Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has launched a private philanthropic programme to help its students, with university president Subra Suresh and wife Mary Suresh making a personal gift of $100,000 to seed the fund.
The University said in a statement on 22 April that the fund is part of a new NTU COVID-19 Relief Package to help students who may be facing financial difficulties amid the outbreak.
It is the University’s first such package of assistance. NTU said the fund will help its most needy students who come from families whose monthly household income per capita is $690 or less, and/or are experiencing an emergency situation, such as the student’s family breadwinner losing income.
The NTU Priorities Fund, which will be driven by private philanthropy, aims to offer financial assistance to the most needy of NTU students who are most affected by the coronavirus. Recipients of the fund will pledge to “pay it forward” within two years of graduation and return the interest-free cash assistance to the University.
Students can complete a single online application process for financial assistance. The type and amount of financial aid will depend on each applicant’s circumstances and needs.
Meanwhile, to assist final-year PhD and master’s students who face difficulties completing their research work within this semester because of the disruptions caused by the closure of their laboratories, NTU will extend their candidature with a full waiver of tuition fees for up to one semester.
NTU’s announcement comes in the wake of a freeze in tuition fee increases for Singaporeans enrolled in programmes for the 2020 academic year.
The Ministry of Education (MOE) and tertiary institutions announced this on 1 April, saying it applies to all six autonomous universities.
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Source: The Straits Times, 23 April 2020