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How to Use SkillsFuture Credit and Government Subsidies for Upskilling Courses

Last updated: 28 Sep 2026

Financing doesn’t have to get in the way of upskilling. Whether you’re exploring new skillsets or navigating a mid-career transition, government subsidies can cover the bulk of course fees – and you can use SkillsFuture Credit, PSEA, or NTUC UTAP to offset most of what remains. Depending on your eligibility, you may end up paying little to nothing out of pocket.

Courses at RISE by BCG U qualify for such funding support. Here’s how it works for individuals and employers.

Note: Eligibility criteria apply for all subsidies, support and funding listed on this page, and are subject to change.

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How to Use SkillsFuture Credit and Government Subsidies for Upskilling Courses

Last updated: DD MMM 2026

Financing doesn’t have to get in the way of upskilling. Whether you’re exploring new skillsets or navigating a mid-career transition, government subsidies can cover the bulk of course fees – and you can use SkillsFuture Credit, PSEA, or NTUC UTAP to offset most of what remains. Depending on your eligibility, you may end up paying little to nothing out of pocket.

Courses at RISE by BCG U qualify for such funding support. Here’s how it works for individuals and employers.

Note: Eligibility criteria apply for all subsidies, support and funding listed on this page, and are subject to change.

Government subsidies for upskilling courses and career transitions

Government subsidies for self-sponsored individuals

All RISE 2.0 courses are funded by the Skills and Workforce Development Agency (SWDA) – so there’s financial support behind every course you take.

Cost Table Variant 2

¹ Base Subsidy – Eligible Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents aged 21 years and above can enjoy subsidies of up to 70% of the course fee.

² Mid-Career Enhanced Subsidy (MCES) – Eligible Singapore Citizens aged 40 years and above can enjoy subsidies of up to 90% of the course fee.

³ Additional Funding Support (AFS) – Eligible Singapore Citizens who meet at least one of the following criteria can enjoy subsidies of up to 95% of the course fee, subject to eligibility checks by SWDA:
• Long-term unemployed individuals (unemployed for six months or more);
• Individuals in need of financial assistance who are ComCare Short-to-Medium Term Assistance (SMTA) or Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) recipients; or
• Persons with Disabilities.

Full eligibility details are available on the SkillsFuture Funding for Individuals page.

*SkillsFuture Mid-Career Training Allowance supports eligible mid-career Singaporeans to upskill and reskill through selected long-form training. Check your eligibility on MySkillsFuture.

Government subsidies for sponsored employees

Every RISE for Business course is designed to help Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs)   build future-ready capabilities – and every one of them qualifies for government funding under the Enhanced Training Support for SMEs (ETSS) scheme.

If you’re looking to sponsor team members, ETSS can cover up to 90% of the course fees as long as:

  • Your company is registered/incorporated in Singapore
  • Your company has no more than 200 employees, or an annual sales turnover of no more than $100 million
  • Your company has SME status1
  • The sponsored employee is a Singapore Citizen, Permanent Resident, or LTVP+ holder (please ensure that you have contributed CPF payment for the sponsored employee at course start date to be eligible for ETSS)
  • Your company pays for the remaining course fees, post-subsidy

Absentee Payroll funding also helps offset a portion of manpower costs while your employee attends a RISE for Business course: $4.50 per hour per sponsored employee*, capped at $100,000 per enterprise per calendar year. RISE initiates the claim process at the end of the course.

1 For SME status application, please refer to the guide available here.

*Alternatively, claim up to 95% of each sponsored employee’s basic salary (capped at $13 per hour) if they are Singapore Citizens aged 30 and over, or persons with special needs aged 13 and over, with a monthly salary of no more than $3,000.

  • Small Medium Enterprise (SME)

    Who

    • Singapore Citizen
    • Permanent Resident
    • LTVP+ holder

    Funding Scheme

    Enhanced Training Support for SMEs (ETSS)

    Subsidy

    Up to 90% course fee funding

  • All Other Enterprises

    Desktop + Tablet

    Who

    Funding Scheme

    Subsidy

    • Singapore Citizen (under 40)
    • Permanent Resident

    Baseline Subsidy2

    Up to 70% course fee funding

    • Singapore Citizen, aged 40 and above

    Mid-Career Enhanced Subsidy (MCES)3

    Up to 90% course fee funding

    2 Base Subsidy – Eligible Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents aged 21 years and above can enjoy subsidies of up to 70% of the course fee.

