Best Healthcare Scholarships in Singapore [2023]

For young people thinking of a career in healthcare in Singapore, getting a healthcare scholarship is a great way to gain an immediate professional head start and finance your healthcare studies at the same time. Whether you’re thinking of working in the public or private healthcare sector, a healthcare scholarship is an immense early boost to your professional career. 

How do healthcare scholarships in Singapore work?

Source: Pexels

Healthcare scholarships in Singapore are centrally administered by the Ministry of Health Holdings (MOHH). MOHH serves as the holding company for local public healthcare clusters and awards various different kinds of healthcare scholarships at both the undergraduate and graduate levels to students who have a passion for developing Singapore’s healthcare sector.

Generally, healthcare scholarships help you to pursue further healthcare-related studies that include one of 13 available health sciences disciplines:

• Diagnostic Radiography
• Dietetics
• Nursing
• Medical Social Work
• Occupational Therapy
• Orthoptics
• Pharmacy
• Physiotherapy
• Podiatry
• Radiation Therapy
• Respiratory Therapy
• Prosthetics and Orthotics
• Speech Therapy

Beyond sponsoring your healthcare studies, healthcare scholarships are also designed to help you gain early exposure and professional development as a healthcare scholar. 

Source: Healthcare Scholarships SG

Undergraduate healthcare scholarships

1. Healthcare Merit Award/Healthcare Merit Scholarship

The Healthcare Merit Award is awarded to promising students with strong academic track records and a passion to pursue a career in public healthcare.

Healthcare Merit Award ​recipients are monitored and assessed for their suitability for an upgrade to the full-fledged Healthcare Merit Scholarship.

Full-Term, Mid-Term and Degree Conversion tracks are available.

Eligibility Criteria

General

• Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident who is willing to take up Singapore citizenship
• Good co-curricular activities record and strong leadership qualities
• Passion for serving in the public healthcare sector
• Good communication skills

Full-Term

• Achieve outstanding A-level results (offered at least 10 academic units), diploma with merit/distinction or equivalent qualifications, (e.g. International Baccalaureate (IB) or NUS high school diploma)

Mid-Term

• Achieve outstanding academic results and be on track to graduate with at least a diploma with merit/distinction (for current diploma students), or at least Second Class (Upper) Honours or equivalent (for current undergraduates)
• Have completed at least one semester of study in health science disciplines at local polytechnics, local universities or MOHH-approved overseas universities

Degree Conversion (Nursing)

• Achieve outstanding academic results, on track to graduate with at least a diploma with merit/distinction

Benefits

Full-Term

• Tuition and compulsory fees
• Monthly allowances
• Pre-study allowance
• Return economy airfare (for overseas study only)
• Clinical placement expense (for overseas study only)
• Sponsorship for approved developmental programmes
• Commencement award
• Distinction award (for scholars who graduate with at least Second Class (Upper) Honours or equivalent)

Mid-Term

• Tuition and compulsory fees (back payment from year one of study)
• Monthly allowances and Sponsorship for approved developmental programmes (from the point of award onwards)
• Distinction award (for scholars who graduate with at least Second Class (Upper) Honours or equivalent)

Degree Conversion (Nursing)

• Same benefits as Healthcare Merit Award (Full-Term)

Commitment

Application Details

Applications are opened annually from September to March of the following year. Interviews will be conducted from January to June each year.

Please note that only shortlisted applicants will be notified.

Apply at the Brightsparks Scholarship Portal here.

2. Integrated Nursing Scholarship

The Integrated Nursing Scholarship scheme aims to nurture the next generation of nurse leaders.​ It is only offered to outstanding O-Level graduates who demonstrate leadership potential and passion to pursue a career in nursing.

Only the Full-Term track is available.

