I refer to the article “More Malay students benefit from Tertiary Tuition Fee Subsidy after income criteria revised” (Channel NewsAsia, Feb 18).

Students who qualified for subsidy doubled

It states that “The number of Malay students who benefited from the Tertiary Tuition Fee Subsidy (TTFS) more than doubled in 2012, after the income criteria were revised.

The subsidy, which helps to alleviate tuition fees of Malay students at institutes of higher learning, benefited 5,973 students in 2012.

This was about 1,600 students more than the total number who took the subsidy in 2011 and 2010 combined.”

Used to be free?

When I read the above, the first thought that came to my mind was – in my time (in the 1970s) – all my Malay friends who qualified for university were given free tuition.

Since the malay community as I understand it – is the most economically and educationally disadvantaged group – why did we change the “free tuition” to the Tertiary Tuition Fee Subsidy (TTFS) scheme?

Previous criteria too strict?

Since the number who qualified more than doubled after the criteria was revised – does it mean that there may have been quite a number of students who may have been financially stretched under the old criteria?

With regard to “The eligibility criteria were revised with effect from Academic Year 2012 to benefit more Malay students in tertiary institutions.

The criteria are based on a three-tier system where students who come from households with per capita monthly household income of below S$1,500 are eligible for subsidies”

–  for example, the tuition subsidy is 50 per cent for monthly household per capita income of $1,201 to $1,500.

Still a stretch for some families?

So, for example, a family of three earning $3,604 will fall into this category. After the 20 per cent employee CPF contribution, the net take home pay is $2,883.

After paying the the rest of the 50 per cent of the tuition fee (NUS Business course) of $4,475 plus other fees and incidentals, student’s daily expenses, family’s expenses – it may be quite a stretch financially.

Does not take into account family’s circumstances?

Also, the per capita criteria does not take into account the family’s circumstances such as having a sick or disabled family member, allowance for the maintenance of parents not living in the same household, divorce maintenance payments, etc.

In my volunteer work doing financial counselling in the last decade of so, I have come across many families who are financially stretched because the various schemes’ criteria do not take into account the family’s coverall financial situation and expenses.

Previously, the criteria were based on a two-tier scheme where students with monthly household income below S$3,000 were eligible.

Only  67% of grant disbursed?

In respect of “Of the S$47 million grant provided by the government to fund the programme, S$15.48 million, or 32.9 per cent, was undisbursed, said Dr Yaacob”

–  why not further relax the criteria so that more students can qualify, and use up the entire grant, since it was already allocated?

Leong Sze Hian