Master prompt
Student Pass — private education (CPE-registered EduTrust schools)
STP for private schools: EduTrust certification gate, fee-protection scheme, refund policy review before SOLAR.
SingaporeStudent PassPrivate EducationCPEEduTrustFee Protection
Private Education Institutions (PEIs) in Singapore are regulated under the Private Education Act 2009 via the Committee for Private Education (CPE), now under SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG). PEIs must hold CPE Registration to operate AND should hold EduTrust certification (Provisional / EduTrust / EduTrust-Star) to recruit international students — without EduTrust, the PEI cannot sponsor Student Passes.
A small minority of EduTrust failures or downgrades trigger sudden STP risk for affected students. Consultants must verify EduTrust status BEFORE any deposit is paid.
Draft a private-school STP screening + application strategy for [CLIENT_NAME] enrolling at [PRIVATE_SCHOOL] for [PROGRAMME] ([PROGRAMME_DURATION], S$[TUITION_TOTAL_SGD]). Awarding partner: nil.
§1 — EDUTRUST CHECK — MANDATORY PRE-DEPOSIT STEP (150-180 words)
Verify on the official SSG/CPE register (ssg.gov.sg) BEFORE [CLIENT_NAME] pays any tuition:
(a) PEI status: "Registered with CPE" — confirm validity period not expired
(b) EduTrust status:
• EduTrust-Star (4 years) — highest tier
• EduTrust (4 years) — full tier
• EduTrust Provisional (1 year) — newer / lower-track PEIs
• Suspended / Revoked — DO NOT proceed. STP will be denied or revoked.
(c) Programme-specific approval — programme must appear in PEI's approved course list. New courses may not yet be approved.
(d) Course Fee Inspection Scheme — fees declared on the register must match the PEI's quoted figure (no off-register top-ups)
(e) Awarding partner nil — if external, verify the awarding-partner agreement is filed with CPE; some "degree" awards lack CPE recognition and are flagged
If EduTrust status is Provisional, advise [CLIENT_NAME] on the elevated cancellation/downgrade risk. If recently downgraded, do not proceed.
§2 — FEE-PROTECTION SCHEME (FPS) — STUDENT MONEY-PROTECTION (110-140 words)
Mandatory under Private Education Regulations. PEIs offering courses >50 hours OR >S$5,000 must enroll students in FPS, structured as:
• Insurance-based FPS (most common) — Lonpac Insurance underwrites; covers tuition + miscellaneous fees if PEI ceases operations or breaches Standard Student Contract
• Escrow-based FPS — fees held by trustee, released to PEI on milestones
[CLIENT_NAME] must receive:
□ Insurance certificate (Lonpac) covering [TUITION_TOTAL_SGD] OR escrow trustee letter
□ Coverage period matching [PROGRAMME_DURATION]
□ Coverage extending through stop-gap if PEI shuts mid-term
If PEI cannot produce FPS proof for the full fee — DO NOT pay. Without FPS coverage, the PEI is violating Private Education Act and any STP issued may be invalidated.
§3 — STANDARD STUDENT CONTRACT — REFUND CLAUSES (110-140 words)
PEIs must use the CPE Standard Student Contract (downloadable on ssg.gov.sg). Review BEFORE signing:
(a) Refund policy — sliding scale based on withdrawal timing relative to course commencement:
• >30 days before commencement: typically 80%+ refund
• Within 7 days post-commencement: typically 50%+
• After cooling-off / mid-course: lower / no refund
(b) Cooling-off period: 7 working days from contract signing — full refund less administrative deduction
(c) Course-fee-related grievances: PEI Student Services Centre (PSSC) for mediation
(d) Dispute resolution: Singapore Mediation Centre (SMC) for escalation
If [PRIVATE_SCHOOL]'s contract deviates from the Standard Contract — refuse to sign and report to CPE.
§4 — SOLAR APPLICATION + IPA (90-120 words)
Once enrolled + FPS confirmed + Standard Contract signed:
• [PRIVATE_SCHOOL] initiates SOLAR registration
• [CLIENT_NAME] completes eFORM 16 + V36
• Upload financial proof, passport, photo, academic transcripts
• Processing time: ~2-4 weeks (longer than autonomous universities — private-school STPs scrutinized more)
• Approval rates for Indian-cohort private-school STPs trail autonomous-university rates; refusals common if:
- Bank statements show unexplained large deposits
- Programme-vs-academic-history misalignment
- Sponsor income inadequate vs declared tuition + living costs
§5 — WORK RIGHTS DIFFERENCE (60-90 words)
CRITICAL: Private-school STP holders DO NOT have the 16-hour/week work right that autonomous-university STP holders have. Working without a separate work permit is illegal under Employment of Foreign Manpower Act.
Only autonomous universities (NUS, NTU, SMU, SUTD, SIT, SUSS) + Yale-NUS / Duke-NUS / S. Rajaratnam School + LASALLE / NAFA grant STP work rights.
Counsel [CLIENT_NAME] that any part-time work during a private-school STP requires a separate MOM work pass — practically impossible without a sponsoring employer.
§6 — POST-GRADUATION TRANSITION (40-70 words)
Private-school graduates do NOT qualify for the autonomous-university work-related stay-back routes. Pathways:
• EP / S Pass via sponsoring employer (subject to COMPASS framework)
• Return to home country + apply for SG work pass after gaining experience
• Pursue further studies at an autonomous university
End with: "DRAFT private-school STP strategy — verify EduTrust status BEFORE any deposit. MOM-licensed Employment Agency or Singapore-qualified lawyer review recommended. Confirm fee-protection certificate (Lonpac or trustee escrow) before STP application is submitted via SOLAR."Unlock the vault to see the full prompt