Eligibility Criteria

• Singapore Citizen
• Achieve outstanding O-Level results of ELR2B2 of 10 points and below
• Applied to the nursing course at Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) or Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP)
• Good co-curricular activities record and strong leadership qualities
• Passion for serving in the public healthcare sector
• Good communication skills

Benefits

• Tuition and compulsory fees
• Monthly allowances
• Pre-study allowance
• Sponsorship for approved developmental programmes
• Commencement award
• Distinction award (for scholars who graduate with at least Second Class (Upper) Honours or equivalent)

Commitment

• Diploma (NYP/NP) + Local Degree (SIT): 3 year bond period
• Diploma (NYP/NP) + MOHH-approved Overseas Degree: 3 year bond period

Application Details

Applications are opened annually from September to March the following year. Interviews will be conducted from January to June each year. Do note that only shortlisted applicants will be notified.

Apply with the BrightSparks Portal here.

3. Community Nursing Scholarship

The Community Nursing Scholarship nurtures the next generation of community nursing leaders. It is offered in partnership with the public healthcare institutions and community care providers.

Full-Term, Mid-Term, and Degree Conversion tracks are available.

Eligibility Criteria

General

• Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident who is willing to take up Singapore citizenship
• Possess good academic results
• Good co-curricular activities record and strong leadership skills
• Strong interest to serve in the community

Full-Term

• Achieve outstanding O-level results, A-level results diploma with merit/distinction or equivalent qualifications, (e.g. International Baccalaureate (IB) or NUS high school diploma)
• Applied to take up nursing studies in local educational institutions (NYP, NP or NUS)

Mid-Term

• Achieve outstanding academic results and on track to graduate with at least a diploma with merit/ distinction (for current diploma students), or at least Second Class (Upper) Honours or equivalent (for current undergraduates)
• Be a current nursing student in a local educational institution (NYP, NP or NUS)

Degree Conversion

• Achieve outstanding academic results, on track to graduate with at least a diploma with merit/distinction

Benefits

Full-Term

• Tuition and compulsory fees
• Monthly allowances
• Pre-study allowance
• Return economy airfare (for overseas study only)
• Sponsorship for approved developmental programmes
• Commencement award
• Distinction award (for scholars who graduate with at least Second Class (Upper)

Mid-Term

• Tuition and compulsory fees (back payment from year one of study)
• Monthly allowances and Sponsorship for approved developmental programmes (from the point of award onwards)
• Distinction award (for scholars who graduate with at least Second Class (Upper) Honours or equivalent)

Degree Conversion

• Same as Full-Term Community Nursing Scholarship.
• Salary for nurses undertaking degree studies with more than one year of work experience in the community setting

Commitment

Application Details

Applications are opened annually from September to March of the following year. Interviews will be conducted from January to June each year. Do note that only shortlisted applicants will be notified.

Apply via the BrightSparks Portal here.

4. Community Care Scholarship

The Community Care Scholarship is awarded to individuals with strong academic track records and a passion to lead and make a difference in community care.

Full-Term, Mid-Term, Degree Conversion and Administration tracks are available.

Eligibility Criteria

• Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident who is willing to take up Singapore citizenship*
• Good co-curricular activities record and strong leadership skills
• Strong interest to serve in the community
• Good communication skills

*Community Care Scholarship (Administration): Singapore Citizens only.

Full-Term

• Achieve outstanding A-Level results, diploma with merit/ distinction or equivalent qualifications (e.g. International Baccalaureate (IB) or NUS high school diploma)

Mid-Term

• Achieve outstanding academic results and on track to graduate with at least Second Class (Upper) Honours or Equivalent
• Have completed at least one semester of study in health science disciplines at local universities or MOHH-approved overseas universities

Degree Conversion

• Achieve outstanding results with a diploma with merit/ distinction

Benefits

Full-Term

• Tuition and compulsory fees
• Monthly allowances
• Pre-study allowance
• Return economy airfare (for overseas study only)
• Clinical placement expense (for overseas study only)
• Sponsorship for approved developmental programmes
• Commencement award
• Distinction award (for scholars who graduate with at least Second Class (Upper) Honours or equivalent)

Mid-Term

• Tuition and compulsory fees (back payment from year one of study)
• Monthly allowances and Sponsorship for approved developmental programmes (from the point of award onwards)
• Distinction award (for scholars who graduate with at least Second Class (Upper) Honours or equivalent)

