OCBC Regional Scholarship

Benefits & funding

• Tuition paid in full for the degree.
• Allowances during the course of study.
• Accommodation.
• One airfare per year.
• Expenses for one overseas exchange programme.
• Internship opportunities with OCBC, awarded on merit.
• Admission to the OCBC Graduate Talent Programme, depending on academic performance.
• The award is bonded: after graduating, the recipient works for OCBC in their country of citizenship for the same number of years the scholarship was held.
• OCBC does not publish the cash value of the allowances, the accommodation support or the airfare.

Eligibility

• Open to citizens of Singapore, Malaysia, China, Indonesia and Hong Kong.
• The university attended must be outside the applicant’s country of citizenship and must appear on the bank’s selected list.
• Citizens of Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Hong Kong are funded for an undergraduate degree.
• Citizens of China are funded for a postgraduate degree; OCBC does not narrow this to a particular postgraduate level.
• Selected universities in Singapore: National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Management University, Singapore University of Social Sciences, Singapore University of Technology and Design.
• Selected universities in mainland China: Peking University, Tsinghua University, Fudan University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Zhejiang University, Nanjing University.
• Selected universities in Hong Kong: The University of Hong Kong, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
• Selected universities in Taiwan: National Taiwan University, National Tsing Hua University.
• Applicants need outstanding academic results and a strong co-curricular record.
• Applicants must not already hold another scholarship.
• Students already enrolled and students still waiting on a university offer are both accepted.
• OCBC states no field-of-study restriction, no age limit and no work-experience requirement.

Application process

1. 1
   Check that the intended university is on the selected list and lies outside the country of citizenship, since that pairing is what the scheme funds.
2. 2
   Gather academic transcripts and a record of co-curricular activities, leadership roles and achievements.
3. 3
   Apply online through the Bright Sparks portal linked from the OCBC scholarship page, within the 1 March to 30 April window.
4. 4
   Shortlisted candidates sit an online assessment; this stage closes by mid-May.
5. 5
   Attend the local panel interview at the end of May.
6. 6
   Attend the regional panel interview, held between the end of May and the end of June.
7. 7
   Receive the outcome by the end of June and accept the award with its bond conditions.

Program timeline

1. Applications opened for the 2026 cycle

   Mar 1, 2026

2. Application deadline for the 2026 cycle

   Apr 30, 2026

3. Shortlisting and online assessment

   2026-05, by mid-month

4. Local panel interview

   2026-05, end of month

5. Regional panel interview

   2026-05 to 2026-06, end of month

6. Acceptance notification

   2026-06, end of month

7. Next cycle expected on the same published annual window

   Mar 1, 2027 to Apr 30, 2027