The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) and its affiliated unions continue to provide strong support for lower-income union members’ children in their education. In 2025, NTUC Care is projected to provide over $2.1 million in education-related support, reaching more than 3,800 students from primary to university levels.
NTUC Assistant Secretary-General and Director of the NTUC Care Division, Melvin Yong, said: “Education lays the foundation for a child’s future, and we know that preparing for school can be a challenge for some families. With NTUC Care (Back-to-School) e-Vouchers, education awards, and other support programmes, we strive to provide both practical help to our union members’ children and recognition for their achievements. These initiatives aim to ease families’ financial worries and motivate students to keep learning and pursuing their dreams.”
NTUC helps lower-income union members ease children’s education expenses
Through the annual NTUC Care (Back-to-School) programme, eligible union members will receive up to $240 in digital vouchers that can be used to purchase school essentials such as textbooks, uniforms, shoes, socks, and stationery at Bata, Pacific Bookstores, Popular, and participating school uniform suppliers. With this practical support, NTUC aims to ease the financial strain of back-to-school spending for lower-income union members; and ensure that their children have what they need to begin the year on the right footing.
2025 NTUC Care (Back-to-School) Programme opens for application on 29 October 2025
Applications for the NTUC Care (Back-to-School) Programme will be open from 29 October 2025, 12.00 pm to 3 December 2025, 4.00 pm. Union members are encouraged to visit https://care.ntuc.org.sg/assistance for full eligibility details and application instructions. See Annex A for the key milestones for the NTUC Care (Back-to-School) Programme.
The voucher quantum is:
a) $120 per eligible school-going child
b) Additional $120 for each child attending a MOE Special Education (SPED) school
The e-Vouchers will be disbursed in denominations of $1, $2, $5 and $10, allowing union members to use them flexibly across purchases and will be valid for use until 31 March 2026. As with the NTUC Care (U Stretch) e-Vouchers, the NTUC Care (Back-to-School) e-Vouchers will also be rolled out via RedeemSG, a digital voucher system developed by Open Government Products (OGP), allowing for a seamless and convenient redemption experience.
NTUC and unions’ education awards recognise students’ achievements
In addition to the NTUC Care (Back-to-School) e-Vouchers, NTUC continues to encourage students through education awards administered by NTUC’s affiliated unions and the NTUC-U Care Fund, to recognise their academic excellence and level up the playing field.
Under the NTUC Care Education Co-Funding Scheme (for non-tertiary students) (Categories: primary, secondary, junior college, Millennia Institute, special needs), approximately 30 unions are expected to disburse an estimated $480,000 in education awards in 2025, with an estimated 40% co-funded by the NTUC-U Care Fund, to benefit an estimated 2,500 students.
Under the NTUC Care Fund (Education Awards) for tertiary students (Categories: Institute of Technical Education, polytechnic, university), a total of 1,328 students have been awarded over $590,000 under the NTUC-U Care Fund in 2025. For more information on the NTUC Care Fund (Education Awards), please visit https://www.ntuc.org.sg/uportal/programmes/education-awards.
Together, these long-running NTUC Care programmes serve as NTUC’s ongoing commitment to walk alongside our union members and their families, providing care and support to help them build better lives.
