SUSS PhD Scholarship
The Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) is one of Singapore's six autonomous universities, focused on applied social science, business, law, human development and public policy. Its PhD Scholarship is the one funding route at SUSS that a Sri Lankan applicant can actually win — and it is worth stating the limit plainly, because it is the single most common misunderstanding about SUSS: the university's full-time undergraduate scholarships are open only to Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents, so an international undergraduate cannot apply for them at all. At doctoral level the picture changes. The SUSS PhD Scholarship covers tuition fees, miscellaneous fees and a monthly stipend for the minimum period needed to complete the degree, capped at four years. Stipend rates are tiered and step up after you pass the qualifying examination; published rates differ for Singapore Citizens, Permanent Residents and international students, so read the current terms and conditions on the SUSS site rather than assuming the citizen rate. International scholars must also fulfil the Graduate Assistantship Programme requirement, and those hours are unpaid — they are part of the scholarship, not extra income. You do not submit a separate scholarship contest entry: candidates are identified and nominated during the PhD admissions interview, so the interview is where the award is effectively decided.
Assessed within SUSS PhD admissions — confirm the current intake and interview dates with the SUSS graduate admissions office before planning around it
Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS)
University-funded
emoji_events Award Overview
Coverage
Tuition + Miscellaneous Fees + Stipend
Duration
Up to 4 Years
Obligation
Graduate Assistantship (unpaid hours)
info How this award actually works
Who awards it
Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) — not Lanka Scholar. We are not the awarding body and cannot grant, reserve or guarantee this award.
How you are considered
Through your admission application. Awards like this are usually assessed automatically from the application you already submit — there is typically no separate scholarship form to fill in.
What it covers
Full Tuition + Miscellaneous Fees + Monthly Stipend (up to 4 years). This is a reduction in tuition, not a full ride. You still fund the remainder, plus living costs and the balance your visa requires you to show.
Where we come in
We make the admission application strong enough to be competitive — course choice, documents, references and deadlines. The funder makes the decision.
fact_check Eligibility Criteria
The Only SUSS Award Open to Sri Lankans
SUSS undergraduate scholarships are restricted to Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents — an international student cannot apply for them. At graduate level, the PhD Scholarship is the route open to international applicants. Do not plan a SUSS undergraduate move around scholarship funding.
2nd Upper Class Honours Minimum
You need outstanding academic results — at least a 2nd Upper Class Honours degree from a reputable university, or an equivalent qualification. A strong Second Upper or First from Colombo, Peradeniya, Moratuwa or an equivalent institution is the baseline, not the ceiling.
Awarded Through the Admissions Interview
There is no separate scholarship competition. Eligible PhD applicants are evaluated on merit during the admissions interview and nominated for the scholarship from there. Treat the interview as the scholarship assessment.
Stipend Rates Are Tiered — Check the Current Terms
Monthly stipend rates differ by residency status and step up after the qualifying examination. The published international-student rate is set separately from the citizen and PR rates; read the current SUSS PhD Scholarship terms and conditions rather than relying on a figure quoted elsewhere.
account_tree Application Process
Match your research to a SUSS focus area
SUSS states that the proposal must align with the university's research focus. Read the school's active research clusters and shape your proposal around them — a strong proposal in an area SUSS does not work in will not be nominated.
Apply for PhD admission
Submit the SUSS graduate-by-research application with transcripts, research proposal, referees and English evidence. Sri Lankan applicants should have IELTS or TOEFL ready unless their prior degree was English-medium and SUSS accepts a medium-of-instruction letter.
Interview — this is the scholarship assessment
Shortlisted applicants are interviewed, and scholarship nominations are made from that pool. Prepare to defend the proposal's methodology and its practical relevance, which fits SUSS's applied orientation.
Accept and arrange your Student's Pass
On award, confirm the stipend tier, the Graduate Assistantship hours and any service conditions in writing. SUSS initiates your Singapore Student's Pass through ICA.
Why SUSS?
SUSS is Singapore's applied social science university, built around lifelong learning and practice-relevant research in social work, public policy, business, law and human development. For a Sri Lankan researcher working on social policy, ageing, education systems or applied economics, SUSS offers a Singapore-based doctorate with a strong applied-policy orientation and access to Southeast Asian field settings, at a four-hour flight from Colombo. Its research scale is smaller than NUS or NTU, so fit with an existing supervisor's cluster matters more here than raw ranking.
4 yrs
Maximum scholarship duration
2:1
Minimum honours classification
PhD only
Level open to internationals
Looking for a scholarship because of the cost?
Then start here instead. Scholarships are competitive, usually partial, and decided by someone else — they are the least reliable way to make studying abroad affordable. Your destination and course choice move the number far more, and both are entirely within your control.
Work out your real number
Tuition, living costs, visa funds and flights for your destination — so you know the gap you are actually trying to close.
Open the cost calculator arrow_forwardSort courses by lowest fee
The full catalogue, cheapest tuition first. Changing course or country saves far more than most awards are worth.
Browse lowest-fee courses arrow_forwardWhat SG actually costs
Tuition, living costs and the total first-year figure for SG, in LKR as well as local currency.
See the cost breakdown arrow_forwardCheck your proof of funds
Every student visa requires you to show funds. Find out what you need before you commit to an application.
Check the requirement arrow_forwardSimilar Scholarships
Other curated opportunities for Sri Lankan students.
Nanyang President's Graduate Scholarship (NPGS)
Nanyang Technological University
NUS Research Scholarship
National University of Singapore
A*STAR Research Attachment Programme (ARAP)
Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)