Higher Education Student Loan (HESL) | OCBC Singapore

HIGHER EDUCATION STUDENT LOAN (HESL)

Up to 100% of your education journey covered!

Why you will love this

Borrow up to 100% of your education cost

0% interest and no repayments until graduation

Minimum monthly repayment of S$100

Who can apply

Borrower: A Singaporean, Singapore Permanent Resident (PR) or foreigner studying at NUS, NTU, SMU or NIE

Guarantor: A Singaporean, Singapore PR or foreigner aged between 21 and 60 years old

Pursue your education goals without financial worries.

IMPORTANT NOTICE

From 1 July 2026, all Higher Education Student Loan applications must be submitted through StudentLoanSG (SLSG).

benefits
Borrow up to 100% of your education costs

Borrow up to 100% of your education costs

Cover your subsidised tuition fees and other study-related expenses.

Cover your subsidised tuition fees and other study-related expenses.

Enjoy 0% interest during your study period

Enjoy 0% interest during your study period

Interest charges begin only upon graduation1.

Interest charges begin only upon graduation1.

Flexible repayment options from just S$100 a month

Flexible repayment options from just S$100 a month

Start repaying from as low as S$100 a month after graduation1.

Start repaying from as low as S$100 a month after graduation1.

1 Graduation refers to the date immediately after final examination, regardless of the date of your graduation ceremony. Visit Government Education Loan Interest Rates for more details on the interest rates upon graduation.

Please note that Terms and Conditions set by each institution apply.

What is HESL?

HESL offers four components that can be combined to support your subsidised tuition fees and other study-related expenses.

     
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO

Step 1

Have an eligible OCBC account

An eligible* OCBC account is required for your loan application to be processed.

Don’t have the required OCBC account?
Open an OCBC FRANK Account today. It’s a go-to choice for students and lets you get started with your loan application.

*Eligible accounts: OCBC FRANK Account, 360 account, Bonus+ Savings Account, Monthly Savings Account, Passbook Savings Account, Statement Savings Account

Step 2

Apply for your loan on the SLSG website

Complete the HESL application on the SLSG website.

For foreign borrowers and/or guarantors: you will be notified to visit an OCBC university branch (NUS, NTU, SMU) with the required documents.

Please take note of the submission cut-off hours:

  • NTU: Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 2:00pm
  • NUS and SMU: Monday to Friday, 11:00am to 2:00pm

Step 3

Loan gets disbursed to your school

Upon approval:

  • You will be notified via SLSG
  • Tuition fees will be paid directly to your school

The repayment model below is based on these assumptions:

A S$30,000 course of study over 4 years1

0% interest2 until graduation

Full repayment3 before graduation

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*Figures provided are for illustration purposes only.

1Duration of study and course fees vary by individual.
2For more details on the prevailing interest rate, visit Government Education Loan Interest Rates.
3Maximum repayment period is 10 years, excluding the period of study.
4Refers to the date immediately after your final examination, regardless of your graduation ceremony date.

The repayment model below is based on these assumptions:

A S$30,000 course of study over 4 years1

Regular monthly repayments of S$300, resulting in a 7-year repayment period2

An interest rate3 of 2.60% per annum

Partial repayment of S$10,000 at the end of year 6

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*Figures provided are for illustration purposes only.

1Duration of study and course fees vary by individual.
2Maximum repayment period is 10 years, excluding the period of study.
3For more details on the prevailing interest rate, visit Government Education Loan Interest Rates.
4Partial Repayment: Before graduation, partial repayments of at least S$1,000 (in multiples of S$100) can be made anytime. Upon graduation, partial repayments can still be made, in addition to your regular monthly repayment of minimum S$100 (in multiples of S$100).
5Refers to the date immediately after your final examination, regardless of your graduation ceremony date.
6S$300/month up to Year 11 Month 2, with a final repayment of approximately S$293.36 in Month 3.

The repayment model below is based on these assumptions:

A S$30,000 course of study over 4 years1

Regular monthly repayments of S$300, resulting in a 10-year repayment period2

An interest rate3 of 2.60% per annum

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*Figures provided are for illustration purposes only.

1Duration of study and course fees vary by individual.
2Maximum repayment period is 10 years, excluding the period of study.
3For more details on the prevailing interest rate, visit Government Education Loan Interest Rates.
4Refers to the date immediately after your final examination, regardless of your graduation ceremony date.
5S$300/month up to Year 14 Month 4, with a final repayment of approximately S$248.55 in Month 5.

OPEN AN OCBC FRANK ACCOUNT
The bank account designed for student life!

The OCBC FRANK Account is designed to work seamlessly with your student life – and your HESL loan! Enjoy up to 1.60% a year interest or 1.30% cashback on your spends, whichever is higher. Plus, get started with absolutely no initial deposits or fall-below fees.

Find out more

For foreigners

Documents to prepare

For foreign borrowers and/or guarantors:

  • ID or Original Passport* with at least 6 months’ validity
  • Higher Education Student Loan application form*

*Notarised copy is required if the foreign guarantor is not physically present at branch.


Eligibility requirements for borrower

For more information, please refer to the MOE Website.

For NTU part-time and postgraduate courses: To check if your programme is eligible, please approach your institution of study.


Eligibility requirements for guarantor

The guarantor must:

  • Be aged between 21 and 60 years old
  • Not be an undischarged bankrupt

In terms of nationality:

  • If the student is Singaporean, the guarantor must be Singaporean
  • If the student is a Singapore PR, the guarantor must be a Singaporean/ Singapore PR
  • If the student is a foreigner, the guarantor can be of any nationality

NOTE: You must have a guarantor with you to apply for the Higher Education Student Loan.


READY TO APPLY?

Achieve your academic goals with support from the Higher Education Student Loan (HESL).