▁col ég io ▁intern o ▁( liter ally ▁" internal ▁college ") ▁is ▁used ▁specifically ▁as ▁a ▁generic ▁reference ▁to ▁a ▁board ing ▁school . ▁ ▁Until ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁a ▁col ég io ▁was ▁usually ▁a ▁secondary ▁or ▁pre - univers ity ▁school , ▁of ▁public ▁or ▁religious ▁nature , ▁where ▁the ▁students ▁usually ▁lived ▁together . ▁A ▁model ▁for ▁these ▁colleg es ▁was ▁the ▁Royal ▁College ▁of ▁Arts ▁and ▁Human ities , ▁founded ▁in ▁Co im bra ▁by ▁King ▁John ▁III ▁of ▁Portugal ▁in ▁ 1 5 4 2 . ▁ ▁Singapore ▁The ▁term ▁" col lege " ▁in ▁Singapore ▁is ▁generally ▁only ▁used ▁for ▁pre - univers ity ▁educational ▁institutions ▁called ▁" J un ior ▁Colleg es ", ▁which ▁provide ▁the ▁final ▁two ▁years ▁of ▁secondary ▁education ▁( equ ivalent ▁to ▁sixth ▁form ▁in ▁British ▁terms ▁or ▁gr ades ▁ 1 1 – 1 2 ▁in ▁the ▁American ▁system ). ▁Since ▁ 1 ▁January ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁the ▁term ▁also ▁refers ▁to ▁the ▁three ▁camp uses ▁of ▁the ▁Institute ▁of ▁Techn ical ▁Education ▁with ▁the ▁introduction ▁of ▁the ▁" col leg iate ▁system ", ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁three ▁institutions ▁are ▁called ▁I TE ▁College ▁East , ▁I TE ▁College ▁Central , ▁and ▁I TE ