Edusave Explained: The Account, What It Pays For and the Awards

Edusave is one of those things most Singaporean parents know exists but few could explain in detail. Money appears in an account every year, small awards turn up at the end of the school year, and somewhere along the way the balance moves into another account you may never have opened. This guide explains how the account works, what it can and cannot pay for, how the school awards are decided, and what happens to the money when your child finishes secondary school.

We are a maid agency, not an education or financial adviser, and nothing here is financial advice. We cover it because many families we work with have school going children, and the same questions come up every January.

Every figure below is taken from the Ministry of Education’s own pages, which we checked in October 2026. Contribution amounts, income limits and award values are reviewed from time to time, so always confirm the latest numbers on the MOE website before you plan around them.

What the account is and who gets one

According to MOE’s account overview page, every Singapore Citizen has an account created automatically. You do not apply for it, and there is nothing to sign up for at birth or at Primary 1 registration.

When the yearly contributions start and stop depends on the kind of school your child attends:

• MOE-funded schools: contributions run from the start of primary school until your child completes secondary school. This group covers government and government-aided primary and secondary schools, independent schools, specialised schools and SPED schools.
• Not in an MOE-funded school: Singapore Citizen children in madrasahs or privately funded schools, children who are home-schooled and those living overseas receive contributions from age 7 to 16.
• Junior college and Millennia Institute: students at this stage receive no further yearly contributions or top-ups, but they can still spend whatever balance remains on approved fees and school enrichment programmes.

You cannot pay money into the account yourself; it is funded by the Government only.

How much is paid in each year

When we checked, MOE’s page listed this year’s contributions as $230 for primary school students and $290 for secondary school students. MOE shows only the current year’s amounts, so recheck each January.

The balance also earns interest. MOE’s balance and transactions page says it is pegged to the CPF Ordinary Account rate, currently 2.5%, and credited every December.

What the money can pay for

MOE’s page on using the funds lists the approved uses for students in MOE-funded schools:

• enrichment programmes organised by the school;
• miscellaneous fees;
• autonomous school fees;
• personal learning devices in secondary schools, junior colleges and Millennia Institute under the school’s digital learning programme;
• assistive learning devices at those levels, when approved.

The key words are “organised by the school”. The account is not a general education wallet, so private tuition or a holiday camp you book yourself is not covered.

For children in non-MOE-funded schools, such as madrasahs and privately funded schools, MOE’s guidelines say approved enrichment programmes must be conducted wholly in Singapore. Its examples include speech and drama, creative writing and music enrichment, leadership camps, local learning journeys to museums and the zoo, educational magazine subscriptions and competition registration fees. MOE asks parents of these students to check the withdrawal process with the institution directly.

If your child is not enrolled in a school

Parents of children who are home-schooled or otherwise not in an institution can submit a claim through a FormSG form for programmes that fall within the approved guidelines. The money is paid into your child’s local bank account registered with the Accountant-General’s Department, so set that up before your first claim. Each claim is submitted separately.

Setting up the Standing Order

Schools can only draw on the account once you have set up a Standing Order. It takes minutes, but it is easy to miss in the first busy week of school.

1. Log in to the Student Finance System (SFS) with your Singpass.
2. Choose your child and the school, and submit the Standing Order application.
3. Keep an eye on the school’s notices about upcoming enrichment charges and fees.
4. Set up a fresh Standing Order whenever your child changes school, for example from primary to secondary, or from secondary to junior college. MOE treats it as a one-time application for each school, not each child.

If there is no Standing Order in place, or the balance runs short, ask the school how it will collect the charge instead. A quick check of the balance before the year starts avoids an awkward note in the school bag.

Checking the balance and transactions

Everything sits in the same Student Finance System. Once you log in, you can see the current balance, past transactions and a statement listing all transactions from January to December of the previous year.

If your helper handles drop-offs and the school bag, ask her to flag any letter that mentions fees, but never share your Singpass details with her. Our guide to a helper’s childcare routine covers how to split school tasks sensibly. If you still need help at home, see our full-time live-in helpers.

Edusave awards, including the merit bursary and scholarships

Alongside the yearly contribution, MOE gives cash awards to Singapore Citizen students based on academic results, conduct, character and leadership. MOE’s overview of the awards and scholarships sets out the criteria. A child can receive only one academic award in a year: the Scholarship (ES), the Merit Bursary (EMB) or the Good Progress Award (GPA).

The Edusave Merit Bursary

For primary schools, the bursary goes to students within the top 25% of their school’s level who have shown good conduct and whose gross household income does not exceed $9,000 a month, or whose per capita income does not exceed $2,250. For Primary 1 and 2, where there are no graded examinations, MOE looks at students who have consistently shown positive learning dispositions through the year rather than academic results. At secondary level, it is the top 25% of the school’s level and course, with the same income limits. MOE lists the amount as $200 for Primary 1 to 3, $250 for Primary 4 to 6 and $350 for secondary school.