Degree Conversion

• Same benefits as Community Care Scholarship (Full-Term)
• Salary for Allied Health Professionals undertaking post-registration degree studies with more than one year of work experience in the community setting

Administration

• Full-Term
  • Tuition and compulsory fees
  • Monthly allowances
  • Pre-study allowance
  • Overseas exchange allowance (if applicable)
• Mid-Term
  • One-time grant as partial coverage for university-related expenses

Course of Study

Full-Term

• Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy and Social Work

Mid-Term

• Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy

Administration

• All disciplines except for Medicine, Dentistry and other healthcare related disciplines.

Commitment

Full-Term

• Local: 4 year bond period
• Overseas: 6 year bond period

Mid-Term

• Local: 3 year bond period
• Overseas: 3 year bond period

Administration

• Full-Term
  • 3 years bond for studies at SIT
  • 4 years bond for studies at NUS/NTU/SMU/SUSS/SUTD
• Mid-Term
  • 2 to 3 years bond for local or overseas studies

Application Details

Community Care Scholarship (Full-Term, Mid-Term and Degree Conversion):

Applications are opened annually from September to March the following year. Interviews will be conducted from January to June each year.

Do note that only shortlisted applicants will be notified.

Apply with the BrightSparks Portal here.

5. Public Service Commission Scholarship (Medicine/Dentistry)

The PSC (Medicine) and PSC (Dentistry) Scholarships are offered to existing local medicine and dentistry undergraduates and to those currently pursuing their Doctor of Medicine (MD) studies at Duke-NUS Medical School, to nurture and develop the next generation of leaders in the public healthcare sector.

Only Mid-Term track is available.

Eligibility Criteria

• Singapore Citizen 
• Have completed at least one (1) year of medicine or dental studies and have not embarked on final year of study (local universities) at point of application
• Have strong leadership qualities and potential
• Have good academic and Co-Curricular Activities record

Benefits

• Tuition and compulsory fees
• Monthly allowances
• Sponsorship for approved developmental programmes

Commitment

6 years* (The bond runs concurrently with the Medicine/Dentistry Tuition Grant Bond.)

*All students accepted into the Medicine/Dentistry course in National University of Singapore / Nanyang Technological University / Duke-NUS Medical School are required to sign the medical/dental agreement with the Ministry of Health. This requires the above students to serve in the public healthcare sector for a specified number of years upon graduation.

Application Details

Applications are opened annually from August to March the following year. Please refer to PSC website for more details.

Apply with the PSC here.

6. LKCMedicine Scholarship

Source: Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine

The LKC Medicine Scholarship is administered to selected undergraduate medical students from the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine at Nanyang Technological University (NTU). 

Eligibility

• Open to Singapore Citizens.
• Successful awardees should read a full-time undergraduate Medicine programme in NTU.
• Possess outstanding Singapore-Cambridge GCE ‘A’ level, Diploma awarded by a polytechnic in Singapore, NUS High School Diploma or IB Diploma qualifications.
• Outstanding contributions or attributes in other areas such as community service, student leadership, or sporting excellence.

Benefits

• Full coverage of subsidised tuition fees (after ​Tuition Grant).
• Living allowance of S$6,000 per academic year.
• Book allowance of S$500 per academic year.
• Computer Allowance of S$1,500 (one-off).

Commitment

Upon graduation, the scholarship holder must complete a 5-year bond with the Ministry of Health. 

Application details

Selection interviews will take place between March to May every year. If you are shortlisted, you will receive a notification email by mid-May.

Apply via the NTU website here.

Graduate healthcare scholarships 

1. Community Care Scholarship (Postgraduate)

The Community Care (Postgraduate) Scholarship is awarded to individuals with strong academic track records and a passion to lead and make a difference in community care.

