD 2,000 a month on living expenses, including accommodation, utilities, food, transport, clothing, telecommunications, books, medical and personal expenses (These estimates serve as reference only).

Accommodation

There is wide variety of accommodation in Singapore to suit different budgets and needs. Student should make arrangements before their arrival. Temporary accommodation can be arranged giving student more time to settle.

Student can seek the help of the International Student Officer available at most institutes. Some of the housing option available includes residence halls, private hostel, home stays, public and private apartments/ house.

Upon receiving offer letter from an institution for the applied course, a student has to apply for the student pass to enter Singapore. Generally, the institution issuing the offer letter files applies for the student pass on behalf of the student from the Singapore Immigration & Check points Authority (ICA). An application for the student pass has to be submitted to the ICA at least 2 months and not more than 6 months before the commencement date of the course.

The amount payable for filing the student pass application (payable to institution offering admission) varies from institute to institute.

Documents to be submitted for filing visa

• As all academic documents are submitted to the institute at the time of admission, the student has to submit only the financial documents to file the student pass application.
• Acceptable financial documents are:
• Bank Statement
• Loan Approval Letter
• Fixed Deposits
• Bank Balance certificate (Savings A/C)
• Funds to be shown – tuition fees + living expenses[2] for 1st year of study

Note:

Generally, parents and siblings are the only acceptable sponsors for financial purposes. Some private institutions are flexible regarding acceptable sponsors. Students would first receive In-Principal Approval (IPA) upon approval of application. IPA is sent in the form of a letter from the institution. The student has to pay a tuition deposit in the form of a Demand Draft as per the terms and conditions of the offer letter. The institution will then issue a Letter of acceptance.

The IPA and the letter of acceptance from the institution would allow the student for a single journey to study in Singapore. Upon landing in Singapore, the student has to undergo Medical check-up at a hospital approved by Immigration. Student has to fix an E-appointment with the ICA to collect the Visa before he joins the classes. This has to be done within 10 days of landing in Singapore. The student has to submit all original academic and financial documents to get the Student Visa at ICA.

Post Study Work

Work while studying

Students are not allowed to work either during term period or vacation while studying in Singapore. Students may be granted Work pass exemption under the Employment of Foreign Manpower (Work Pass Exemptions) Notification during vacation.

Work during vacation:

Foreign students are allowed to work during vacation if he/she is registered as a full-time student in an institution approved by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). All institutions represented by Impel are approved by the MOM.

Work after graduation

After completion of studies in Singapore, student can apply for a job search visa which is given for 6 months. During this period he/she is eligible to work full-time in any field until he/she gets a job offer.

The Ministry of Education (MOE) provides tuition grants to student enrolled at local universities and polytechnics. International students who avail of the tuition grants are required to work for three years upon graduation, either in a Singapore-registered company or institute overseas.

A number of scholarships are open to international students. Selection is usually based on academic merit, leadership and co-curricular records. Scholarships available to Indian students include the SIA-NOL Scholarship and Youth Scholarship. Number of scholarships are available to students enrolling in government funded institutions in Singapore. Some examples of scholarships to international students going to Singapore are: :

Scholarship	Nationality of Applicants
Asean Scholarships	ASEAN nationals
Foreign Students Endowed Scholarship	Asians
Lee Kong Chian Scholarship	All nationalities
Lim Hang Hing Scholarship	All nationalities
N.R. Thadani Scholarship	Indians
Sharon Lee TengSiew Scholarship	All nationalities
School of Accountancy Scholarship	All nationalities