In the wake of students struggling to cope with the rising costs of university fees, there has been a rise in the number of sugar baby signups from Singaporean universities who are seeking financial support from wealthy, affluent men via Sugarbook.

From 2018 to 2019, Sugarbook, Asia’s most critically-acclaimed online dating brand, saw a 32% leap in the total of university student signups – which inadvertently illustrates university students seeking for financial support from sugar daddies or sugar mummies in Singapore.

In case you’re unfamiliar with the terminologies, a “sugar baby” is a person who receives benefits financially and materialistically in exchange for a relationship.

Meanwhile, a “sugar daddy” or “sugar mummy” is the one who provides those benefits and gets into a relationship with a sugar baby.

According to a report by Sugarbook titled “An Alternative Solution to Rising University Fees: Sugar Dating”, there are now over 2,000 university-going sugar babies signed up on the app. The report includes a list of top 10 sugar baby universities in Singapore.

Topping the list is Singapore’s Nanyang Technology University (NTU) with 643 students signups, while the runner-up is Singapore’s Institute of Management (SIM) with 487 signups.

Singapore’s global superstar, the National University of Singapore (NUS), tails closely behind with 413 signups.

Interestingly, though on a lesser ecclesiastical playing field, the list even saw Singapore Bible College raking in on the number ten spot with 12 students signed up as sugar babies.

“Driven by the ever-soaring costs of tuition fees, families that cannot afford to pay the outrageous costs of higher education are pushed towards taking out loans,” commented Darren Chan, Founder and CEO of Sugarbook.

“Even worse, students are plagued with juggling multiple jobs while pursuing their studies and oftentimes end up dropping out as they are unable to cope with the pressure. On average, a sugar baby gets up to SGD 2,000 in monthly allowances which could prove great help to a struggling university student,” he added.

“Sugar daddies and sugar mommies don’t only come in the form of providing financial assistance, rather they also serve as mentors, offering a host of financial guidance, networking opportunities and career advancements, among others – in the name of raising the career and lifestyle game of aspiring professionals while they’re still in university.”

23-year-old university graduate shared her experience as a sugar baby in Singapore

In an interview with AsiaOne back in January, Felice Ang, a 23-year-old university graduate talked about her life as a sugar baby.

She shared how and why she got into the sugar dating scene, the process of finding a sugar daddy, and if providing sexual services is part of the job.

Unlike the stereotypical seen on televisions, she said she discovered sugar dating through her university peers, not through suspicious connections.

According to her, both of her parents – who work in the food and beverage (F&B) industry – found it hard to pay for her expensive student loans. Also, when having two part-time jobs could not secure her education anymore, she resorted to try sugar dating.

Ms Ang said that she did not have any complaints regarding the physical aspect of the job, noting that she sets clear boundaries beforehand, which helps her to have a respectful relationship with her sugar daddy.

Men mainly pay for her companionship, she added. Luxurious items such as a HP laptop, custom-made Pandora necklace, and the iPhone 11 are benefits that she receives courteously.

Despite having paid for her companionship, Ms Ang disclosed that her relationship with two sugar daddies naturally evolved to a sexual one. Both relationships were mutually exclusive, and she would treat her sugar daddy as her boyfriend.

Regardless of the job’s nature, there is some good that comes out of it as well. Ms Ang shared that after engaging in a relationship with a 35-year-old British divorcee, he managed to pick himself up from the divorce and learn on how to date again.

Speaking on the notion of married men, Ms Ang rejects the idea of a sugar baby being in a relationship with a married man. She firmly believes that it is immoral to do so.

Ultimately, she remarked that sugar dating is a genuine job and also a good way to discover what one wants in a relationship.