Mr Wang Says So said:

I proceeded to check out the available graduate scholarships at the NUS Law Faculty. Alas, I saw that in fact, almost all the scholarships were reserved for non-Singaporeans.

That's still the way it is today. See the current list of graduate scholarships here:

(1) Research Scholarship
(2) Graduate Scholarship for ASEAN Nationals (NUS GSA)
(3) Faculty Graduate Scholarship (FGS)
(4) Scholarship for Young Asian Academics
(5) Microsoft Scholarship

The 1st scholarship is open to both Singaporean and foreign applicants.
The 2nd scholarship is open to students from all ASEAN countries, except Singaporeans.
The 3rd scholarship is open to students from anywhere in the world, except Singaporeans.
The 4th scholarship is open to all Asian students, except Singaporeans.
The 5th scholarship is open to students from anywhere in the world, except Singaporeans.

Is it strange that so many Singaporeans feel marginalised in their own country? No, it is not strange at all. It is clear that in our country today, citizenship often turns out to be a liability.

Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "In Singapore, citizens are automatically disqualified from most scholarships, just because they are citizens. Amazing."

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Yu-Mei Balasingamchow said:

Amidst the annual scholarship fever and the flurry of applications, what the newspaper ads don’t mention, and what people don’t talk about enough in a meaningful way, is that the three or four years spent in university can change a person quite profoundly, all the more so if that university education is conducted abroad. I don’t mean having a British- or American-sounding accent, or having visited half of Europe in one summer backpacking jaunt, or learning how to cook the food you get homesick for. I’m talking about the kind of deep-seated change that can leave a person wondering how to reconcile what her old self agreed to do, with what her new self now believes.

Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "in retrospect: a government scholar looks back on the choices she has made"

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Thanh Nien News said:

Eleven Vietnamese students have been awarded with the Singaporean government’s full undergraduate scholarship totaling US$1.24 million, or about $113,000 each.

Recommended by at82: "Welfare state style's free education is not for Singaporeans."

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Tribolum said:

In 2000 I enrolled in the University of Arizona. I did not apply for a scholarship of any kind, but they offered me a bond-free scholarship via an email. I replied to ask if there were any conditions attached, specifically a bond of employment. While the details were that I had to maintain certain grades in order to keep the scholarship money going for the whole duration of undergraduate study, there was no bond of any kind. They wrote back, saying they were giving me the scholarship because they believed I could contribute to society after graduation. Not American society. Humankind.

Recommended by tinkertailor: "A well-written perspective of scholarships and bonds that is foreign to Singaporean thinking. "

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indentured said

Starting 1 Aug 2008, AGS and NSS scholars who refer their colleagues/friends/peers/relatives to A*STAR’s graduate scholarship programmes will receive a one time referral fee of S$500, if the referred candidate successfully secures an A*STAR scholarship

Are scholarships sacred contracts with the Nation?

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yjsoon said:

Facebook apps to help users count down to their ORD. Two versions: one for NSFs and one for bonded skolahs (or teachers, or anyone with contractual obligations to an employer involving linearly-decreasing liquidated damages).

Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "Wrote these applications in a fit of boredom, and just thought they need a bit more promotion with the new app-unfriendly Facebook profiles."

NS counter
Bond counter

defeng said:

Anyway, it is a unique experience to have a peep into the investment banks. But I am not sure it is the right place for me.

But probably I will not take the IDA scholarship, because the partner who attended the tour with me was an extremely ugly female(i refuse to use the word 'girl' because it is derogative to the word itsself to be used to descript her). Her deformed face was far beyond the most derogative word I could summon to describe ugliness. I really feel very very sorry for her, for the world being so unfair to awash her dignity of being a human being. Imagine a flat face that shaped like a irregular potato, with a deep cut across the cheek, the nose and the upper lip. Have I disgusted you enough? Well! add a unusally boughing lower lip and most terribly, iron teeth! I guess it would be more than compelling to reject the scholarship because of such a scary potential colleague in future!!!!

Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "It hurts me knowing that singapore ida and a* scholarships are given to foreign students with such mentality."

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jiinjoo said:

... every year students face themselves with the hard decision of what to choose, especially when there’s no basis of choosing - e.g. job prospect, pay, career choice etc. - plus, an education overseas might change one’s life, therefore making many scholars regret their early choices. Here are 9 things you can think about - I’m writing this with respect to the NIS because it’s closer to heart, but might also be something you can consider for the other scholarships as well.

Recommended by Anonymous Coward: "It's scholarship season again, and before taking the plunge for the lucrative hundreds of thousands of dollars, it's good to consider the various other scenarios and options, and adopt an open mind towards education."

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Having been selected as a top 20 U.S. college blogger, it all depends on the cast of your vote to make winning US$10,000 a reality. If Kevin wins, he’ll have everyone decide on what to do with it. He’ll listen for ideas on using the money wisely, such as for a worthy cause (e.g. Saving Burma, Creative Commons, OLPCs for all, etc).

Recommended by Kevin Lim: I'm currently ranked 12th out of 20, so I'll have to call upon a nation to vote if I want to win. In return, I'm hoping to use the money to make the world a better place, by having your collective wisdom decide on how I should use it. Closing date 28th Oct 2007.

Rock your vote here!

Zuco said:

In Singapore's context, the PSC scholarship is most probably intended to spot, train and nurture a talented individual for a career in the civil service. It does not intentionally discriminate according to family background. However, it is a fact that scions of wealthy families will inevitably have a leg up over those who come from a more humble background. It may be nature or nurture, it may be that the wealthier families are the ones that can afford the money to cram their kids full with tuition and whatever they can come up with, it may be that the wealthier families believe that the way to success in life is through a successful and secure civil service career whereas the more impoverished ones believes that the hustle and bustle of the open market is more suitable to their efforts in making more money.

Interesting entry about the aim of PSC scholarship in Singapore.

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Serene gives her opinions on the scholarship selection process:

and even in my own class, there was a girl who was universally disliked by the class for her selfish and apple polishing ways, and yet obtained a PSC scholarship as well... it appears that sometimes, its the students who are best as sucking up to the teachers, instead of those with the stellar characters, who are being selected for scholarships... its sad when teachers are so easily swayed by a little ass-wiping

I always thought that scholars are flawless. I'm sooo disillusioned.

A long, rambling read with many interesting chunks.

[edited by tinkertailor]

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