WHILE many teens depend on their parents for money, Wah Li Ting, 18, had to take on two jobs to earn pocket money.

The Jurong Junior College student, who was a sales assistant and also gives tuition, is a needy student under the Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS).

The FAS has been enhanced under a slew of new measures by the Ministry of Education (MOE) to help needy students this year.

The measures, budgeted at $44.4 million - more than double the $20.7m spent last year - will benefit at least 80,000 students from primary to post-secondary levels.

The moves include a short-term financial help scheme and the suspension of repayment of tuition fees.

Pre-university students like Li Ting will get a $250 increase in bursary quantum - to $750 - to help them defray the cost of textbooks, stationery and other expenses.

'I don't take money from my parents as it is taxing on them,' said Li Ting, who has been working since she was in Secondary 4.

'I worked at World of Sports at Jurong Point during the school holidays to earn money, about $800 a month,' she said.

Her sister, 15, who's studying in Nan Hua Secondary School, is also under the FAS.

Their father, Mr Wah Lye Heng, is the sole breadwinner of the family, earning $1,000 as a schoolbus driver. Their mother is a housewife.

And they have barely enough to survive.

Li Ting said: 'Electricity bill is about $200, water bill is about $200 and we spend about $300 on groceries.'

With both her parents having health problems, the rest is put aside for medical bills.

'My mother will be undergoing an operation at the end of this year to remove some arteries from her legs to be reconnected to other capillaries,' said Li Ting.

Due to complications that began after the birth of her younger daughter, Mrs Wah cannot stand for a long time.

She has visible arteries on her right leg that may burst if she stands for too long.

Mr Wah has had his entire large intestine removed and must have annual check-ups.

'My father stopped working for seven years when I was 5 as he had ulcerative colitis (a disease of the large intestine). He went through many operations during that period and my family income was at its lowest,' she said.

Before he stopped working he was earning about $2,000 to $3,000 a month, she said.

Li Ting receives $3 a day under the Jurong Junior College (JJ) study grant and has been on numerous overseas learning trips.

Under the FAS scheme, apart from her increased bursary of $750, 75 per cent of her A-level exam fees will be subsidised.

The JJ study grant also subsidises overseas trips for the students.

'Last year, I went to Brisbane and China and both trips were fully subsidised. The school even gave me money for food and lodging when I went to Brisbane,' said Li Ting.

While she has stopped working as a sales assistant, she will continue to give tuition to earn money. Her family does not receive any other form of financial aid.

Primary 6 student Daryl Goh Jun Weiis also happy that the FAS will help ease his father's financial burden.

He's among students who stand to benefit from MOE's latest enhancements through the provision of free school uniforms.

MOE will also provide a one-time $10,000 grant to all schools via their School Advisory Committees.

With a boost in grants, Daryl's school, Townsville Primary in Ang Mo Kio, said that it will now look at providing PE attire and transport subsidies for its needy students.

Scheme expanded

It also plans to expand its help to students who do not meet the existing criteria for the FAS scheme but are financially troubled.

'We want to support the children who need help,' said vice-principal Madam Constance Wong. Daryl's younger brother, who is in Primary 3 at the same school, is also under the FAS.

Their father, Mr Goh Eng Keong, 45, earns about $800 a month as an ice-cream vendor outside the school's premises.

During the holidays, the single parent would sometimes take up odd jobs.

'Our household expenditure can sometimes amount to $1,000. I hardly have any savings,' he said.

Although Mr Goh's family also gets a $500 bursary from the Chinese Development Assistance Council for his children, the amount is only just enough to get by.

He is glad his children are sensible and do not spend unnecessarily and that MOE is doing more to help needy students.

Pearly Tan and Geraldine Yeo, newsroom interns

This article was first published in The New Paper on February 11, 2009.