Breaking Service Obligation Scheme..

[giocoso]

This is horrible to ask, but here it goes:

Currently working as staff at NUS. I want to get a MSc degree, and staff get some concession on the price. But, I am international so am paying about 5.7k per semester. Saw that I could sign up for a Service Obligation scheme that binds me to Singapore-based companies 3 years following graduation, but how seriously do they monitor this? What if I can't find a job easily since I'm a foreign student? Is it easy to get out of the clause but still reap the benefits of having MoE pay for your degree (essentially, stealing from Singaporean citizen taxpayers and government... I know, it sounds terrible)?

Thanks..

[PNGMK]

This is horrible to ask, but here it goes:

Currently working as staff at NUS. I want to get a MSc degree, and staff get some concession on the price. But, I am international so am paying about 5.7k per semester. Saw that I could sign up for a Service Obligation scheme that binds me to Singapore-based companies 3 years following graduation, but how seriously do they monitor this? What if I can't find a job easily since I'm a foreign student? Is it easy to get out of the clause but still reap the benefits of having MoE pay for your degree (essentially, stealing from Singaporean citizen taxpayers and government... I know, it sounds terrible)?

Thanks..

From my understanding - if they accept you in the scheme the risk on them if you cannot find a job and break your bond. This has some up a few times before - if you legitimately cannot find a job post grad (and the market looks to be going that way) then you can usually escape it. The employer makes a risk based decision in this case and has no doubt factored this possibility into their analysis.

[giocoso]

Thanks for the response..

..and, in the event that you don't actually look for a job -- surely, you are punished? What exactly are the repercussions of that? How are they supposed to keep track? I was reading around other forums back in 2012 and it seems like there was no way for the government to follow up; surely, this seems like a downfall of the Scheme.

[nakatago]

Thanks for the response..

..and, in the event that you don't actually look for a job -- surely, you are punished? What exactly are the repercussions of that? How are they supposed to keep track? I was reading around other forums back in 2012 and it seems like there was no way for the government to follow up; surely, this seems like a downfall of the Scheme.

Do you really want to do that?

If more people avail of the scheme that don't bother looking for a job, NUS will eventually stop offering it and it will ruin things for those who want a higher degree AND are willing to serve a service bond but don't have enough money.

[Aragorn2000]

If you are legitimately unable to find a job to service the bond, you have to get a release letter from MOE. That is to cover your ass.

It's easy to check whether you have serviced the bond. You either have an employment history in Singapore and/or a release letter or you don't have any.

I have friends studied undergraduate degrees in NUS and they bailed on the bond. Are they being wanted for bailing it?

AFAIK, No.

Do they have any anxiety whenever they enter Singapore? Hell, yes.

Bailing on something you have signed is a stain in your character. Believe me, it's easy to find out.