    3 Mid-Career Enhanced Subsidy (MCES) – Eligible Singapore Citizens aged 40 years and above can enjoy subsidies of up to 90% of the course fee.

  • All Other Enterprises

    Mobile

    Who

    • Singapore Citizen (under 40)
    • Permanent Resident

    Funding Scheme

    Baseline Subsidy2

    Subsidy

    Up to 70% course fee funding

    Who

    Singapore Citizen, aged 40 and above

    Funding Scheme

    Mid-Career Enhanced Subsidy (MCES)3

    Subsidy

    Up to 90% course fee funding

    2 Base Subsidy – Eligible Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents aged 21 years and above can enjoy subsidies of up to 70% of the course fee.

    3 Mid-Career Enhanced Subsidy (MCES) – Eligible Singapore Citizens aged 40 years and above can enjoy subsidies of up to 90% of the course fee.

Use of SkillsFuture Credit to pay remaining course fees

For individuals

After government subsidies are applied, you can offset what’s left using your SkillsFuture Credit, Post-Secondary Education Account (PSEA). If there isn’t enough in these accounts to cover the balance, you’ll need to pay the rest in cash.

Before registering for a RISE 2.0 course:

  • SkillsFuture Credit: Check your SkillsFuture Credit balance and expiry by visiting the MySkillsFuture Portal and log in with your Singpass.
  • Post-Secondary Education Account (PSEA): Learners below 31 may use their available PSEA funds for approved programmes. Check your eligibility and usage on the MOE website.

Thereafter, you may use the RISE 2.0 Course Fee Calculator for a personalised estimate of the amount you’ll have to pay in cash.

Eligible NTUC members may also receive Union Training Assistance Programme (UTAP) support for approved courses. UTAP is claimed after course completion, subject to NTUC’s eligibility and claim requirements.

For employers

Employers sponsoring staff for RISE for Business courses can use SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit (SFEC) to cover up to 90% of remaining out-of-pocket fees after primary grants.

For example*, if you’re an SME that qualifies for ETSS:

  • Course fee: $28,000
  • Course fee payable after ETSS: $2,800
  • Amount of SFEC that can be used: 90% x $2,800 = $2,520

*The example above excludes GST

Note: No application is required for SFEC. Eligible employers are notified by Enterprise Singapore and can view their S$10,000 credit by logging in with Corppass.

Use the RISE for Business Course Fee Calculator to estimate your own out-of-pocket cost.

Training allowance while undergoing upskilling programmes

SkillsFuture Mid-Career Training Allowance

Singapore Citizens aged 40 and above may apply for a monthly training allowance while attending a RISE 2.0 course, provided they:

  • Had income in the latest 12 months before the course start date
  • Maintain at least 75% attendance each month
  • Meet the course’s training requirements

Full-Time vs. Part-Time

Other terms and conditions apply – see the SkillsFuture Mid-Career Training Allowance eligibility page for full details.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Can I use SkillsFuture Credit for RISE courses?

    Yes. You can use your SkillsFuture Credit for all RISE 2.0 courses. After government subsidies are applied, you can use your available SkillsFuture Credit to offset the remaining course fees.

  • How much SkillsFuture Credit do I have?

    Your available SkillsFuture Credit depends on your individual balance. Log in to MySkillsFuture with Singpass to check your current balance Singapore Citizens aged 25+ have a base $500 credit (no expiry). Citizens aged 40+ also have $4,000 in SkillsFuture Credit (Mid-Career).

  • Do I have to pay anything out of pocket?

    It depends on your subsidy rate, SkillsFuture Credit balance, and course fee. Many learners pay nothing. Use the RISE 2.0 Course Fee Calculator to check.

  • What subsidies are available for SMEs?

    SMEs qualify for up to 90% course fee subsidy under ETSS, plus Absentee Payroll funding and SkillsFuture Enterprise Credit. See the employer section above.

  • What is the Additional Funding Support (AFS)?

    Additional Funding Support (AFS) is a SkillsFuture Career Transition Programme (SCTP) scheme in Singapore that provides up to 95% course fee funding for eligible Singapore Citizens, including those who have been unemployed for six months or more, individuals receiving financial assistance, or persons with disabilities.

More questions about course financing?

Every prospective learner’s situation is different. If you need any clarification on subsidies, eligibility, or fees, drop us a WhatsApp message or an email, and we’ll get back to you shortly.