Q: Who are the State Representatives?

The state representatives are NTU seniors who are in charge of assisting you through the application procedures. You may also contact your respective state representative(s) for enquires.

Penang (Island)	Pang Chong Wei	016-4155493 / (65) 98946735
Penang (Mainland)	Tham Chie Kuan	012-4311592 / (65) 93599811
East Coast	Lee Li Chong	012-9881080 / (65) 83498075
Kedah, Perlis	Lim Sheau Ying	017-4741424 / (65) 83616797
Perak	Chong Sin Yee	017-5527621 / (65) 83590125
Selangor, KL	Siow Wern Chiet	012-3661157 / (65) 83740291
	Lee Kok Xian	012-6032827 / (65) 98951782
Johor	Ng Wei Heng	016-7969738 / (65) 83862183
	Adrian Tan Wei Yee	017-6590087 / (65) 98952040
Melaka, Negeri Sembilan	Tan Ching Shuin	016-6368971 / (65) 94252603
Sabah, Sarawak	Danny Ling Ao Fan	012-8482419 / (65) 81530601

 

For questions on administrative matters, drop a line to our Administrative Officers.

Poh Wencin	012-4121879	(65) 90594275
Chay Chien Hong	012-9851028	(65) 83590123

Q: May I know more about the Student's Pass application / SOLAR Form?

On arrival in Singapore, you are usually given a Social Visit Pass of about two weeks.

The application form for Student's Pass (Form 16) has to be submitted on-line with a non-refundable fee of S$30. This can be done by logging to the Student's Pass On-Line Application and Registration (SOLAR) system at the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) website. You may log in through the link to check your application status and submit Form 16. Payment of the application fee is done via SOLAR/SOLAR+ with eNets Credit/Debit Card or Internet Banking.

Upon issuance of Student's Pass, you will also be charged an additional amount of S$60. Payment of the fees must be made through NETS using an ATM Card (NETS is the appointed agent of the Banks authorised to operate the CashCard System).

You may apply for the Student's Pass either through International Students Centre (ISC) or at Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA). If you apply for the Student's Pass personally at ICA, your passport will be returned within 1-3 days.

Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA)

ICA Building, Visitor Services Centre, level 4
10 Kallang Road, Singapore 208718
(next to Lavender MRT Station)

International Student Centre (ISC)

International House
36 Nanyang Avenue #02-02
Singapore 639801
(closed on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays)

Main Line	(65) 6790 6823
Fax Line	(65) 6793 4558
ISC Crisis No. (after office hours & for emergencies ONLY)	(65) 9170 0634
Monday to Thursday	8.30 am to 5.45 pm
Friday	8.30 am to 5.15 pm

 

Please refer to the Admissions Handbook for Freshmen on the detailed application procedures.

International students who discontinue their studies at the University must report to the ICA with their passport, Student's Pass and Disembarkation/Embarkation Card for cancellation within 7 days of the cessation of studies.

For those who apply for both NTU, NUS and SMU

If you had applied for NTU, accepted its offer and applied for your student pass (SOLAR form) but wish to reject NTU’s offer and accept NUS or SMU, you need to inform the university in advance for your rejection of NTU. The university will help you in cancelling your application of student pass. You are unable to do so by yourself. If not, you will not be able to apply student pass as a NUS student and vice versa. In addition, you will need pay the $30 processing fee again as you submit a new Form 16. Thus, you are advised not to submit Form 16 unless you are pretty sure which university you wish to enroll.

For those who wish to study in local university and reject NTU

You may inform the university upon your rejection. The university will help you to cancel your student pass application. Otherwise, you can choose to ignore it. It will be automatically cancelled after classes start commencing.

Q: Can X-ray be done locally (in Malaysia)?

We understand that some of you might have done your X-ray for local university admission. You may bring along your X-ray result to NTU for admission purposes. During the medical check-up, you can consult the doctor for approval of using the X-ray that you had done in Malaysia.

