Hotel 81 founder makes gift of S$2 million to set up bursary for NUS students in financial need

The National University of Singapore (NUS) has received a gift of S$2 million from Mr Choo Chong Ngen, the Founder and Executive Chairman of Singapore’s largest chain of owner-managed hotels, to establish a bursary for financially-needy NUS undergraduates.

The Hotel 81 – Choo Chong Ngen Bursary will be awarded from Academic Year 2017/2018 onwards, and will benefit up to 32 qualifying students per year enrolled in any course of study. Each bursary is tenable for one academic year of the recipient’s studies and is open to Singaporeans and Singapore Permanent Residents. The gift will enable the University to apply for the prevailing Singapore government matching grant.

Mr Choo said, “When I was young, I had to sacrifice a formal education due to family financial difficulties and so I do not wish others to go through the same. I hope less privileged undergraduates can have the opportunity to achieve academic excellence with some financial help. I am most supportive of educational causes. NUS is a natural choice as it is a top institution with a transparent and all-encompassing student financial support programme.”

Professor Tan Chorh Chuan, NUS President, said, “We are deeply appreciative of Mr Choo’s generosity and belief in NUS and the value of education. I have met many Singaporean students at NUS who have told me how their lives have been transformed by the bursaries they have received. Their personal stories underscore how a gift to a bursary can have an immediate and profound impact upon the lives of young people who have the talent to succeed but who come from financially disadvantaged backgrounds. We hope Mr Choo will inspire other business leaders, and members of the community, to come forward to help even more young people in the same way.”