Tuition Grant Bond for International Students: The Work Requirement After Graduating in Singapore

What the bond requires

The MOE Tuition Grant subsidises tuition fees for Singapore Citizens, Singapore Permanent Residents and eligible international students. Singapore Citizens receive it with no bond attached. Permanent Residents and international students who take the grant must serve a 3-year bond, working full-time in Singapore right after graduation, according to MOE's bond terms page .

The clock starts the day you finish your degree, not the day you accept the grant. You do not need a job lined up before graduation, but the 3 years of qualifying employment must run continuously from that point.

What counts as a qualifying employer

Your employer must be a company registered in Singapore with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA). This includes the Singapore-registered arm of a multinational company, so working for a global firm's Singapore office satisfies the bond as long as your employment contract and pay run through that Singapore entity. A remote role for a company based outside Singapore does not count.

Full-time employment, not part-time

MOE requires full-time work to fulfil the bond. Part-time jobs, freelance work and unpaid internships do not count toward your 3 years. If you plan to pursue a master's degree in Singapore right after your bachelor's, check with MOE whether this pauses your bond clock or runs alongside it, since the answer depends on your specific programme and pass type. Switching employers during your bond does not restart the clock, as long as each role is full-time work for a Singapore-registered company and you have no gap in employment. Moving between qualifying jobs is normal and expected over the 3 years.

Why the bond exists

The Tuition Grant is public money, and MOE frames the 3-year bond as Singapore's return on that investment. Subsidised graduates spend the early part of their career contributing to the Singapore economy before they are free to work anywhere. This is why the obligation attaches to your Tuition Grant status rather than to the specific scholarship or programme you study.

How MOE tracks your bond

You update your employment details with MOE through the Tuition Grant and Scholarships (TG&S) portal once you start work, so MOE can confirm you are meeting your service obligation. Keep your contact details current on the portal throughout your studies and after graduation, since MOE uses it to track your bond status and to process your discharge once you complete the 3 years.

MOE typically asks for evidence such as your employment contract or payslips to confirm you are meeting your service obligation. Keep copies of your employment documents throughout the 3 years in case MOE requests them.

Getting PR during your bond

Applying for and receiving Singapore Permanent Residency during your bond period does not shorten or cancel your service obligation. The 3-year clock keeps running from your graduation date regardless of any immigration status change in between.

The agreement you sign

When you accept the Tuition Grant, you sign a Tuition Grant Agreement, and MOE requires guarantors to co-sign it alongside you. Read the agreement closely: it sets out your service obligation, the repayment terms if you break it, and your guarantors' liability.

What happens if you break it

If you do not complete the 3-year obligation, either by not working in Singapore at all or by leaving before the bond period ends, MOE requires you to repay the tuition subsidy you received, including the GST portion, plus interest, in one lump sum. You and your guarantors are jointly liable for this repayment. Contact MOE's Tuition Grant and Scholarships portal before any planned move if you are unsure whether a job change or a break in employment puts you at risk of breaching the bond.

Scholarship recipients can face longer bonds

If your Tuition Grant comes attached to a scholarship such as the ASEAN Undergraduate Scholarship , the standard 3-year bond still applies to the Tuition Grant portion. Students admitted to Medicine or Dentistry face an additional, longer service obligation, 5-6 years, with Singapore's Ministry of Health specifically. Check your scholarship's own terms in addition to the Tuition Grant bond, since the two obligations are separate documents.

Planning around the bond

Start your Singapore job search in your final year, since the bond clock runs from graduation regardless of whether you have signed an offer yet. Confirm with MOE's TG&S portal whether part-time work, further study in Singapore, or a career break count toward or pause your 3-year obligation, since these edge cases are not always spelled out on the public MOE pages. Keep your guarantors informed throughout your studies. They carry real financial exposure if you leave Singapore before the bond ends.

Before you sign

Read the Tuition Grant Agreement in full before you and your guarantors sign it. Ask MOE directly, through the TG&S portal, about any clause you do not understand, particularly around what counts as a break in employment and how the repayment amount is calculated. The agreement is a binding legal document, not a formality.