However, you are strongly advised to do your X-ray in Singapore. Arrangements have been made for freshmen to have medical examination done (inclusive of X-ray) at the Medical Centre in NTU campus. A payment of S$35 (inclusive of prevailing GST) will be charged.

Attention to Female Applicants

During this period of the medical examination, X-ray on site is available. Female students are advised to bring a plain white T-shirt with no button, logo, emblem or any pattern for the X-ray. Alternatively, you may wish to purchase a disposable gown at S$0.50.

Q: What documents and items should I bring to NTU?

Documents to Bring

You need a valid passport to enter Singapore. You should bring the original educational and personal documents. Please remember to bring certified copies of parents/guardian's passports.

The University will conduct an exercise in September 2009 to check all the educational documents submitted in support of application for admission. Original certificates must be produced for verification. Candidates who withhold important information from NTU or are unable to produce the original documents may be refused admission.

What to Bring (** PLEASE TAKE NOTE! **)

Here are some suggestions on what to bring to Singapore:

• Bring the "Admissions Handbook for Freshmen". You’ll need it!
• Original letter of Offer for Admission from NTU as well as identity card, birth certificate and original copies of all educational certificates and examination results.
• Personal items such as toiletries, bath towels, bed sheets, alarm clock.
• Formal attire for events and presentations.
• Cash of at least S$500 and bank draft of S$1,000 for use on arrival.
• 6 passport-sized photographs.
• Eating utensils, e.g. fork, spoon, plate. Cooking utensils are provided in the halls of residence.
• Prescription of any regular medication.
• Badminton/tennis/squash rackets, cricket/table-tennis bats or other sports equipment. (optional)
• Photographs of your family and friends who are special to you. These will help to make your room feel more like home and help to ease the homesickness that you will experience in the initial period. (optional)
• If you are bringing electrical equipment, please note that the standard voltage for electrical appliances in Singapore is 240 volts. Electrical plugs have 3 flat pins.
  

Q: What should I do upon arrival to NTU?

• Check into the hall of residence allocated to you.
• Report to International Student Centre (ISC) for necessary administrative matters. Bring along the offer of admission letter by NTU and passport.
• Open a bank account.
• Go for your medical examination.
• Finalize your Tuition Fee Loan application and/or NTU Study Loan application.
• Check your username for your network user account and change password.
• Complete the on-line matriculation procedure and print out the class timetable.
• Collect your Matriculation Card.
• Apply for Student's Pass.
• Join orientation activities and welcome programme for your course.
• Apply for Tuition Grant online.
• Apply for Tertiary Student Concessionary ez-link Card (optional).
• Find out who your academic counsellor is in case you should need advice.
• Eat well, rest and try to get some regular exercise.

Any further enquiries, please call the relevant person-in-charge or our seniors in charge (your respective State Representatives). We are willing to help you in any way we can.

Q: May I know more on Tuition Grant, Tuition Fee Loan and NTU Study Loan?

Tuition Grant

If you are taking tuition grant, then the tuition fees that you need to pay for the first year is S$9,540 for both Laboratory-Based programmes and Non-Laboratory-Based programmes. From the second year onwards, the yearly fee for the remainder of the course is S$9,930 except for Business or Accountancy programmes which is S$10,500. Do note that the increase in fees is subject to the economic situation. The above fees exclude fees like student union fees, insurance etc. Monthly expenses are of the range of S$300 to S$400 (excluding hostel fees) which depends on personal spending behaviours. However, normally you will spend more in your first semester due to the various expenditures at the beginning of your study in Singapore (Student’s Pass, Medical Checkups, EZLink etc).

Normally, most of the students will be able to get the tuition grant. The Office of Admission will organize a talk by a Tuition Grant Officer from the Ministry of Education (MOE) of Singapore to brief the new international students about the procedures. It does not seem as cumbersome as it is. All you need for now is to get your guarantors ready (parents, or relatives in Singapore, as long as they have a fixed income).