Eligibility Criteria

• Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident who is willing to take up Singapore citizenship*
• Good co-curricular activities record and strong leadership skills
• Strong interest to serve in the community
• Good communication skills
• Possess a good university degree (Second Class (Upper) Honours or equivalent)
• Good track record of work achievements (if applicable)

Benefits

• Tuition and compulsory fees
• Monthly allowances
• Pre-study allowance (for overseas study only)
• Return economy airfare (for overseas study only)
• Sponsorship for approved developmental programmes\

Course of Study

• Speech Therapy

Commitment

Local Study

• 2 years bond for up to 12 months of study
• 3 years bond for 12 to 24 months of study

Overseas Study

• 3 years bond for up to 12 months of study
• 4 years bond for 12 to 24 months of study

Application Details

Applications are opened annually from September to February the following year. Interviews will be conducted from January to June each year.

Only shortlisted applicants will be notified.

Apply with the BrightSparks Portal here.

2. Healthcare Graduate Studies Award

The Healthcare Graduate Studies Award is awarded to individuals who are keen to join the public healthcare sector while demonstrating academic excellence and community spirit. You will be part of a team of healthcare professionals providing direct care to patients or you will work with policy makers or IT systems professionals to improve the Singapore public healthcare system.

Only Full-Term track is available.

Eligibility Criteria

• Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident who is willing to take up Singapore citizenship
• Possess a good university degree (Second Class (Upper) Honours or equivalent)
• Good track record of work achievements (if applicable)
• Good co-curricular activities record and strong leadership qualities
• Passion for serving in the public healthcare sector
• Good communication skills

*HGSA (Nursing): Posses a good (non-nursing) university degree (Second Class (Upper) Honours or equivalent.

Benefits

• Tuition and compulsory fees
• Monthly allowances
• Pre-study allowance (for overseas study only)
• Return economy airfare (for overseas study only)
• Sponsorship for approved developmental programmes

Courses of Study

• Audiology: Audiologists diagnose, treat and monitor patients with hearing-related disorders as well as help them cope with their hearing loss. Local and overseas universities.
• Biostatistics: Biostatisticians collect and examine data for clinical trials and epidemiological (health and disease control) studies. Overseas universities
• Business Analytics: Using data to predict trends, analysts help healthcare institutions make evidence-based decisions. They also evaluate the effectiveness of intervention programmes and provide inputs to policymakers. Local universities.
• Clinical Psychology: Clinical psychologists assess, diagnose and treat mental and behavioural disorders in hospitals or community settings. They also design and implement mental health programmes. Local and overseas universities. Must have a good Honours degree in Psychology with a research thesis to demonstrate core research skills.
• Epidemiology: Epidemiologists are medical investigators who research the frequency and distribution of epidemics and diseases within the human population. Overseas universities.
• Health Economics: Health economists study the function of healthcare systems and health-affecting behaviours to help review healthcare policy. Overseas universities.
• Medical Informatics: Medical informaticists develop and maintain medical systems, software applications and databases for doctors, nurses and other clinical users. Overseas universities.
• Nursing: A highly-skilled and well-rounded profession with diverse responsibilities, nurses have exciting opportunities to develop their clinical skills to an advanced level, or move into management, teaching or research. Overseas universities.
• Public Health: Public Health officers promote health by reducing the burden of communicable diseases through effective disease control and preventive programmes. Local and overseas universities.
• Speech Therapy: Speech therapists diagnose and treat patients suffering from voice problems, cognition or swallowing disorders due to stroke, brain injury and degenerative disorders. Local and overseas universities.

Commitment

Application Details

Interviews will be conducted from October to January the following year for the following disciplines: Public Health, Epidemiology, Clinical Psychology & Business/Data Analytics.

Interviews will be conducted from February to June for the following disciplines: Biostatistics, Health Economics, Audiology, Medical Informatics, Nursing & Speech Therapy.

Only shortlisted applicants will be notified.

Apply with the BrightSparks Portal here.

Non-clinical scholarships

1. Healthcare Administration Scholarship

The Healthcare Administration Scholarship is offered to students who wish to pursue a meaningful and challenging career as a healthcare administrator in Singapore’s public healthcare sector. 

Healthcare administrators, which can range from management associates to software engineers for healthcare-related systems, take on non-clinical roles and are crucial to the functioning of the healthcare sector.

