Little by little, it adds up
Giving does not have to start with a large donation. For three NTU alumni, it began with what they could afford at different stages of their lives and grew into sustained support for students who need a helping hand.
Text: Sadia Roohi | Photos: Anshuman Das, Xing Dan, Samuel Prasetya
As an undergraduate at the School of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering & Biotechnology, Anshuman Das received a full scholarship and living allowance throughout his four years of study. In his third year, he was elected president of the NTU Students’ Union and joined the NTU bursary award committee, where he read about students who needed financial support for different reasons to continue their education.
These experiences shaped his decision to support the bursary fund, first through the University’s student giving programme and later through alumni giving after graduating in 2009.
“The motivation since graduation never went away, and I started out with very small contributions post-graduation and gradually increased the amounts over the years to remain well within my means,” he shares.
For Anshuman, the connection between giving and his own experience as a student has remained clear.
“It wasn’t hard to calculate that my contributions could help some individual who needs the support, similar to how I needed the scholarship to study in Singapore.”
Anshuman is comfortable continuing to contribute to the NTU bursary rather than establishing one in his name. He draws inspiration from his parents and grandparents in India, who have supported education-related charities for many years without having their names attached to the funds.
For fellow alumni considering giving, he points to the difference that collective support can make.
“You should take the opportunity to read a couple of stories of students who have benefited from this fund. At the end of the day, our small contributions can add up to make a real change in someone’s life,” he says.
“I started out with very small contributions post-graduation and gradually increased the amounts over the years to remain well within my means.”
From receiving to giving
While studying business at NTU, Xing Dan worked part-time and was determined to balance work and her studies. During her second year, she received a bursary, which allowed her to spend more time focusing on her studies.
“NTU gave me not only an education, but also opportunities that changed the course of my life,” says the Class of 2013 graduate.
She found her first job through NTU, an opportunity that had a significant impact on where she is today. Her former boss, who was a strong advocate for giving back, also influenced the way she thought about giving.
“I may not be able to contribute on the same scale, but I realised that I could still do my part. If my contribution can make a meaningful difference to even one student’s life, that is worthwhile,” she shares.
When she was younger, Xing Dan made small, ad hoc donations whenever she could. Around the time she got married five years ago, she felt ready to make a longer-term commitment. Instead of getting a wedding ring, she decided to donate the money towards a bursary.
The Xing Dan Bursary was established in 2021, and the term was renewed in 2025. It provides S$40,000 over four years to support NTU undergraduates facing financial constraints.
She chose to make the contribution over time rather than as a single gift.
“A single gift of that amount would have been quite a big financial commitment for me, and I didn’t want to overcommit myself. Structuring it as a pledge over time made it much more manageable, while still allowing me to make the contribution I wanted to make,” she explains.
For her, sustainability is an important part of giving.
“I think giving should be sustainable. You don’t necessarily need to wait until you can afford to make a large donation before you start contributing.”
“I hope the bursary gives students hope during a difficult period. Financial circumstances shouldn’t prevent someone from making the most of their education or opportunities. More importantly, I hope they know that there are people willing to support them. I benefited from that support when I was a student, and if this bursary can make someone else’s journey a little easier, then it has achieved what I hoped it would,” she says.
“If my contribution can make a meaningful difference to even one student’s life, that is worthwhile.”
Remembering what it meant to receive help
When Samuel Prasetya was an international student at NTU, paying tuition fees and living costs in Singapore was a challenge for his family. After applying for the tuition grant and maximising student loans, he still needed around S$500 to S$800 a month to cover the rest.
The mechanical engineering undergraduate worked part-time, gave tuition to secondary school and junior college students, and attended seminars where he could get a free dinner.
Support eventually came from an individual who offered to give him the money he needed each month without expecting anything in return. That support allowed Samuel to focus more fully on his studies, join the CCA he wanted and build his network at NTU.
He went on to achieve the highest GPA among all engineering students at the end of his first year. He was also on the Dean’s List for subsequent years, was elected president of the Indonesian society in his third year, secured an internship at Procter & Gamble, and received a job offer from Micron before his graduation in 2017.
But what stayed with him was the support that helped make those opportunities possible.
“I can never forget all the support I received, not only from my family, but also from people around me, especially the kind donor,” he shares. “This experience really shaped me to be who I am today and solidify my decision to give back to society one day, and that day has finally come.”
Samuel established the Samuel Prasetya Bursary with a term donation paid in four equal instalments. The bursary supports financially needy undergraduate students at NTU. The instalment approach also supports his longer-term vision.
“I want to make this a long-term commitment instead of just a one-off donation. My vision is to eventually establish a perpetual bursary that can support students every year. Like how I had been helped in the past, I wish that this bursary can alleviate their financial burden, so they can truly focus on their studies and achieve the best possible outcome in NTU,” he says.
“Rather than working part-time to overcome their financial challenges, I hope they can spend the time more wisely by participating in meaningful university activities, honing other life skills, making friends, and creating positive impact in their respective communities.”
“When they look back one day, I want them to remember their time in NTU as one that is full of hope, instead of hardship.”
This article first appeared in issue 8 of U, the NTU alumni magazine.
