Background

Established since 1956, MDIS is Singapore's oldest not-for-profit professional institute for lifelong learning. The attainment of our charity status in 1996 affirmed our strong-rooted values and dedication to community service.

To further our commitment to the community, the MDIS Education Trust Fund was established in the year 1999. On 18th April 2002, the Trust Fund received its charity status.


Objective

The primary objective of the Trust Fund is to support needy and deserving students who have financial difficulties in pursuing their education in Singapore. We firmly believe in education as the key to sustaining the economic growth and social fabric of Singapore, by means of investment in human capital and providing opportunities to narrow the income gap.

The Trust Fund does not receive any funding from the government and the awards are made possible solely with the kind contributions of well-wishers and surpluses from MDIS. Since the inception of the Trust Fund, we have been raising funds annually for the bursaries and scholarships. Over the years, more than 3,000 bursaries and scholarships totaled close to S$3 million have been awarded. Bursaries are awarded to GCE 'N', 'O', and 'A' level students, ITE and polytechnic students. We work closely with schools to understand their financial needs. Scholarships are offered through the four self-help groups (CDAC, Yayasan MENDAKI, SINDA and The Eurasian Association) and organisations such as NTUC, SAFRA and HomeTeamNS. More details are available in the next section Scholarships & Bursaries and Fundraising Efforts.

We are constantly stepping up our efforts to build up the Fund so that progressively more scholarships and bursaries can be given to help students in Singapore, in the light of current economic conditions. The Trust Fund also extends its assistance and support to other charities and welfare organisations.