The Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship supports Singapore citizens pursuing Master’s or PhD study at local or overseas universities. It was established in 1991 by the Tanjong Pagar Citizens’ Consultative Committee with public funding to commemorate Lee Kuan Yew’s contributions to Singapore.
The Public Service Commission administers the application process. Scholars may study any field and are expected to use their development to benefit Singapore and its society; the award carries no bond. Applications for the 2026 cycle are closed.
Benefits & funding
- Standard recipients receive full tuition-fee coverage and an annual allowance of S$50,000.
- Funding lasts up to two years for a Master’s degree and up to five years for PhD study.
- Public-sector recipients already sponsored by their agencies receive a one-off S$10,000 instead of tuition coverage and the annual allowance.
- The scholarship has no bond, although recipients are expected to contribute actively to Singapore and Singaporeans.
Eligibility
- Applicants must be Singapore citizens.
- The scholarship supports Master’s and PhD study locally or overseas, with no restriction on the field of study.
- Applicants who have already begun postgraduate study must have at least three academic terms remaining when they apply.
- Assessment is holistic and considers leadership, achievement, potential to excel in the applicant’s field, and likely benefit to Singapore and society.
- PSC publishes no separate age, gender, residence, or work-experience threshold.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
Eligible nationalities
Singapore
Education required
Bachelor · Master
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Application process
- 1Gather academic certificates, full university transcripts and degree certificates, achievement records, and any applicable publication, National Service, citizenship-registration, or university-admission documents.
- 2Use a valid Singpass account to access PSC Gateway on a laptop or desktop computer.
- 3Complete the personal, family, education, achievement, university-application, other-details, essay, and declaration sections.
- 4Submit the application through PSC Gateway.
- 5Arrange for referees to submit reference letters through the designated FormSG link within 14 days of submission or by the deadline, whichever comes first.
- 6If shortlisted, attend the final interview and await the outcome by email.
Program timeline
Application and final reference-letter deadline.
28 February 2026
Shortlisted applicants notified.
Early April 2026
Final interviews.
April 2026
May to June 2026
Interview outcomes may be issued.
All outcomes expected by this point.
July 2026