In pursuing excellence, national athletes often find themselves engaged in a delicate juggling act between rigorous training schedules and academic commitments. Recognising the need for a balanced approach, the National University of Singapore (NUS) has implemented flexible arrangements such as requests for Leave of Absence, extended candidature or alternative learning and assessment arrangements to effectively support exceptional individuals in managing their dual responsibilities.
National Table Tennis player Pearlyn Koh Kai Xin is a second-year student at the NUS Business School. In recent years, she represented Singapore in the ASEAN University Games, winning bronze and silver medals, and was ranked 16th in the team category at the World University Games.
Last year, she received the "Sportswoman of the Year" Merit Award at the NUS Achievement Awards ceremony. As a student-athlete who trains with the National Team, she believes it is important to organise her schedule.
Pearlyn explains: "It is crucial to have our timetable planned properly so that we can maximise our training hours with the national team while ensuring we do not miss any classes or tutorials.”
She adds: "NUS has greatly supported me in obtaining suitable class timings that also match my training schedule. This allowed me to focus on both my training and academics, and excel in both aspects.”
Said Assoc Prof. Ho Han Kiat, NUS Dean of Students: “Beyond academic assistance, student-athletes seeking financial support to pursue sports competitions beyond NUS, for example, to take part in international competitions to qualify for major games, can apply for the University Support for Pursuit of Arts, Culture & Sports (U-SPARKS) grant which is funded by the Stephen Riady Group Foundation. Those who have qualified for regional and international university games such as ASEAN and World University Games receive subsidies support as well. Similar funding is also extended to student-athletes who have graduated from NUS.”
Pearlyn also benefited from the financial support provided by NUS. These subsidies help reduce expenses such as travelling abroad for competitions and training. “One of the ways NUS has supported me as a student-athlete is through financial support,” said Pearlyn.
She mentioned: “Besides direct subsidies, NUS also offers grants to students for overseas sports tournaments or training programs. In particular, I benefited greatly from the NUS U-SPARKS grant when I was competing at the ASEAN University Games and World University Games in 2023 and 2024 respectively.”
Ashlee also believes that receiving significant support through the NUS U-SPARKS funding provided instrumental support throughout the her sporting journey in NUS.
She expressed: “Preparing for major events such as the Asian Games and World [Aquatic] Championships required extensive travel for training camps. These camps, often held in China, spanned several weeks and incurred significant costs. I am immensely grateful to NUS for providing the financial assistance necessary to ensure I could fully prepare for these competitions.”
National athletes in universities often face the challenge of juggling training sessions, competitions, and travelling for tournaments alongside their academic workload. This can be particularly demanding during peak competition seasons, where athletes may have to prioritise their training and competitions over their studies.
Balancing the rigorous demands of university life is indeed a formidable challenge. The limited time available each day had to be meticulously allocated among attending classes, participating in trainings, and revising coursework.
Ashlee mentioned: “This dual expectation of academic excellence and extracurricular performance often seemed overwhelming. Throughout my university years, I have had to juggle my schedule and make numerous sacrifices.”
She adds: “While it is definitely difficult, it is not impossible as it was just a matter of priorities and which sacrifices I was willing to make.”
Every academic year, NUS awards 20 bond-free sports scholarships to national athletes and outstanding student-athletes in recognition of their contributions to the country or NUS’ participation in competitions. Among them, half of the scholarships are awarded to freshmen. In addition to covering tuition and school dormitory subsidies, the scholarships also provide an annual allowance to student-athletes.
NUS student-athletes who participate in off-campus, international or regional competitions can also apply for the NUS stipend for students involved in Arts or Sports activities to offset part of their expenses. Even if they have graduated from NUS, national athletes can still apply for subsidies from their alma mater when participating in international competitions.
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