[15 February 2006]
Singapore Management University revises tuition fees for incoming AY2006 cohort

Total tuition fees guaranteed over period of study

The new cohort of undergraduate students joining Singapore Management University (SMU) in Academic Year (AY) 2006 can be assured that their total tuition fees over the course of their four years of study will remain unchanged. This follows a decision made by SMU after having evaluated several pricing models. In announcing the revision of its tuition fees in AY2006 from the current S$6,500 to S$7,500, the University also made a guarantee to uphold the S$7,500 tuition fee for the AY2006 cohort.

Current students at SMU are not affected by this revision.

Said Professor Howard Hunter, President, SMU, “The University currently has various sources of income, and we undertake prudent cost management as part of careful, long term financial planning. There is no doubt, however, that costs will continue to increase, particularly in running a premium university such as SMU that distinctively focuses on a broader-based, more interactive education for a smaller cohort of students with very close faculty-student interaction. There is also the need to continue to attract the best possible faculty and staff, to develop and deliver first-rate and rigorous curricula, to produce high quality of research and to provide the technological and infrastructural support to nurture graduates destined to be business leaders and creative entrepreneurs. With the prospect of increasing costs a given and the ensuing need for fee revisions, our goal was to remove unnecessary anxiety and offer peace of mind to students and their parents alike by adopting a guaranteed fee structure.”

SMU offers a broad-based curriculum with flexibility in subject choices and subject combinations, seminar-style pedagogy with low student to teacher ratio and a high level of interactivity, with emphasis on and opportunities for internships and personalised attention for each student. Student care and attention extend beyond the classroom to the provision of out-of-classroom support such as comprehensive career management and other enhancement programmes. The highly selective student intake is deliberately kept to a size that allows SMU to provide for that level of student-faculty interaction and close attention to individual student development that generates the most beneficial educational experiences for students.

SMU's new city campus, which was recently officially opened by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, plays an integral role in supporting the University's unique teaching approach to encourage active learning, critical and independent thinking and adaptability to business dynamics. The campus boasts technological connectivity which reflects the global drive for technological advancement, state-of-the art seminar-style classrooms and break-out rooms that facilitate stimulating exchanges and an innovative and well thought-out layout, which fully integrates the university into the buzz of the city district while at the same time blending into the park land on which it is sited.

“The new city campus infrastructure completes the holistic university experience which is unique to SMU,” added Professor Hunter.

The hallmarks of SMU's premium brand of education are evident in the enthusiasm of employers for SMU's students and graduates. Indeed, the first Graduate Employment Survey in 2004 saw a 100 per cent of SMU graduates being employed, with 60 per cent having secured jobs before their graduation.

Students entering SMU in AY2006 can be assured that no deserving students will be deprived of an SMU education because of the fee revision. A comprehensive range of financial assistance packages are available to qualified students with financial difficulties. SMU also provides work-study schemes, tuition loans, scholarships and bursaries which complement other government financial aids such as the Tuition Fee Loan (TFL) Scheme. In AY2005, one in nine admitted students had a chance to qualify for a scholarship. More scholarships are expected to be available for AY2006. SMU also has a student employment unit to assist students seeking off-campus part-time employment to help with their educational expenses.