Eligible recipients will receive $900 each under ITE’s Monthly Financial Assistance Scheme
The Ngee Ann Kongsi (NAK) has pledged a fresh donation of $1 million towards helping underprivileged students from the Institute of Technical Education (ITE). On 23 Nov 2021, NAK and ITE inked an agreement, which will see NAK committing a total of $1 million over five years – i.e. $200,000 per year – through the award of the Monthly Financial Assistance Scheme – Donated by The Ngee Ann Kongsi (MFAS).
In the next five academic years (2022 - 2026), some 222 eligible ITE student recipients will receive the MFAS allowance each year, made possible through this new donation from NAK. The monthly allowance of $150 will help defray the cost of daily meals, commuting and learning materials. Full-time students enrolled in any Nitec or Higher Nitec course in ITE, with Household Per Capita
Income of $690 and below, or combined household income of $2,750 and below, will be eligible to apply for the MFAS. They must also display good conduct and have a positive attitude towards their studies.
Past NAK Donations to ITE
This is the third donation ITE has received from NAK to date. The first two contributions were made in 2012 and 2018:
- An endowed donation of $1 million in Jun 2012 towards ITE’s MFAS and Special Student Assistance Scheme. Over the nine years since then, some 450 ITE students had benefited from this donation.
- Donation of three Ngee Ann Kongsi Gold Medals per year for 10 years, from 2018 to 2027. The Gold Medals are presented to the top graduates in ITE’s full-time training programme. Each award comprises $600 in cash and a gold medal (worth $2,500). The total cash value is $18,000 over 10 years, excluding the gold medals.
Lightening Burdens, Uplifting Lives
The contributions from NAK have helped many financially needy ITE students over the years. One such student is Muhammad Khairullah Bin Abdullah. Khairullah comes from a family of nine, where he is the eldest child with six younger siblings. His parents and siblings live in a oneroom HDB flat, while he lives with his grandmother, as the family flat is too small. To supplement family income, the Higher Nitec in Mechanical Engineering student works part-time as a food delivery rider. The support he receives from NAK, in the form of an MFAS allowance, helps to relieve some of his financial burden. Despite the challenging financial situation at home, Khairullah remains upbeat and continues to do well in ITE.
Ms Low Khah Gek, CEO, ITE, said, “Many ITE students work part-time to alleviate the very tight financial circumstances at home. The support from NAK will be very helpful in enabling these students to reduce their part-time work burden. I thank NAK for its generosity and for standing together with ITE in supporting and enabling ITE students to rise above their circumstances to focus on their education and build their future.”
Mr Jamie Teo, Vice President and Chairman of the Donation & Charity Sub-Committee, The Ngee Ann Kongsi, said, “Our donation towards ITE’s Monthly Financial Assistance Scheme is in line with our concerted effort to broaden and deepen The Ngee Ann Kongsi’s philanthropic support for Singapore’s education sector, and this includes support for more Singaporeans beyond the Teochew community.”