What SkillsFuture funding actually covers
SkillsFuture funding is the umbrella term most people use for the course fee grant administered by SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG). You will also see it called SSG funding, the SkillsFuture training grant, or simply the SSG subsidy. They all describe the same thing. When a course is SSG-supported, the training provider applies the subsidy directly to the invoice, so learners are billed only the nett fee rather than paying in full and claiming back later.
That grant is the largest single reduction, but it is rarely the only one. Depending on your profile you may be able to layer SkillsFuture Credit, your Post-Secondary Education Account (PSEA), or the NTUC Union Training Assistance Programme (UTAP) on top of it. Employers sponsoring staff have a separate set of levers: Enhanced Training Support for SMEs, the SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit and Absentee Payroll.
The calculator below applies these in the correct order, because the sequence changes the result. Government subsidy comes off first, credits are applied at enrolment, and union or enterprise reimbursements are claimed afterwards.
On GST: Equinet Academy absorbs the 9% GST on our funded courses. GST is normally chargeable on the full course fee rather than the subsidised nett fee, which surprises a lot of learners, so we have taken it off the table.
SkillsFuture funding calculator
Three quick selections. The nett fee updates as you go.
Who is paying
Trainee eligibility
Further offsets
Tick what you hold, and adjust the balances to match your own accounts.
The opening credit of $500 does not expire. Citizens aged 40 and above may also hold a SkillsFuture Credit (Mid-Career) tranche, which applies only to selected courses, so check the listing on MySkillsFuture before relying on it.
Where both are used, SkillsFuture Credit is applied before PSEA. Accounts generally close in the year the holder turns 31.
Annual caps: $250 for members below 40, $500 for members aged 40 and above, $200 for Starter members. The cap is shared across all claims in the same calendar year, so your remaining balance may be lower.
Eligible employers are notified directly and no application is required. The current tranche runs to 30 November 2026, after which a redesigned scheme with a fresh credit is due to take effect from 1 December 2026.
No individual or employer credits apply to the selection above. The nett fee shown is payable in full.
Your estimated outcome
Figures are an estimate and do not constitute confirmation of funding. Final eligibility is determined by the relevant agencies.
Figures are an estimate and do not constitute confirmation of funding. Final eligibility is determined by the relevant agencies.
SkillsFuture funding for employers
Employers sponsoring staff draw on a different combination of schemes. The SSG training grant works the same way at the point of invoice, and two further levers sit behind it.
Course fee grant for company-sponsored staff
Organisations registered or incorporated in Singapore receive up to 50% of course fees when sponsoring Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident employees on SSG-supported certifiable courses.
Enhanced Training Support for SMEs
Small and medium enterprises receive up to 70% of course fees under Enhanced Training Support for SMEs (ETSS). To qualify, the organisation must be registered or incorporated in Singapore with at least 30% local shareholding, and must either employ no more than 200 staff at group level or have annual sales turnover at group level of no more than $100 million.
Where an employee is a Singapore Citizen aged 40 and above, the 70% rate applies regardless of company size, since the Mid-Career Enhanced Subsidy is tied to the individual rather than the employer.
SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit
The SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit (SFEC) is a $10,000 credit for eligible employers that offsets up to 90% of remaining out-of-pocket costs after other subsidies have been applied. Eligible companies were notified directly and no application is needed.
Two timing points matter. The current SFEC tranche runs to 30 November 2026, and training must be completed by then for the enrolment to qualify. A redesigned SFEC with a fresh $10,000 credit is due to take effect from 1 December 2026, delivered through an online wallet that offsets costs at enrolment rather than by reimbursement.
Absentee Payroll
Employers may also claim Absentee Payroll funding to defray manpower costs while staff are away training, at the prevailing rate of $4.50 per training hour, subject to an annual cap per organisation. This is claimed separately through the SkillsFuture for Business portal.
For a team of ten on a $999 course: an SME sponsoring Citizen or PR staff would see the nett fee fall to $299.70 per learner, with SFEC able to offset up to 90% of that remaining amount. GST is absorbed by us in both cases.
Reducing the nett fee further
Once the SSG subsidy is applied, three schemes can bring the remaining amount down again. They are not alternatives to each other, and the order they are applied in is fixed.
Eligibility for SkillsFuture Credit
Every Singapore Citizen aged 25 and above holds an opening SkillsFuture Credit of $500, which does not expire. Citizens aged 40 and above received a further $4,000 SkillsFuture Credit (Mid-Career) from May 2024, which also does not expire but is restricted to selected courses on the MySkillsFuture catalogue. The one-off $500 top-up issued in 2020 expired on 31 December 2025.
Credit is applied at the point of enrolment and reduces what you pay, rather than being reimbursed later. It is available to self-sponsored learners only, so it cannot be used where an employer is paying.
Using PSEA for course fees
The Post-Secondary Education Account can be used to pay approved course fees, including SSG-funded short and modular courses. Account holders can draw on their own PSEA or, with authorisation, a sibling’s. Where both are used, SkillsFuture Credit is applied before PSEA. Accounts generally close in the year the holder turns 31, with the balance transferred to CPF.
UTAP and SkillsFuture Credit together
This pairing causes the most confusion, so it is worth being precise. SkillsFuture Credit is applied at enrolment. UTAP is reimbursed after completion. They operate at different points in the process rather than competing for the same dollar.
UTAP reimburses NTUC members 50% of the unfunded course fee, meaning the balance after government subsidy, capped at $250 per calendar year for members below 40 and $500 for members aged 40 and above. Starter members are capped at $200. Claims must be submitted within six months of course completion, membership must be active throughout, and the fee must not have been fully sponsored by an employer.