Tuition Fee Loan (TFL)

This loan is administered by Singapore’s local bank. This loan can cover UP TO 90% of subsidized tuition fee payable by Singaporeans, which is S$5,724 (0.90 x S$6,360). All full-time undergraduates of all nationalities paying subsidized tuition fee are eligible for this loan. Hence, it is most likely that your application will be approved if you’re offered the Tuition Grant. Also, it is optional for you to take less than the maximum 90%.

NTU Study Loan (NTUSL)

This loan is provided by the NTU administration. Students who took the TFL up to 90% are eligible for the application. One of the main criteria is that the per capita income of your family must be less than or equal to S$1200. It is not a guaranteed loan. However, if your total family income per capita is less than S$1200, your chances of getting the loan is high. Contrarily, you might not be able to obtain the loan if your family income per capita exceeds S$1200. (For your information, all seniors whom we know and applied for the loan are successful in obtaining it.)

How to calculate the per capita income of your family:
Total income contributed to the family / Number of relatives who live with you
(Excluding siblings that are already married and are not living in the same household)

The current exchange rate is approximately 2.40, where RM2.40 converts to 1.00SGD. This value might vary from time to time. You may check the current exchange rate here.

For further enquiries, do not hesitate to drop an e-mail to the Office of Admission and Financial Aid (OAFA) via adm_intnl@ntu.edu.sg.

Q: May I know more about signing of guarantor for TFL?

The guarantors are required to sign in the presence of a bank officer. It is illegal if you sign it by your own. If you choose to sign it in Singapore, the guarantors are required to come over to Singapore. Alternatively, you can mail back the forms to be signed in Malaysia, in front of a Commissioner of Oath (Pesuruhjaya Sumpah). As for the FL form, it is advisable that you sign it at an OCBC/DBS branch in Malaysia before coming to Singapore. Guarantors are advised to bring along both their IC and passport. IC will be sufficient for guarantors without a passport. Please also prepare a certified true copy of Guarantor’s IC or passport by bank branch.

The bank officer may ask if you would like him to submit the form for you. It is advised not to do so to avoid any loss in postage. It is safer for you to hand in the forms personally when you’re in Singapore. However if he/she insist in doing so, do jot down their names and details for future references.

Q: May I know more about the Computer Loan?

Freshmen can apply for the loan through StudentLink after matriculation. The maximum loan you can get is $1,500. It is interest-free and repayment duration is 3 years. The loan will enable you to buy a notebook from the campus vendor. There is only one vendor in NTU and the application will take about one to two months before you can get your notebook. Application commences tentatively on 1 Aug 2009.
A notebook is not a must-have in daily lives in NTU. Some may opt for desktops. If you wish not to buy either, there are computer facilities on campus. Every hostel will have a computer room. You can also access the internet in libraries or computer terminal room. However, these facilities are not 24 hours accessible.

Q: Is there any other financial assistance that I can apply?

Living expenses for the first two months in Singapore will be solely borne by your family. As the loan and scholarship will be only disbursed after the term starts, you’ll need some money before your financial assistance arrives.

If you are facing serious financial problem in the future, you can apply extra loan or bursary (Refer to Financial Assistance Schemes). However, freshmen are not advised to depend on the extra loan and bursary, on account of, an interview and 2 Singaporean Guarantors are required. Hence, you may not be able to get the extra loan and bursary.

Besides that, NTU Work Study Scheme is also available for all matriculated students. However, you’re advised not to take up the scheme in first semester as you may need time adjusting to the new environment. It’s always a wiser move to place your studies as top priority.

Q: How much should I pay for hostel fees?

Hostel application is open from 4 May 2009, 0900hours - 6 July 2009, 1730hours. According to OAFA staff, you can pay the fees when you reach Singapore, to the Office of Finance (Level 3, Student Services Centre) with cash upon 3 days of arrival. You are required to pay S$320 for hostel acceptance fee and S$16.05 for hostel application fee within 3 days from the date of arrival in NTU.

Alternatively, Internet payment will enjoy a discounted fee of S$15.00 (inclusive of 5% GST). If paid using a bank draft, make it payable to the "NTU Hall of Residence". The rest of your hostel fees will be deducted from your account around September, once the loan is credited into your account.

