MDIS Scholarship for leap year baby
Aadel weighs 3.4 kg/pounds, and is the second child of Mr Mohamad Khidir Bin Abdul Rahman, 33, and his wife, Fadhirlah Binte Ismail, 28. Both parents are social workers.
Never mind that he can celebrate his actual birthday once every four years, Aadel Khidir will have his tertiary education cost taken care of when he turns 18 or when he is ready to start his university degree course.
Lucky leap baby
For the Management Development Institute of Singapore (MDIS), Singapore’s oldest not-for-profit professional institute for lifelong learning, has awarded a S$30,000 scholarship to this first leap-year baby of 2012.
MDIS has awarded a total of three Leap Year scholarships since the scholarship was launched in 2004, February 29. Sponsored by the MDIS Education Trust Fund, the scholarship covers the full course fees of any bachelor’s degree programme jointly offered by MDIS and its university
partners. These include renowned universities from the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States of America such as the University of Bradford (UK), Southern Cross University (Australia), and Oklahoma City University (USA).
MDIS currently has a student population of over 13,500 local and international students from over 74 countries.
Lifelong learning
Said Ms Tan Gek Khim, Senior Director of MDIS, “This is the third time MDIS is giving the scholarship to a leap-year baby to emphasize our strong belief in lifelong learning. We believe that education is the best gift for any child. And hope that the assurance of a secured scholarship would not only provide some form of financial relief for the family, but also an incentive for the child to excel in his studies.”
Aadel Khidir will be awarded the scholarship at the time of enrolment. Besides meeting the entry requirements for a particular degree programme, he must register for the course before reaching 30 years of age before March 1, 2042. If the scholarship is not taken up before the stipulated time, the offer will lapse. The MDIS leap year baby scholarship is open to all nationalities and races.
Past leap babies
MDIS first awarded the leap-year baby scholarship to Tim Shee Zhe Guang in 2004. The second Leap Year Scholarship was awarded to Adam Jamal Clark in 2008.
As of year ended 2011, MDIS and MDIS Education Trust Fund had disbursed scholarships and bursaries worth nearly S$3.76 million, benefiting some 5,000 students since 1996. It also offers Undergraduate Scholarships to GCE, A’ Level students and Polytechnic Diploma Graduates.
For more related articles on baby and education, see:
Meet the world’s 7 billionth baby
How to save for your child’s education despite financial difficulties
5 things you need to know about education planning