RECRUITING TALENT, DEVELOPING LEADERS

PSC Scholarship - Gateway to a Public Service Career

The PSC awards full scholarships to outstanding young men and women who are committed to serving Singapore through a career in the Public Service. The PSC Scholarships are open to applicants at various points in their education journey and offer three main career paths – Public Administration, Professional Service and Uniformed Service. Successful applicants may be awarded the scholarship prior to their undergraduate studies, during their undergraduate studies (as a mid-term scholarship recipient) or after completing their undergraduate studies (as a Master’s scholarship recipient). These multiple entry points have enabled the PSC to recruit scholarship holders with diverse perspectives and backgrounds.

Public Administration

Recipients of the PSC Scholarship, PSC Scholarship (Sustainability) or PSC Master’s Scholarship will assume a role in Public Administration. They are not tied to a specific Ministry at the start of their scholarship journey and can be deployed across different agencies after graduation. The Public Administration pathway provides scholarship holders the opportunity to develop as leaders and gain experience in multiple sectors of the Public Service. Recipients of the PSC Scholarship (Sustainability) and the PSC Master’s Scholarship (Sustainability) focus more on sustainability initiatives and policies in areas like climate change, clean energy, urban planning and green financing, in the course of their work.

Recipients of the 2024 PSC Scholarship and PSC Scholarship (Sustainability)

Professional Service

The Professional Service pathway develops scholarship holders for a specific career in Engineering, Foreign Service, Judicial Service/Legal Service, Medicine, Public Finance or Teaching Service. Recipients of these scholarships return to serve in the respective agencies linked to their scholarships and are guided and developed in line with their professional tracks.

Recipients of the 2024 PSC Scholarship (Engineering)

Recipients of the 2024 PSC Scholarship (Foreign Service), PSC Scholarship (Legal/Judicial), PSC Scholarship (Medicine) and PSC Scholarship (Teaching)

Uniformed Service

The PSC also awards the Singapore Armed Forces Scholarship (SAFS) and the Singapore Police Force Scholarship (SPFS) to outstanding young men and women who respond to the call of defending the nation and are committed to maintaining peace and stability, and law and order in our country.

SAFS holders are systematically trained and developed to assume key command and staff appointments in the SAF, while SPFS holders are groomed to lead the Home Team in upholding law, maintaining order and keeping peace in Singapore.

The SAFS and SPFS are also offered to those who wish to decide on an SAF or SPF career mid-term or late into their university studies.

Recipients of the 2024 The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Scholarship and The Singapore Police Force (SPF) Scholarship

Identifying Talent

The PSC adopts a rigorous process to select scholarship holders and considers a range of information from multiple sources. These include the candidate’s personal statement, school report, achievements in Co-Curricular Activities, community involvement, academic results and other notable achievements. The holistic assessment brings out key factors the PSC seeks in candidates, including leadership potential, resilience, diversity of experience, aptitude, passion and fit for a Public Service career. The PSC has adopted a range of tools, allowing the selection panel insights into some of the non-intellectual and whole person traits of our applicants. The PSC continually reviews its battery of tools for scholarship selection and enhances it to ensure that the right talent is selected.

The PSC provides updated information on the PSC Scholarships and Public Service careers to our stakeholders through regular meetings with school leaders, as well as sessions for students and their parents.

The PSC and Public Sector Scholarships Fair is held by the PSC annually, to provide a ‘one-stop’ platform for prospective scholarship applicants and their parents to learn more about the careers and scholarships offered by public sector agencies. To provide a global perspective, the 2024 fair featured key overseas education partners who shared information on tertiary education opportunities in France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. Admissions officers from overseas universities such as the University of Cambridge and Imperial College London also attended the 2024 fair to engage directly with prospective scholarship applicants. In addition, student associations were present to share their experiences in less conventional study destinations, offering attendees a broader perspective on international education options.

Students and their Parents at the 2024 PSC and Public Sector Scholarships Fair

The PSC works in close partnership with agencies, schools, universities and self-help community groups to reach out to a diverse profile of candidates and raise awareness of the scholarship and career options available in the Public Service. The Alumni Network, which was set up in 2023, has since expanded to nearly 200 volunteers including previous recipients of the PSC Scholarships and high-potential officers from the Public Service talent programmes. The volunteers supported the PSC and our schools to help students across a range of schools understand more about Public Service scholarships and careers.

Engagement Session with Year 1 Students at Nanyang Junior College

The PSC has also expanded its outreach efforts to Singaporean talent studying in overseas universities through tie-ups with the Singapore Global Network and Singapore student associations, and joint promotion trips with public sector agencies. In the last two years, about 15 overseas Singaporean students have been successfully matched for summer internship opportunities across various public sector agencies for a first-hand experience in the Public Service.

2024 PSC Scholarship Recipients

In 2024, we awarded 54 PSC scholarships – 22 on the Public Administration track, 23 on the Professional Service track and 9 on the Uniformed Service track.

2024 PSC Scholarship Recipients with Mr Chan Chun Sing (Minister for Education and Minister-in-charge of the Public Service) and the Public Service Commission

President’s Scholarship

The PSC also awards the President’s Scholarship – Singapore’s most prestigious undergraduate scholarship. The President’s Scholarship is awarded on top of a public sector scholarship. It recognises individuals who have stood out among their cohort, demonstrating excellence in their pursuits. Recipients of the President’s Scholarship have shown dedication to improving the lives of Singaporeans and exemplified the ethos of the Public Service.

In 2024, there were three recipients of the President’s Scholarship.

Recipients of the 2024 President’s Scholarship with President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, First Lady, Ms Jane Ittogi, and Chairman, PSC