President's Scholar

A President's Scholar is a recipient of the most prestigious class of university undergraduate scholarships awarded to Singaporean citizens annually by the government. A recipient of the President's Scholarship has a legal obligation to serve in the government for a stipulated period of time after completing his or her studies in university.

Shortlisted candidates are interviewed by a selection committee chaired by the Chairman of the Public Service Commission (PSC) of Singapore.

A President's Scholarship is generally awarded concurrently with another PSC Scholarship, which could be either of the following:

• Singapore Armed Forces Overseas Scholarship (SAFOS)
• Singapore Police Force Overseas Scholarship (SPFOS)
• Overseas Merit Scholarship (OMS)

History

The President's Scholarship has its roots in the Queen's Scholarship, which was founded in 1885. The Queen's Scholarship was initiated by Cecil Clementi Smith, Governor of the Straits Settlements. It was awarded to the best performing student of the year by a special selection board.

The Queen's Scholarship was abolished in 1959 and replaced by the Singapore State Scholarship when Singapore gained self-governance.

In August 1964, the Yang di-Pertuan Negara Scholarship was inaugurated to replace the State Scholarship.

In 1966, after Singapore achieved independence, the Yang di-Pertuan Negara Scholarship was renamed the President's Scholarship.

Recipients

Many recipients of the President's Scholarship went on to serve in top positions in the civil service.

According to statistics collected by the newspaper The Straits Times, the schools in Singapore having the highest number of President's Scholars among their alumni are as follows:

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References

External links

• Scholarship Centre of Singapore's Public Service Commission