SINGAPORE – More families will qualify for tuition and bursaries from the Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC) from 2027, when the self-help group raises its income eligibility thresholds in a move expected to benefit about 800 additional households.
Under the revised criteria, families with a gross monthly household income of $5,300 or less, or a per capita income of $2,000 or less, will be eligible for support, compared with the current thresholds of $4,800 and $1,400 respectively. The change will increase the number of beneficiary households from 16,200 to around 17,000.
CDAC spent $39.7 million to help 16,200 households in 2025, up from $37 million for 15,700 households in 2024. The amount covered spendings such as 26,000 tuition and enrichment places and over 12,530 student bursaries.
More than 380 students participated in CDAC’s mentoring and development programmes, compared with 320 in 2024.
Beyond education, CDAC strengthened support through 9,600 family support services, up from 8,800 in 2024. About 1,400 of the families faced more complex needs, and received financial assistance and practical guidance by CDAC’s case managers.
CDAC chairman Ong Ye Kung, who is Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health, said the council aims to expand its programme capacity from 26,000 places today to 45,000 by 2030. It will also establish five centres in Punggol Northshore, Jurong West, Canberra, Tampines North, and Tengah, growing its network to 18 centres.
He was speaking in Mandarin at CDAC’s 34th annual general meeting at its Tanjong Katong headquarters on June 19.
The self-help group reported a net deficit of $1.02 million in 2024, mainly driven by higher expenditure as it expanded its programmes and assistance to more families and students in need.
It would have recorded a deficit of about $2.1 million in 2025, but received a one-off SG60 funding of $6 million from the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth.
“We will therefore need to manage our finances carefully in the years ahead. As we expand our programmes and reach more beneficiaries, these financial pressures are likely to grow,” Ong said.
CDAC is actively seeking new sources of funding, including reaching out to philanthropic funders such as the Wee Foundation, he added.
“Should the need arise, we will also review whether contributions can be adjusted within a reasonable range,” he said. “This may include inviting higher-income contributors to give a few dollars more each month, in support of the wider Chinese community.”
Speaking to the media after the AGM, the minister said if raising contribution is something that must be done, an announcement will be made in due course.
Currently, Singapore citizens and permanent residents from the Chinese community contribute $0.50 to $3 monthly to CDAC, depending on their salaries. The amount is deducted from their pay.
Looking ahead, CDAC will also focus on making support more coordinated and effective through case management and closer integration across services, said Senior Minister of State for National Development and Transport Sun Xueling, who is a CDAC board member.
“When challenges are multi-dimensional, it is important that support not be fragmented because families may end up having to navigate different schemes when they are already time and resource-constrained,” she said. “Our goal is to ensure the support is organised around the family, the children, and that it all works together as a whole.”
Minister of State for Home Affairs and Social and Family Development Goh Pei Ming, who is a new CDAC board member, said the council’s help goes beyond academics today.
“There’s a lot of emphasis on character development, encouraging our children to pursue their dreams...fostering family interactions, and also building that sense of community spirit in our children.”
MP David Hoe, who is a new board member and a former beneficiary of CDAC’s tuition programme, noted that the group also creates opportunities for students to discover their interest beyond what they learn in school.
“All these opportunities are important because in broadening our definition of success, we must be able to help every child discover their interest, and with time, practice and the volunteers’ effort, it will grow to become their strength,” said the former teacher.
Yusof Ishak Secondary 1 student Skye Sim has been attending tuition classes and interest-based programmes like coding, drones and art at CDAC since he was in Primary 4.
The aspiring civil engineer told The Straits Times: “The classes have built up my confidence and helped me learn new skills, especially in technology, which are very important for improving my future job prospects.”
Read the full article at The Straits Times →
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