SINGAPORE: From next year, permanent residents (PRs) in government-aided schools, junior colleges and centralised institutes will have to pay about 20% more for school fees.

They currently pay the same fees as citizens at the secondary and pre-university levels.

Foreign students, whose fees are already higher than those for citizens and PRs, will have their fees increased by about 30%.

But the new fees for foreign students will take effect in 2009 so as to give them time to decide if they wish to apply to become permanent residents.

For the independent schools, they will continue to decide on their own fees but will ensure that fees for PRs are 20% or more above those for citizens; fees for foreign students will be 50% or more above those for citizens, and not lower than fees for PRs.

The revisions follow an announcement by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong earlier this month that the government is introducing a clearer differentiation of fees paid for education by Singapore citizens, permanent residents and foreigners.

The new fees for PRs and foreign students will however remain competitive compared with international schools and comparable universities overseas, says the Ministry of Education.

The government will ensure that Singapore's fee structures allow the Republic to continue to attract quality students, add diversity in the educational environment and keep our institutions' international standing high.

With the revisions, a Singaporean in a government- or government-aided secondary school will continue to pay $60 a year in school fee but a PR will pay $72.

A foreign student from an ASEAN country will pay $1,860 while foreigners from other countries will pay $2,040, both up from the current $1,560.

For the polytechnics, currently, PRs pay the same tuition fees as citizens while foreign students pay fees that are 10% more than citizens.

From the academic year 2008, PRs who are admitted to polytechnics will pay fees that are 10% more than citizens. For foreign students, their fees will be 50% higher than those for citizens.

Existing PRs and foreign students in polytechnics will not experience these adjustments in fees.

For the Institutes of Education (ITE), currently PRs pay the same tuition fees as citizens.

From the 2008 academic year, PRs will pay fees that are 10% more than citizens.

But ITE fees for foreign students will be 80% higher than the current rates.

As foreign students' fees in ITE are currently significantly lower than those in schools and JCs, the increase will bring them closer, says the MOE.

For the universities, currently PRs in the autonomous universities pay the same tuition fees as citizens while foreign students pay fees that are 10% more than citizens.

From the academic year 2008, PRs will have to pay fees that are 10% more than citizens.

For foreign students, fees will be 50% higher than those for citizens.

The fee adjustments will not apply to existing PRs and foreign students in universities. - CNA/ir