Thoughts on NUS alumni donation

Straits Times October 30, 2006
Just 1% of alumni donate to NUS
An appeal to National University of Singapore (NUS) alumni for funds to help its needy students has fallen on deaf ears.

The full article can be found at Funkygrad forum or the nclave.

Straits Times Nov 21, 2006
Foreigners get 4 in 10 bursaries given by NUS this year
But S'pore students come first, it says in response to some rumblings

The full article can be found at Ohgenki forums or Mr Wang's.

I've been seeing these pieces of news appear regularly in discussions or blogs, and as one of the 99% I do find it intriguing. For me, the reasons for not donating are simple, I'm in a financial conundrum and I don't have strong feelings for NUS.

As for the distribution of the bursaries, I don't really see any problem with it. Given the source of the bursaries are mostly Singaporeans, there appears to be some moral obligation to help Singaporeans first. From the second article, this is the case, and not only that, they are getting more.

The NUS financial aid office has offered 1,500 bursaries so far this year, with 60 per cent, or 900, going to Singaporeans. No local applicant who met the eligibility criterion of per capita monthly household income of up to $900 was turned away.

They were awarded bursaries ranging from $1,000 to $2,000.

Foreigners who could show proof of hardship took the rest of the bursaries, with each getting about $300 less than their local counterparts.

Since no Singaporean student is worse off because of a foreign student getting bursary, I'm fine with it. Additionally, if we look at it another way, if the foreign students who need such aid follows some random distribution, then part of that aid goes to helping future residents and citizens. And besides, even if they don't end up being part of our society, can't we be good neighbours to them by offering them help?

Mr N. Riva, 44, a businessman and donor, added: 'I decided against giving after I found out that it went to foreigners as well. Just last year, NUS said it did not have enough to help all needy students.'

NUS came under fire last year when it revealed that only 492 out of 1,074 bursary applicants had received funds. It responded by pledging to top up alumni donations with its own money.

If this is the way a lot of people think, then the pool of money available will reduce and we'll return to a state like last year where less than half the applicants received the funds.

At least I'm glad to see the relaxation of the criteria for bursary application and the availability of other schemes to help needy students.