Nurturing Tomorrow’s Leaders. Today.

Closing the final gap between a university offer and a university education.

The SKML Ascend Education Fund ("Ascend Fund") is an education assistance initiative by SKML. It offers a financial safety net of last resort for promising tertiary students who still face a genuine funding shortfall after exhausting existing financial-aid avenues.

As the largest Indian-Muslim organisation in Singapore, SKML receives requests for educational support every year, both directly and through partners such as the Federation of Singapore Indian Muslims. SKML has supported education since launching the Barakah Fund in 2017, administered by Yayasan Mendaki. Experience has shown that two gaps persist:

• Demand outstrips supply. Many existing funds are oversubscribed, and deserving students are turned away once annual quotas are filled.

• Caps leave shortfalls. A student may secure the maximum grant from one source, yet still be unable to enrol because the remaining fees cannot be met.

The Ascend Fund exists to close exactly these gaps. It launches with a capital base of $250,000, with an annual programme budget of $25,000. Rooted in the Islamic value of service to humanity, the Fund primarily supports students from the Indian/Muslim community and seeks to nurture the community's next generation of leaders.

Our Objectives

1. Provide financial assistance to deserving tertiary students who face a meaningful gap despite existing aid.

2. Complement, not duplicate, the schemes offered by universities, government agencies and community organisations.

3. Develop future community leaders who contribute their time, skills and experience to SKML and the wider community.

4. Build a lasting community pipeline through a relationship that continues beyond the financial award.

What Makes Ascend Different: The Last-Resort Principle

Ascend is not a conventional bursary. It is designed to be the final piece of the puzzle, considered only after you have explored the assistance already available to you.

Before applying, you are expected to have applied for, or seriously considered, relevant existing assistance such as:

• University bursaries and financial aid

• Government bursaries (including the Higher Education Bursary and Higher Education Community Bursary)

• MENDAKI

• SINDA / SIET

• AMP

• Other community bursaries and scholarships

• Education loans and other financial assistance

Receiving other assistance does not disqualify you. SKML will assess whether a meaningful financial gap remains after those avenues have been considered.

The Award

The Ascend Fund is a cash award, paid directly to the recipient's educational institution.

Recipients may apply again in subsequent years. SKML will consider repeat applications based on the student's academic performance.

The second-year award is not automatic. It depends on continued enrolment, satisfactory academic progress, continued eligibility, compliance with the Recipient Agreement and reasonable participation in the community commitment.

Who Can Apply

Applicants should generally meet all of the following criteria.

• Full-time undergraduate or postgraduate student with a confirmed place at a recognised tertiary institution in Singapore, or at an eligible overseas university ranked within the QS Top 50 [for Asia], as determined by SKML for the application year

• Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident (students who have applied for PR can also apply)

• Strong academic performance [minimum GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale, or equivalent] and a demonstrated commitment to your studies

• Genuine financial need, supported by household financial documents, with a meaningful gap remaining after existing assistance

• Willingness to undertake SKML's two-year community commitment; active volunteering with a recognised organisation is an advantage

Meeting the criteria does not guarantee an award.

Financial need carries the greatest weight, so that Ascend remains first and foremost a bursary rather than a scholarship.

Financial need and remaining financial gap - 40%

Academic performance and trajectory - 20%

Extenuating circumstances - 15%

Leadership and community contribution - 15%

Potential to contribute to SKML and the community - 10%

Shortlisted applicants will be invited to an interview.

The Minimum Two-Year Community Commitment

Ascend is an investment in people, not only in fees. Recipients commit to contributing to SKML's community initiatives for two years, developing leadership skills while helping to address issues that matter to the community.

Activities may include volunteering, mentoring, youth and education programmes, community events, outreach initiatives, or other activities agreed with SKML.

The commitment is designed to be reasonable and to respect your academic and personal obligations. It is a community contribution, not an employment or repayment bond.

SKML is committed to the highest standards of fairness, transparency and financial propriety.

• Two-stage selection. An Assessment and Shortlisting Panel of three members reviews applications, verifies documents, conducts interviews and recommends recipients. A Final Approval Panel confirms awards and reviews appeals.

• Balanced representation. The panellists comprise members from both within and outside the community.

• Integrity safeguards. Every panellist signs conflict-of-interest, confidentiality and impartiality declarations, and documents the reasons for their decisions.

• Ring-fenced funds. The Fund is held in bank accounts separate from SKML's operating funds. Surplus capital is placed in secure instruments such as fixed deposits or government bonds.

• Independent audit. The Fund is externally audited, with findings shared with donors and published in SKML's Annual General Meeting reports.

• Annual review. SKML reviews the Fund each year against financial, academic and community outcomes.

Step 1: Explore existing financial assistance first

Because Ascend is a fund of last resort, please begin by approaching the national, institutional and community schemes available to you.

To help you, SKML has prepared the Bursary & Scholarship Navigator. Use it to identify the bursaries, grants and scholarships you may qualify for, and to prepare your applications or correspondence to those providers.

Keep copies of every application you submit and every reply you receive, whether an award letter or a rejection. You will need them in Step 3.

Step 2: Work out your remaining gap

Once the outcomes of other applications are known, calculate the shortfall that remains between your total education costs and the assistance you have secured.

Step 3: Write to SKML

Email your application to info@skml.sg with the subject line:

SKML Ascend Fund Application – [Your Full Name] – [Institution]

In your email, briefly explain your circumstances, the financial gap you face and why you are applying. Please attach the following, preferably as PDF files clearly named:

1. Completed SKML Ascend Fund application form [if provided]

2. NRIC or proof of Singapore Citizenship / Permanent Residency

3. Letter of offer or proof of enrolment, stating your course and institution

4. Latest academic transcripts or results

5. Statement of tuition fees and estimated costs of study

6. Household income documents, such as recent payslips, CPF contribution statements or IRAS Notices of Assessment for all working household members

7. Copies of applications made to other schemes, together with their outcomes (award or rejection letters)

8. A personal statement of no more than 500 words on your goals, your circumstances and how you hope to contribute to the community

9. Evidence of volunteering, leadership or community involvement, and any testimonials (optional but encouraged)

10. Supporting documents for any extenuating circumstances, such as medical or family hardship (if applicable)

Incomplete applications may not be processed.

Help shape the next generation of community leaders.

SKML has made the founding commitment to the Ascend Fund and invites sponsors and community benefactors to join us in building it. The Fund is designed to last, with measured annual disbursements and periodic fundraising to replenish its capital, so that it can support deserving students for many years to come.

You can support the Ascend Fund by:

• Making an outright contribution to the Fund

• Pledging a capital sum for structured annual disbursement

• Naming the SKML Ascend Fund as a beneficiary in your wealth or legacy planning

• Introducing the Fund to prospective benefactors in your network

SKML is working towards registered charity status and, subsequently, Institution of a Public Character (IPC) status, with external chartered accountants guiding the process. Until IPC status is granted, donations to the Fund are not eligible for tax deductions.

To contribute or discuss a partnership, write to info@skml.sg with the subject line SKML Ascend Fund – Partnership Enquiry.