Healthcare scholarships in Singapore

It’s safe to say that university scholarships are highly coveted by students islandwide. For those who’ve worked hard to amass a handful of distinctions alongside teacher testimonials and CCA accolades – all you have to do next is ace the interviews if you’re shortlisted.

Instead of chasing a general scholarship, last year’s pandemic might have you yearning for a more meaningful and rewarding career path: one in healthcare. To get you started, here are five healthcare scholarships to consider if you want to make a difference:

1. Healthcare Merit Award/Scholarship

Image credit: Singapore General Hospital

Think healthcare, and doctors and nurses immediately come to mind. But beyond that, there’s a slew of other health science disciplines like physiotherapy, occupational therapy, medical social work, and diagnostic radiography that require specific degrees. 

If you or a family member has ever been badly hurt in an accident, you’ll know the importance of physiotherapy. At its helm, physiotherapists facilitate recovery for injuries, illness or disability through various techniques such as therapeutic exercise and chest therapy. This helps the patient regain mobility in the affected area and regain their original physical condition.

Similarly, occupational therapists are the brains behind treatment programmes that help patients relearn basic skills which may have been affected by physical, cognitive or psychosocial problems.

Image credit: National University Health System and Joey Tan

On the other hand, diagnostic radiography is not just about handling equipment, but utilising medical imaging technologies like X-Rays, ultrasounds and computed tomography (CT) scans to help healthcare teams identify the patient’s conditions.

Scholarship perks (Full-term):

• Tuition and compulsory fees
• Monthly allowances
• Pre-study allowance
• Return economy airfare & clinical placement expense for overseas studies
• Sponsorship for approved developmental programmes
• Commencement award
• Distinction award for scholars who graduate with at least Second Upper Class Honours and above

Courses of study: Nursing, Dietetics, Diagnostic Radiography, Medical Social Work, Occupational Therapy, Orthoptics, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, Podiatry, Radiation Therapy, Respiratory Therapy, Prosthetics and Orthotics, Speech Therapy

Application period: September-March (the following year), annually

Find out more about the Healthcare Merit Award.

2. Community Care Scholarship

Image credit: Ren Ci Hospital

If you’re passionate about serving the community, and are looking to pursue a degree in Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy or Social Work, the Community Care Scholarship is for you. 

These degrees are highly specialised, and will equip you to make a positive difference in the lives of patients and their loved ones. For instance, social workers in Community Care organisations help patients and their families to cope with critical or chronic medical conditions – such as adjusting to changes in their life after getting discharged from the hospital. These could include changes in lifestyle, finances, and even relationships.

Scholarship perks (Full-term):

• Tuition and compulsory fees
• Monthly allowances
• Pre-study allowance
• Return economy airfare & clinical placement expense for overseas studies
• Sponsorship for approved developmental programmes
• Commencement award
• Distinction award for scholars who graduate with at least Second Upper Class Honours and above

Courses of study: Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, Social Work 

Application period: September-March (the following year), annually

Find out more about the Community Care Scholarship.

3. Community Nursing Scholarship

Image credit: Yishun Health and National Healthcare Group

Ask anyone and they’d agree that nursing is not an easy job – this has been especially true and amplified in the face of COVID-19, where nurses have been our brave frontline warriors fighting the pandemic and keeping us in the pink of health. Many of our perceptions of nurses have also changed, and we’ve come to better appreciate how important their role is.

If you’ve decided that’s your calling, the Community Nursing Scholarship will not only cover your tuition fees, but also let you expand your horizons through developmental programmes such as seminars and conferences. The scholarship is offered in partnership with the public healthcare institutions and community care providers, and aims to nurture the next generation of Community Nursing leaders.

Scholarship perks:

• Tuition and compulsory fees
• Monthly allowances
• Pre-study allowance
• Return economy airfare for overseas studies
• Sponsorship for approved developmental programmes
• Commencement award
• Distinction award for scholars who graduate with Second Upper Class Honours and above

Course of study: Nursing

Application period: September-March (the following year), annually

Find out more about the Community Nursing Scholarship.

4. Healthcare Administration Scholarship

Image credit: SingHealth Academy

In the face of the pandemic, we’ve all come to appreciate the healthcare sector now more than ever. Even if you’re not at the frontlines as a healthcare worker, you can still make a difference and contribute as a healthcare administrator. 

The Healthcare Administration Scholarship will allow you to work in one of the public health institutions in Singapore, namely Ministry of Health, MOH Holdings, Agency for Integrated Care or Integrated Health Information Systems.

Scholarship perks (Full-term):

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

Courses of study: All disciplines such as Business, Accountancy, Economics except Medicine, Dentistry and other healthcare-related disciplines.

Application period: January-March (the following year), annually

Find out more about the Healthcare Administration Scholarship.

5. Healthcare Graduate Studies Award

Image credit: Tan Tock Seng Hospital and National Healthcare Group

For those who are almost completing your Bachelor’s degree or have recently graduated from uni and considering further studies, the sheer amount of courses available may be intimidating to choose from. For starters, take a look at what’s covered under the Healthcare Graduate Studies Award.

Undergrads may be interested in specialising in Speech Therapy and Audiology, and economics or business students can consider Business Analytics and Health Economics. 

Upon graduation, you’ll have the opportunity to work with healthcare professionals in direct care, policy makers or IT systems professionals, depending on your area of specialisation. 

Scholarship perks:

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

Courses of study: Audiology, Biostatistics, Business Analytics, Clinical Psychology, Epidemiology, Health Economics, Medical Informatics, Nursing, Public Health, Speech Therapy

Application period: Varies across disciplines, refer to the link below for more information 

Find out more about the Healthcare Graduate Studies Award.

Healthcare Scholarships for students in Singapore

Most of us look upon scholarships as prizes reserved for the crème de la crème of Singapore’s top schools, and nothing more than a pipedream. But what most don’t know is that some scholarships such as the ones listed above offer Mid-term scholarships alongside their Full-term ones.

Mid-term scholarships award existing undergrads the opportunity to change the hands of fate and turn the tides by chasing their scholarship dreams. The caveat: you’ll need to be on track to graduate with at least Second (Upper) Class Honours or equivalent.

Besides the attractive financial benefits these scholarships offer, securing one also guarantees you a job in the healthcare sector upon graduation. Not only are these jobs meaningful and rewarding, you’ll also have job security in the bag should another pandemic come around.

While these scholarships entail bonds, the benefits such as monthly allowances, cash awards for good performance, various talent development and scholar development opportunities just might outweigh that one limitation. You’ll also get to network with fellow scholars that are also in the same industry.

Find out more about healthcare scholarships in Singapore

This post was brought to you by Healthcare Scholarships.
Cover image adapted from: SingHealth, Ren Ci Hospital, Jurong Health Campus
Originally published on 19th February 2021. Last updated by Renae Cheng on 22nd February 2022.