Earlier in December, National University of Singapore (NUS) president Tan Eng Chye said the institution had started funding some of its master’s programmes on its own, rather than rely on government subsidies.

Though NUS also clarified that this move had begun much earlier, the announcement was notable for the public signal it sent that the university will begin charging higher tuition fees for some courses, where it has not already. Drawing this inference, the news drew varying huge reactions, with some on social media suggesting locals will be “short-changed” and that the Government should continue to subsidise the cost of master’s courses.