Your Guide to the National Silver Academy (NSA): Courses, Subsidies and Eligibility Criteria
So, you’ve hit most major milestones in the Singapore dream: saved $100,000 by the age of 30, planted a dollar in your Supplementary Retirement Scheme (SRS), and secured a BTO in a prized location.
But have you, cough, upskilled yourself?
Boosted your employability by working to close the skills gaps you might be lacking?
If you’re aged 50 and up (or my dad), then you might’ve heard of the National Silver Academy (NSA) — or signed up for a short course or diploma programme through its official site.
It’s the government’s way of ensuring all Singaporean seniors remain employable through affordable courses, with subsidies of up to 50% off course fees.
And, yep, you can use your SkillsFuture Credits in tandem with these subsidies.
Here’s an overview of what this guide covers:
- What is the National Silver Academy (NSA)?
- Can I Use SkillsFuture Credits On Top of NSA Subsidies?
- What Subject Areas Are Covered Under NSA?
- What NSA Programmes Can I Enrol In?
- Course Providers
What is the National Silver Academy?
The National Silver Academy (NSA) was established in 2015, and offers an extensive range of learning options for seniors, or those aged 50 and up — whether through courses in post-secondary education institutions (PSEIs) or community-based organisations.
You’ll be eligible for course subsidies of up to 50% if you:
- Are a Singaporean aged 50 and up (for short courses run by PSEIs)
- Are a Singaporean citizen or PR aged 50 and up (for short courses run by community-based organisations)
Can I Use SkillsFuture Credits On Top of NSA Subsidies?
By golly, yes; your SkillsFuture Credits can be used in addition to existing course subsidies for selected NSA programmes.
And with the impending SkillsFuture top-ups slated for October 2020, that’s up to an extra $1,000 in SkillsFuture Credits for use on a wide range of courses — including selected reskilling programmes.
What Subject Areas Are Covered Under NSA?
If you’re feeling stuck, you might first want to seek an opinion from a career guidance counsellor.
Workforce Singapore (WSG) and NTUC’s e2i Institute are good places to start, and offer free one-to-one career coaching services that allow you to identify blind spots in your career path. You’ll need to make an appointment prior, though.
In itself, courses under NSA span six key subject areas:
| National Silver Academy (NSA) Subject Category | Examples of Courses Offered |
|---|---|
| Media, Arts & Design | Acrylic Painting I |
| Creative Writing: Writing Books for Young Children | |
| Introduction to Charcoal Drawing | |
| Digital Photography for Absolute Beginners I | |
| Music Production and Studio Recording I | |
| Health & Wellness | Basic Barista and Coffee Appreciation Workshop |
| Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Course | |
| Cooking for the Elderly and Effects of Aging on Taste | |
| Understanding Food Labels | |
| Introduction to Aromatherapy and its Benefits | |
| Ageing & Life Skills | Basic Nutrition and Managing Obesity in Pets |
| Basics of Elder Caregiving Skills | |
| Dementia II: Care and Support | |
| Effective Negotiation Skills | |
| Grow Microgreens (Edible Immature Greens) and Culinary Herbs | |
| Humanities | Language classes, e.g. Japanese/Korean/Thai/Vietnamese/Arabic, etc. |
| Creative Thinking Made Easy | |
| Finance & Business | Applying Contract Law in Everyday Life |
| Entrepreneurship: Build Your Business Model and Deliver a Winning Pitch | |
| How to Start an Online Business | |
| Reading, Understanding and Analysing Financial Statements for Seniors | |
| Reading, Understanding and Analysing Financial Statements for Seniors | |
| IT & Science | Coding |
| Movie-Making | |
| Infographics for Design and Presentation | |
| Social Networking: Facebook | |
| Digital Banking |
What NSA Programmes Can I Enrol In?
There’re three types of programmes offered; prerequisites vary for each. Here’s a closer look at what to expect.
1. Short Courses
Ranging from three hours to 12 weeks, short courses are the perfect primer if you’re looking to set the foundations for a topic — such as starting an online business or analysing financial statements.
Singaporean seniors (we reiterate: anyone aged 50 and up) will enjoy 50% off course fees at PSEIs, capped at $500 per course.
Note, however, that government subsidies don’t cover GST.
On the bright side, your SkillsFuture Credits can be used to offset the GST payable, as well as cover the difference for your course.
To give you better perspective, let’s break things down:
| What | Amount Payable |
|---|---|
| (Hypothetical) Course Fees | $400 |
| Course Subsidy | 50% x $400 |
| GST Payable | 7% x $400 |
| SkillsFuture Claimable? | Yes, for both GST and balance |
| Total Payable | $228 Breakdown: ($400 x 50%) + ($400 x 7%) |
Depending on whether you’ve SkillsFuture Credits to use up, you could spend between nothing to $228 for a $400 course. Pretty neat, if you ask us.
2. Exam-Free Modules
Unlike short courses, exam-free modules allow you to attend full-qualification programmes in polytechnics, ITE branches and universities alongside regular students.
Each module typically lasts a term or semester — chargeable for a token sum.
So, yes, you’ll likely be older than your classmates…but hasn’t it always been about lifelong learning?
The difference is, you won’t have to sit for course exams — nor will your attendance allow you to earn a certificate or qualification.
3. Ad-Hoc Learning Opportunities
Under ad-hoc learning opportunities, Singaporeans and PRs will be able to attend short talks or partake in the Intergenerational Learning Programme (ILP), the latter of which lives up to its name by matching youths with seniors in a group-learning environment.
That means delving into topics such as using social media, or learning a musical instrument.
Course Providers
In all, 41 PSEIs and community-based organisations are registered under the NSA.
Here’s the full list of course providers, for your easy perusal:
| National Silver Academy Course Providers | |
|---|---|
| Post-Secondary Education Institutions (PSEIs) | Institute of Technical Education (ITE) |
| LASALLE College of the Arts | |
| Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA) | |
| Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) | |
| Nanyang Technological University (NTU) | |
| National University of Singapore (NUS) | |
| Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) | |
| Republic Polytechnic (RP) | |
| Singapore Management University (SMU) | |
| Singapore Polytechnic (SP) | |
| Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) | |
| Temasek Polytechnic (TP) | |
| Community-Based Organisations | Alzheimer’s Disease Association |
| Brahm Centre | |
| Centre For Seniors | |
| Centre of Activity and Recreation for the Elders (CARE) | |
| Diabetes Singapore | |
| En Community Services Society (ECSS) | |
| Family Central |
|
| Jamiyah Singapore | |
| Kampung Senang Charity and Education Foundation | |
| Life Point | |
| Mendaki SENSE | |
| National University of Singapore Society (NUSS) | |
| NTUC Learning Hub | |
| PPIS | |
| Primary Care Academy | |
| Rotary Learning Institute | |
| RSVP Singapore | |
| Singapore Association for Continuing Education (SACE) | |
| Singapore Council Of Women’s Organisations (SCWO) | |
| Singapore Institute of Directors (SID) | |
| Society for WINGS (WINGS) | |
| Sustainable Living Lab | |
| The Photographic Society of Singapore (PSS) | |
| Tsao Foundation | |
| YAH! | |
| Other Partners | Institute for Financial Literacy |
| Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH) | |
| Singapore Furniture Industries Council (SFIC) | |
| Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) | |
Ready to Kickstart Your NSA Journey?
It can be daunting exploring foreign ground, but breaking out of your comfort zone is the first step to learning new stuff, staying relevant — and maybe even boosting your monthly income.
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