Full-Term and Mid-Term tracks are available.

Eligibility Criteria

General

• Singapore Citizen
• Good co-curricular activities record and strong leadership qualities
• Passion for serving in the public healthcare sector
• Good communication skills

Full-Term

• Achieve outstanding A-level results, diploma with merit/distinction or equivalent qualifications (e.g. International Baccalaureate (IB) or NUS high school diploma)

Mid-Term

• Achieve outstanding academic results and is on track to graduate with at least Second Class (Upper) Honours or equivalent

Benefits

Full-Term

• Tuition and compulsory fees
• Monthly allowances
• Overseas exchange allowance (if applicable)

Mid-Term

• One-time grant as partial coverage for university-related expenses

Courses of Study

Universities

Full-Term

Only Local Universities are allowed:

• Nanyang Technological University (NTU)
• National University of Singapore (NUS)
• Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT)
• Singapore Management University (SMU)
• Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS)
• Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD)

Mid-Term

All Local and Overseas Universities are allowed without restrictions

Commitment

Full-Term

• SIT: 3 year bond period
• NUS/NTU/SMU/ SUSS/SUTD: 4 year bond period

Mid-Term

• 2-3 year bond period

Application Details

Applications are opened from January to March. Interviews will be conducted from April to June each year. Do note that only shortlisted applicants will be notified.

Apply with MOE here.

Private healthcare group scholarships

1. Raffles Medical Group Scholarship

The Raffles Medical Group Scholarship is open for undergraduate students who are intending to pursue a course in nursing and pharmacy, as well as those who aspire to be physical, speech and occupational therapists. The scholarship is also open to students who want to pursue their studies in business, computer science and information systems-related courses. 

Eligibility criteria

Full-Term

• Singapore Citizens or Singapore Permanent Residents
• Matriculating into local Universities
• Excellent GCE ‘A’ level or Polytechnic results
• Good CCA records

Mid-Term

• Singapore Citizens or Singapore Permanent Residents
• Matriculated in local Universities
• Excellent undergraduate results at least a class of 2nd Upper (4.0 / 5.0)
• Good CCA records

International

• Students who are citizens/ passport holders of Hong Kong, Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, PRC, Myanmar and Cambodia
• Excellent academic and CCA records
• Demonstrate strong leadership qualities and potential

Benefits

• Full cost of tuition fees and miscellaneous fees will be borne
• Receive monthly allowances 
• Receive attachment allowances during your working internship

Commitment

The bond period corresponds to the number of years of the sponsorship, typically between 2 to 4 years.

Application details

Applications are opened from February to April of each year. For enquiries, you may email [email protected].

2. IHH Healthcare Nursing Scholarship 

The scholarship is open to those who are intending to become nurses, including those who are enrolling into a NITEC course, diploma or degree programme in nursing. 

Eligibility criteria

Degree in Nursing

• Good co-curricular activities record
• Passion for serving in the private healthcare sector
• Good communication skills
• For A-Level students – Good A-level results (with at least 10 academic units)
• For Diploma students – Minimum GPA of 3.0
• Students with equivalent qualifications (e.g. International Baccalaureate (IB) or NUS high school Diploma)

Diploma in Nursing

• Good co-curricular activities record
• Passion for serving in the private healthcare sector
• Good communication skills
• Good GCE ‘A’ level or ‘O’ level results

NITEC in Nursing

• Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident
• Good co-curricular activities record
• Passion for serving in the private healthcare sector
• Good communication skills
• 3 ‘N’ level passes or 2 ‘O’ level passes

Benefits

• Tuition and compulsory fees
• Monthly allowance

Commitment

Degree: Minimum 2 years

Diploma: Minimum 2 years

NITEC: 2 years

Application details

Apply via the BrightSparks portal here.

If you are interested in joining the healthcare industry and making an impact on the lives of others, but have no prior healthcare experience, being a caregiver is a great way to start and boost your resume.

Learn more about our careers as a Homage Caregiver or Nurse and apply to be a Care Pro with us today!