The useful change for parents: since November 2025, students no longer need to apply. Eligible nominees are assessed automatically using the most recent household income available in government databases.

Scholarships and other awards

• Scholarship (ES): students within the top 10% of their school’s level (and course, at secondary) in academic performance, with good conduct. MOE lists $350 for Primary 5 and 6, and $500 at secondary or specialised schools. Independent schools have a separate scholarship.
• Good Progress Award (GPA): the top 10% of a level in terms of improvement, with good conduct. In Primary 2 and 3 it recognises the greatest improvement in learning disposition among students who do not qualify for the bursary.
• EAGLES: for leadership, service, non-academic achievement or 21st Century Competencies, given to up to 5% of students in Primary 1 to 3 and up to 15% in Primary 4 to 6 and most secondary schools.
• Character Award (ECHA): up to 2% of students in each school who show exemplary character.
• Skills Award (ESA): for students in specialised schools, ITE and polytechnics.

Schools nominate the students. You will find out through a notification letter from MOE, and your child will be invited by your Constituency Office to an award ceremony. For primary, secondary and pre-university students, MOE’s award process page gives January to March as the invitation period.

One practical detail catches families out every year. Award money is paid through PayNow linked to your child’s NRIC. It is not paid into a parent’s account or in cash, and PayNow linked to a mobile number or a parent’s NRIC will not work, so set it up before the ceremony.

What happens to the balance after secondary school

The account does not disappear with its money. According to MOE’s page on PSEA transfers and contributions, the remaining balance moves to your child’s Post-Secondary Education Account (PSEA) in the year they turn 17, or when they are no longer studying in an MOE-funded school, whichever is later. The transfer usually happens between April and May, and you are notified through the Student Finance System in May.

The PSEA overview explains that the money can pay for approved programmes at approved institutions for your child or their siblings, such as ITE or polytechnic fees, and can repay government education loans. It earns interest at the CPF Ordinary Account rate, currently 2.5%, without the extra 1% that applies to the first $20,000 in CPF. Any leftover Child Development Account balance also flows into the PSEA.

MOE also states that, under the SG Child Support Package announced at the 2026 National Day Rally, children turning 17 receive a $10,000 PSEA top-up, starting with those who turn 17 in 2026. Those turning 17 in 2026 or 2027 will receive it in June 2027.

The PSEA closes around the middle of the year the account holder turns 31. Before then, they can keep it one more year, move the balance to a sibling’s PSEA or donate it to the Education Fund. Otherwise the unused money goes to their CPF Ordinary Account, a transfer MOE says cannot be reversed.

If your child is younger, our guides to choosing a preschool and childcare subsidies cover the earlier years.

Related guides: Maid for Newborn Care Singapore: A Practical Hiring Guide and Nanny or Babysitter in Singapore? Why Families Pick a Helper.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use my child’s account to pay for private tuition?

No. For students in MOE-funded schools, the money can be used only for the approved items MOE lists, such as enrichment programmes organised by the school, miscellaneous fees, autonomous school fees and approved learning devices at secondary and pre-university level. Tuition you arrange privately with a centre or tutor is not one of them. Parents of children not enrolled in a school can claim only for programmes within MOE’s approved guidelines.

Do I need to apply for the merit bursary?

Not any more. MOE states that since November 2025 students no longer need to apply. Schools identify students in the top 25% of their level who meet the conduct requirement, and MOE checks household income automatically using the most recent figures in government databases against the limits of $9,000 gross household income or $2,250 per capita income. If your child receives an award, you will get a notification letter from MOE.

Can my child receive the scholarship and the bursary in the same year?

No. MOE says a student can receive only one academic award each year: the Scholarship, the Merit Bursary or the Good Progress Award. Non-academic awards such as EAGLES and the Character Award are separate from this limit.

What happens to unused money if my child goes to junior college?

It stays available. Junior college and Millennia Institute students receive no new yearly contributions, but they can still spend their remaining balance on approved fees and school enrichment programmes. MOE moves whatever is left to the Post-Secondary Education Account in the year your child turns 17 or when they stop studying in an MOE-funded school, whichever is later.

Conclusion

Edusave is simple once you see its three parts: a Government-funded account that grows each school year, a set of awards decided by schools and MOE, and a hand-over to the PSEA when secondary school ends. Set up the Standing Order each time your child changes school, register your child’s NRIC with PayNow before award season, and check the balance in the Student Finance System once a year.

Figures change, so treat the amounts here as a snapshot and confirm them on the MOE website or with your child’s school.

A busy school year runs more smoothly when someone reliable is helping at home. You can get in touch with the Femme5 team to discuss your family’s needs, read more about how we work with employers, or explore what a good placement looks like.

The Femme5 Team
Maid placement specialists, Femme5 Maid Agency
Our consultants work with Singaporean and expatriate families on helper matching, contracts and MOM compliance, and we verify the regulatory guidance in our articles directly against the Ministry of Manpower’s published requirements.