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Professional Development Sponsorship
Get support for recognised qualifications in social work and psychology, as well as support for graduate studies.
Last updated 28 February 2025
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Overview
The Professional Development Sponsorship provides funding for in-service staff at social service agencies to achieve their first recognised qualifications in social work and psychology, empowering them to become registered professionals.
It also offers training support for additional graduate and postgraduate studies in social services, ensuring continuous learning and growth.
Eligibility & criteria
Employment: You must be a permanent staff member (Singaporeans/PRs only) of an NCSS member Social Service Agencies and/or MSF-funded social service agencies.
Funding: You should not be receiving other government funding for Graduate Diploma/Degree studies, except for the Ministry of Education subsidy, unless it's specifically allowed.
Exemptions: You should not be eligible for other schemes like the Career Conversion Programme for social workers.
Program acceptance: You must have been accepted into an approved Bachelor/Graduate Diploma/Masters programme.
Please keep in mind:
We cannot fund courses that have already started.
Incomplete applications will not be processed.
Approvals are granted on a first-come, first-served basis, depending on budget availability.
Check the list of approved programmes [PDF, 105 KB] for Masters in Psychology.
Funding quantum
Funding quantum for respective programmes
Programme | Funding quantum |
|---|---|
Graduate Diploma / Degree in Social Work | Up to 75% of course fees, capped at $99,400 |
Masters in Psychology | |
Other Social Service-Related Graduate and Post- Graduate studies | Up to 50% of course fees, capped at $37,500 |
Bond requirement
The bond period will be pegged to the study duration. Upon grant approval, the supporting agency must sign an NCSS funding agreement, and the awardee must fulfil their bond duration with the supporting agency after completing the course.
Bond duration for respective programmes
Programme | Course duration |
|---|---|
Graduate Diploma Programme | Est. 1.5 years (18 months) |
Degree Programme | Est. 4 years (48 months) |
Masters Programme | Est. 2 years (24 months) |
Any deviation to the course duration outside this list will adjust the bond period accordingly to align with the course duration.
Liquidated Damages
In case of non-compliance with the grant's obligations, there will be Liquidated Damages (LD) incurred. LD will be the total disbursed amount, along with 10% compounded interest per annum on the disbursements made each year, compounded at the end of the year. Payment should be made to NCSS in one lump sum within three months.
How to apply
The agency can submit the application via the OurSG Grants (OSG) portal.
Submission timeline: Please refer to the submission timeline for Professional Development Sponsorship [PDF, 45 KB].
Contact
For more information, please email NCSS_Grants@ncss.gov.sg.