SINGAPORE: Singapore three public universities, NUS, NTU and SMU are raising tuition fees for the incoming cohort of students in August.

The increase will be sharper for permanent residents and foreign students, compared to Singapore citizens.

Universities said this is in line with the government's policy of reflecting the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship.

Undergraduate fees for freshmen at SMU will go up by three per cent.

Singaporeans enrolling into NUS will pay four per cent more.

But those doing Architecture, Business, Law and Pharmacy will see an increase of between seven and ten per cent.

For Permanent Residents, it will go up by between S$720 and S$2,810 with foreign students paying more between S$800 and S$3,120 more.

Over at NTU, Singapore citizens will pay 1.6 per cent more, annualised over four years for non-business programmes to hit S$6,890.

For business programmes, it will be 3.4 per cent up, annualised over three years to hit $7,490.

PRs and foreign students will pay more.

For NTU, all PRs for the incoming cohort receiving tuition grants will be charged 20 per cent more than Singapore Citizens, up from the current 10 per cent.

International Students will be charged 60 per cent more, up from the current 50 per cent.

19-year-old Dawn Poh just graduated from Anderson Junior College while her elder brother is studying in the UK, she's keen on enrolling in NTU's arts faculty.

She said: "Of course, none of us are too glad about the fee hike because it will mean we have to pay more but as a whole I think we're not affected that much. Compared to most other places like Australia or UK, Singapore actually has low fees."

And it's not just students like Dawn who will be affected.

The universities will also be lifting the one-year fee increase deferment that last year's cohort enjoyed.

Their fee hike structure will be different from that of the incoming students.

There will also be fee increases for post-graduate students.

The university fee hike comes after Polytechnics and ITEs raised their fees for this academic year, with PRs and foreign students paying more as well. - CNA/vm