Non-subsidised Foreign Students Admitted into Universities and Private Tertiary Institutions in Past Three Years

21 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for Education (a) in the past three years, how many non-subsidised foreign students have been admitted into our universities and private institutions that offer degree and above programmes respectively; and (b) whether the Ministry will continue to make education an engine of economic growth to attract non-subsidised foreign students to study here.

Mr Ong Ye Kung: Like all reputable universities around the world, our publicly-funded universities admit international students (IS) to enrich the education experience. Today, they form about 10% of the undergraduate intake. Of these, there is a mixture of full-fee paying students, and those on the Tuition Grant scheme, who have a service obligation to work in Singapore for three years after graduation. At the postgraduate level, unsubsidised IS currently make up around one third of the total intake. IS in Private Education Institutions (PEIs) do not receive Government subsidies.