Families with a gross household income of up to S$6,500 a month will qualify for help with student care fees from January 2027, up from S$4,500 now, under revised Student Care Fee Assistance (SCFA) rules. The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) is now “reviewing the measures needed to keep fees affordable for parents”, in a written parliamentary reply on 7 October.
That reply answered a question from MP Gho Sze Kee on whether SCFA would be widened to middle-income families. At the National Day Rally, the Government committed to expand capacity, improve the quality of care and keep fees affordable at student care centres in primary schools and at selected centres outside schools.
Who qualifies from January
SCFA covers children aged 7 to 14, which MSF defines as Primary 1 to Secondary 2, in the year the subsidy starts. The child must be a Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident, with at least one Singapore Citizen immediate family member in the same household.
Both parents must each work at least 56 hours a month. The centre must be registered with MSF as an SCFA administrator. A centre that is not registered cannot offer the subsidy, however close it is to the school.
From 1 January 2027, the income test is a gross household income of S$6,500 or less for households of four or fewer, or a per capita income of S$1,625 or less for households of five or more. The current limits are S$4,500 and S$1,125.
MSF counts the child’s parents as the household, plus grandparents or siblings under 21 who live at the same address and have no income of their own. For special student care centres, which take children aged 7 to 18 with special needs, the income limit is higher at S$9,200.
How much the subsidy pays
The subsidy is set by income band. For centres charging under S$295 a month, MSF pays a percentage of the fee. For centres charging S$295 or more, it pays a fixed maximum.
The bands are being redrawn as well as extended. Under the revised table:
| Gross household income (4 or fewer family members) | Per capita income (5 or more family members) | Subsidy for centres with fees under S$295 | Maximum subsidy for centres with fees of S$295 or more |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to S$2,000 | Up to S$500 | 98 per cent | S$290 |
| S$2,001 to S$2,500 | S$501 to S$625 | 95 per cent | S$280 |
| S$2,501 to S$3,000 | S$626 to S$750 | 90 per cent | S$266 |
| S$3,001 to S$3,300 | S$751 to S$825 | 80 per cent | S$236 |
| S$3,301 to S$3,600 | S$826 to S$900 | 70 per cent | S$207 |
| S$3,601 to S$4,000 | S$901 to S$1,000 | 60 per cent | S$177 |
| S$4,001 to S$4,400 | S$1,001 to S$1,100 | 50 per cent | S$148 |
| S$4,401 to S$4,800 | S$1,101 to S$1,200 | 40 per cent | S$118 |
| S$4,801 to S$5,200 | S$1,201 to S$1,300 | 30 per cent | S$89 |
| S$5,201 to S$6,500 | S$1,301 to S$1,625 | 20 per cent | S$59 |
The shift is largest in the middle of the table. A four-person household earning S$4,000 a month sits in the 30 per cent band today. From January it moves to 60 per cent. On a S$290 monthly fee, that is S$174 in subsidy instead of S$87.
S$290 is a typical figure. In a separate reply in July, MSF said the median monthly fee at SCFA centres had stayed at S$290 for five years, with most charging between S$220 and S$450. As of June 2026, 330 centres were registered as SCFA administrators, 55 per cent of them in schools. 15 per cent of children at MSF-registered centres received SCFA.
There is also a one-time start-up grant of up to S$400 per child. Approval lasts up to 36 months, with fixed review points at Primary 3 and Primary 6.
Applying through SupportGoWhere
Applications go online through SupportGoWhere, and parents can apply up to six months before the month they want the subsidy to start. An application for SCFA from January 2027 can be submitted from July 2026.
Approval starts from the month the application is received, or from the month after an existing SCFA approval runs out, whichever is later. It is not backdated.
Every application is means-tested through the Household Means Eligibility System (HOMES). For salaried workers, income is the average over 12 months, worked out from CPF contributions or the latest IRAS assessment, and it includes bonuses, commissions, overtime and allowances. HOMES officers may call from 6015 5700 or send an SMS from gov.sg to ask for documents. Missed calls should be returned to the officer’s number given in the SMS, not to the number that called.
Families who still struggle with the co-payment after SCFA can appeal through the centre itself, with documents showing what has changed. An approved appeal takes effect from the month it was submitted.