New students are not allowed to choose the hall of residence and are only eligible for double occupancy rooms. The rental fees are S$155.00 - S$200.00 per month, depending on which hall you are allocated.

For more information, please refer to your handbook or NTU website.

Q: When to check into campus accommodation?

The earliest date for freshmen to check in to their respective hostels is on the 3rd of August 2009. You need to make your own accommodation arrangements should you arrive at Singapore any earlier. Freshmen would be notified by their personal email about the hall of residence and the rooms they are allocated to. Kindly ensure that you check your hall allocation results prior to departure to Singapore.

If you are arriving after office hours, you should make prior arrangements on the collection of your room keys. Please contact International Students Centre (ISC) to make the arrangements.

Alternatively, you may choose to stay at your friend's/relative's house or hotel.

Q: When should I arrive to NTU?

The academic year of Nanyang Technological University (NTU) commences on the 11th of August (Tuesday) as National Day falls on a Sunday this year. You are advised to arrive one week earlier before classes begin. Please note that the earliest date to check-in hostel is on 3 August 2009.

Getting to NTU

» From Changi Airport

After you have collected your baggage, you are ready to set off to NTU. If this is your first time in Singapore, we recommend that you take a taxi. It is the fastest and most convenient way to get to NTU. The taxi stand is just outside the Arrival Hall. The approximate taxi fare to NTU is S$30 and the ride takes approximately 40 minutes.

Alternatively, you may choose to take the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system. The Changi MRT station is located outside the Arrival Hall in Terminal 2. If you are coming from Terminal 1, please board the skytrain from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2 and follow the signs to the station. You should alight at the Boon Lay MRT Station and take bus service number 179 or 199 to NTU. The journey by MRT and bus from the airport to NTU takes about 1.5 hours and the total fare is approximately S$3.50.

» From Railway Station

You may take bus service number 30 opposite the railway station to the Boon Lay MRT Station where bus service number 179 or 199 will take you to NTU.

» From Woodlands Checkpoint

Take bus service number 170 or 160 to the Kranji MRT Station where the MRT will take you to the Boon Lay MRT Station. Proceed to NTU by bus service number 179 or 199.

Q: How much money is needed upon arrival?

Do take note that you will be needing money upon arrival for transport, accommodation, meals, etc. You should bring along at least S$500 cash and maybe S$1,000 in the form of a bank draft. Bank draft is one of the safest and most convenient ways in bringing over a rather huge sum of money. Generally, there is no restriction on the amount of foreign currency, travellers' cheque and bank draft that you may bring to Singapore.

Payments to be made upon arrival are as follows:
Open bank account: S$500
Hostel acceptance fee: $320
Student's pass: $120 (3-year course) / $160 (4-year course)
Medical check-up: S$35

Q: What is the estimated cost of living?

The estimated cost of living (from NTU website),

Accomodation (on campus)	S$155 - S$190
Meals	S$200 - S$270
Transport, stationery & personal expenses	S$50 - S$100
Total	S$450 - S$560

 

Nonetheless, your monthly expenses depend on your expenditure and the above value serves solely as an approximate guideline.

The estimates do not include tuition fees, costs of books, telephone expenses, travel expenses from your home to Singapore or lavish entertainment expenses. The cost of books varies considerably depending on your course. The recommended textbooks for a year may cost between S$200 to S$500.

Some of the textbooks can be purchased second hand from your seniors. Some courses may require students to buy laboratory manuals and drawing materials.

Q: Qualifying English Test (4 Aug 2009)

The test is to assess students’ written English proficiency and your ability to organize ideas in logical manner. It comprises an essay of 250 - 300 words. Details on the Qualifying English Test can be found in the Admissions Handbook for Freshman. For this coming academic year, students who scored Band 6 and a minimum of 50 for writing in MUET will be exempted from QET. Remember to provide your documents to the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid.

You’re reminded to print out your QET number and take the printout into the exam hall. Please access this page from Monday, 15 July 2009 onwards for your QET number and details of the QET time and venue.

If you fail the test, you are required to take English Proficiency as a subject of study.