The Silent Minority Bursary

The Silent Minority Bursary is established to promote meritocratic access to education and provide financial assistance to students in financial need.

Eligibility

  • Full-time undergraduates who are Singapore Citizens and either Malay, Indian or Eurasian in any year of study at SUTD.
  • Good academic standing
  • Demonstrated financial need with monthly household Per Capita Income less than S$2,250
  • Must be living in a Housing Development Board flat at the time of award and declares that his/her immediate family does not own any private property in Singapore or abroad.
  • Have experienced a Catastrophic Event which happened within 1 year prior to the application and/or continues to affect his/her immediate family at the time of application and that the lack of financial assistance will result in discontinuation of studies. Documentary evidence will have to be furnished by the student.

A Catastrophic Event is defined as an event affecting the immediate family of the applicant due to divorce, serious sickness and/or injury, death, accident or loss of job (over 6 months or longer) of the breadwinner of the family. 

Tenure

  • The Bursary Award is tenable for one year only
  • Recipients may reapply to be considered for the Bursary Award in their subsequent year of study, subject to good academic standing and other terms

Benefits of Awards

  • Up to S$5,000 per annum
  • The recipient may use the Bursary for educational expenses such as tuition fees, course materials, and fees for other educational activities organised by the University.
  • No bond attached

Things to Note

Bursary recipients must take up the Tuition Fee Grant Subsidy by the Singapore Government.

Each Bursary recipient is encouraged to contribute at least 25 hours of community service, during the time of his/her undergraduate study in the University, so as to demonstrate similar acts of giving to those in need.

THIS BURSARY AWARD IS MADE POSSIBLE BY​ THE SILENT FOUNDATION

The Silent Foundation was founded on 14 July 2010 by Mr Teng Ngiek Lian. It is a registered charity in Singapore.

Mr Teng was born in Terengganu, Malaysia. After completing his O levels at the age of 18, he left school and started work. In 1996, he fulfilled his dream to manage his own business and founded Target Asset Management. In 2010, at the age of 60, Mr Teng founded The Silent Foundation along with his son Matthew. He felt that he has benefited tremendously from the society all these years and it is his duty to pay back.

Funded by the Teng family, the Foundation today has an Endowment Capital Sum of S$50 million.

The foundation is named The Silent Foundation as it is dedicated to assist the ‘silent sufferers’. Silent sufferers refer to those who have been overlooked by the society and tend to be voiceless. The Silent Foundation focuses equally on two main areas. The first is marginalised individuals whose circumstances make it difficult for them to receive assistance from the mainstream channels. This would include migrant workers, minority races and women whose rights are not protected. The second area championed by The Silent Foundation is animals and the environment who also cannot speak out against suffering.

This philosophy parallels Mr Teng’s professional approach, as he practices value investing which focuses in the overlooked and unloved sectors.