One practical consequence: if credits already bring your payable amount to zero, there is nothing left for UTAP to reimburse. UTAP applies to fees you have actually paid, so the sequencing is worth planning before you enrol rather than after.
Every scheme, side by side
| Learner profile | Scheme | Subsidy | Nett fee on $999 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Citizen or PR, self-sponsored, aged 21 to 39 | Baseline course fee grant | Up to 50% | $499.50 |
| Citizen, aged 40 and above | Mid-Career Enhanced Subsidy | Up to 70% | $299.70 |
| PR, aged 40 and above | Baseline course fee grant | Up to 50% | $499.50 |
| Citizen or PR, sponsored by an SME | Enhanced Training Support for SMEs | Up to 70% | $299.70 |
| Citizen or PR, sponsored by a larger organisation | Baseline course fee grant | Up to 50% | $499.50 |
| Neither Citizen nor PR | Not applicable | Nil | $999.00 |
| Scheme | Who it is for | What it gives | When it applies |
|---|---|---|---|
| SkillsFuture Credit | Citizens aged 25 and above, self-sponsored | $500 opening credit, plus $4,000 Mid-Career tranche for those 40 and above on selected courses | At enrolment |
| PSEA | Citizens with an open account, own or sibling’s | Account balance, applied after SkillsFuture Credit | At enrolment |
| UTAP | NTUC members, self-sponsored | 50% of the unfunded fee, capped at $250, or $500 if aged 40 and above | Reimbursed after completion |
| SFEC | Eligible employers | Up to 90% of remaining out-of-pocket cost, from a $10,000 credit | Reimbursed after completion |
| Absentee Payroll | Employers sponsoring staff | $4.50 per training hour, subject to an annual cap | Claimed after completion |
SkillsFuture grant application: how it actually works
For most learners there is no grant application in the usual sense. The subsidy is administered by the training provider and appears on your invoice. Here is the full sequence.
Confirm the course is SSG-supported
Search the course on the MySkillsFuture directory, or check the funding details on the course page. If the course run is not within an approved funding period, no subsidy applies.
Register and declare your eligibility
You will be asked for your residency status, date of birth and sponsorship arrangement at registration. These determine the subsidy rate.
Receive an invoice for the nett fee
The SSG course fee grant is deducted before the invoice is issued. At Equinet Academy the 9% GST is absorbed, so the nett fee is the full amount payable.
Apply SkillsFuture Credit or PSEA if you are using them
SkillsFuture Credit is submitted through MySkillsFuture with Singpass. PSEA is applied for through MOE. Both should be arranged before the course starts.
Attend and complete the assessment
Attendance is taken digitally via Singpass at each session. Meeting the attendance threshold and passing the assessment is what confirms the funding.
Claim UTAP or SFEC after the course
NTUC members submit UTAP claims through the NTUC portal within six months of completion. Employers claim SFEC and Absentee Payroll through the SkillsFuture for Business portal.
Frequently asked questions
SkillsFuture funding refers to the course fee grants administered by SkillsFuture Singapore for approved courses. Eligible Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents receive a baseline subsidy of up to 50% of course fees for certifiable courses, and Singapore Citizens aged 40 and above receive up to 70% under the SkillsFuture Mid-Career Enhanced Subsidy. The subsidy is applied by the training provider, so learners pay only the nett fee.
Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents are eligible for the SSG course fee grant on approved courses. Self-sponsored learners must be at least 21 years old. Learners must also meet the minimum attendance requirement and pass the course assessment for the funding to be confirmed.
Yes. Singapore Permanent Residents are eligible for the baseline SSG course fee grant of up to 50% on approved courses, and for up to 70% where their employer qualifies for Enhanced Training Support for SMEs. The Mid-Career Enhanced Subsidy, SkillsFuture Credit and PSEA are for Singapore Citizens only, though PRs who are NTUC members can still claim UTAP.
Singapore Citizens aged 40 and above receive up to 70% of course fees for SSG-supported certifiable courses under the SkillsFuture Mid-Career Enhanced Subsidy. It is applied automatically at enrolment and does not require a separate application. On a $999 course that brings the nett fee to $299.70 before any credits are applied.
They serve different points in the process. SkillsFuture Credit is applied at enrolment to reduce the amount payable, while UTAP is a reimbursement claimed from NTUC after the course is completed. UTAP covers 50% of the unfunded course fee subject to an annual cap of $250, or $500 for members aged 40 and above, and cannot be claimed on fees that were fully sponsored by an employer. If credits have already reduced your payable amount to zero, there is nothing left for UTAP to reimburse.
For most learners there is no separate grant application. The training provider applies the SSG subsidy at the point of enrolment and invoices the nett fee. Learners using SkillsFuture Credit or PSEA submit those claims separately through MySkillsFuture and MOE respectively, and employers claiming SFEC or Absentee Payroll do so through the SkillsFuture for Business portal.
Employers sponsoring Singapore Citizen or Permanent Resident staff receive a baseline course fee grant of up to 50%. Small and medium enterprises receive up to 70% under Enhanced Training Support for SMEs, and Singapore Citizens aged 40 and above attract up to 70% regardless of company size. Eligible employers may also draw on the $10,000 SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit and claim Absentee Payroll funding.
GST is normally chargeable on the full course fee rather than the subsidised nett fee. Equinet Academy absorbs the 9% GST on our funded courses, so the nett fee shown is the amount payable.
Course fee funding is conditional on meeting the minimum attendance requirement and passing the assessment. Learners who do not meet these requirements may be invoiced for the subsidised portion of the course fee.
The $500 opening credit for Citizens aged 25 and above does not expire, and neither does the $4,000 SkillsFuture Credit (Mid-Career) for those aged 40 and above. The one-off $500 top-up issued in 2020 expired on 31 December 2025 and is no longer available.