More scholarships for SUTD undergraduates

More scholarships are now available for undergraduates of the Singapore University of Technology and Design, or SUTD. 

Besides paying for tuition fees, they also offer research opportunities at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US and Zhejiang University in China. 

These will be made possible with increased funding set aside by SUTD.

Every year, SUTD will commit between $1 million and $1.5 million to the scholarship programme. 

SUTD scholar, Tedric Chai, currently gets around $11,000 per year to fund his tuition fees. 

The 21-year-old is keen to apply for the enhanced scholarship, which offers more benefits. 

"It offers an additional $7,000 a year allowance. This money will help to take more worry off my mind with regards to personal expenses. With this extra time that I have, I can devote more attention to activities that help to build SUTD, benefit the lives of students as well as contribute to the larger community." 

Singapore's fourth publicly-funded university, is gearing up for its second intake of students, who'll start their term in May next year.

Its Provost, Professor Chong Tow Chong hopes the enhanced scholarships will help level the playing field in attracting high calibre students. 

"Now that we are all ready, we have more faculties, we get all the pieces coming together, it is time for us to roll out a more comprehensive scholarship so that we can also be competitive in that sense, to attract those very bright students to join us." 

In evaluating the applicants, Professor Chong said SUTD will consider factors such as grades, co-curricular activities and leadership qualities. 

SUTD hopes to award the scholarships to 100 Singaporeans from its second batch of students. 

Current scholars are also eligible - for selected scholarship programmes. 

-By Alice Chia