Introduction

Running for the 12th consecutive year, the BrightSparks Scholarship & Higher Education Survey 2019 reached out to GCE ‘A’ Level and International Baccalaureate (IB) students and graduates, polytechnic students, and university undergraduates. The annual study conducted by CareerBuilder Singapore aims to understand the higher education, scholarships, and career preferences of these students.

As mindsets and expectations change to reflect evolving education and business landscapes, it is imperative that scholarships and education providers stay up to date to remain competitive and relevant. To this end, the BrightSparks Scholarship & Higher Education Survey 2019 is updated with the latest findings and trends each year, to provide tertiary institutions and scholarship providers the comprehensive findings they need to gain greater insight into the preferences of potential students and scholars. By understanding the needs and aspirations of these young minds, scholarship providers will be better able to offer attractive scholarship packages which are desirable to young talent, and to know the most effective channels to communicate essential scholarship information to their target audience.

Education Preferences:

Nearly the entire cohort chose to further their studies

A majority of students intend to pursue further education, with a significant majority opting to stay within Singapore. Only less than 1% opted not to pursue further studies.

Scholarship Preferences:

Scholarship application becomes the norm

A majority of the respondents have applied, or are intending to apply for scholarships. An application, however, does not guarantee a scholarship.

Significant majority desire for a scholarship to finance their further education

Nearly 80% of the students intend to finance their further education using scholarships, and more than 50% have the benefit of family financial support.

Scholarship duration does not matter

When asked what is considered an acceptable bond duration, students cited between two to four years for a partial or full local scholarship, and four to six years for a partial or full overseas scholarship.

Consequential reasons behind students’ decision not to apply for a scholarship

Most students opted not to apply for a scholarship because they did not meet academic requirement or have a fear of not keeping up with the required grades. It is worth noting that “Do not want to be bonded” was ranked fourth this year at 24.63%.

Click here to download an extract of the BrightSparks Scholarship and Education Survey 2019