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Higher Education Student Loan (HESL) Scheme
Implementation of the Higher Education Student Loan (HESL)

• The Tuition Fee Loan (TFL), Study Loan (SL) and Overseas Student Programme Loan (OSPL) schemes will be replaced by the Higher Education Student Loan (HESL) scheme from 1 July 2026.
• For graduate students, NUS will cease accepting new applications for TFL by 31 May 2026 (or earlier, where applicable).
• Graduate students may apply for the HESL scheme from 16 July 2026, to cover the tuition fees for AY26/27 Semester 1.
• Existing graduate students with approved TFL arrangements will continue under their current terms and conditions.
Overview of HESL


Higher Education Student Loan (HESL) Scheme

The Higher Education Student Loan (HESL) scheme is a government loan scheme to help students finance their tertiary education at publicly-funded post-secondary education institutions (PSEIs).
Eligible graduate students who require financing for their tuition fees may apply for the non-means tested base provision which can cover up to 90% of the subsidised tuition fees payable, depending on the student’s citizenship.

Who are Eligible for Base Provision
Loan Provision by Student Citizenship
  • Full-time Singapore Citizens (SC)/ Singapore Permanent Residents (SPR)/ International Students (IS) post-graduate by coursework
 
  • Full-time and part-time SC/SPR/IS post-graduate by research
 
SC: Up to 90% of subsidised tuition fee payable by SC.
SPR: Up to 65% of subsidised tuition fee payable by SPR.
IS: Up to 45% of subsidised tuition fee payable by IS.


Eligibility

Students enrolled in the following programmes are eligible to apply for the HESL:
  • Graduate Research programmes
  • Full-time government-subsidised Graduate Coursework programmes, including programmes conducted by the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, Duke-NUS Medical School and Institute of Systems Science.

The following categories of graduate students are not eligible to apply for the HESL:

* Students may also refer to the MOE and NUS Office of Financial Aid webpages for the eligibility criteria and loan coverage details.
Terms of HESL
  • HESL is interest-free during the course of study
  • Interest will commence only upon graduation or when the student leaves the University.
  • For more information on the applicable interest rates and the late payment interest for overdue and unpaid loans/loan instalment per month, please visit DBS and OCBC website respectively.
  • Repayment may be made in one lump sum or by equal monthly instalments comprising both principal and interest. Payment of the lump sum or first monthly instalment shall be made no later than one year from the date that interest is first chargeable on the Loan, and thereafter payment of the monthly instalments shall be made on the first day of each month. The minimum amount repayable is S$100 per month and the maximum repayment period is 10 years. Any amount which remains outstanding thereafter shall become immediately due and payable.
  • In the event that the Borrower leaves the Institution without completing his course of study or if any information provided by the Borrower or his Guarantor for loan application is found to be incorrect, the Loan outstanding shall become immediately due and payable, subject to the Bank’s right to exercise its option to allow such repayment by monthly instalments on such terms and conditions as it deems fit.
  • Students may use their PSEA balance for loan repayment after they have graduated. To apply and find out more about the scheme, refer to this link. The PSEA application form should be submitted directly to MOE.
  • One guarantor is required.
  • Guarantor must be between 21 to 60 years o­f age (based on guarantor’s age at the point of application) and must not be an undischarged bankrupt.
  • No minimal income required.
  • Applicants who are Singapore Citizen must provide guarantors who are Singapore Citizen.

Student
Guarantor
Singapore Citizen
Singapore Citizen
Singapore Permanent Resident
Singapore Citizen/ Singapore Permanent Resident
International
Singapore Citizen/ Singapore Permanent Resident/ Foreigner


Application
Applications for the HESL scheme can be submitted via the StudentLoanSG (SLSG) portal from 16 July 2026.

At the start of implementation, applications will be open to:
  • Newly matriculated graduate students for AY2026 intake; and
  • Existing graduate students (before AY2026 intake) who do not have TFL for their current course of study.
Semester
Application Timeline
Semester 1
16 July to 6 December 2026
 
Semester 2 & Special Terms
I & II
To be advised
All students including Internal Blended Learning Online Courses (iBLOCs) students

Existing graduate students with TFL do not need to take any action and may continue under their current loan provisions.
Students who wish to apply for additional financing under HESL should consult the University for assessment of their financing needs from 1 Sep 2026.

Other Important Information

Students are encouraged to consider other financial assistance schemes such as government bursaries, PSEA, and NUS financial aid schemes before taking up HESL.

For enquiries, please contact NUS Graduate School.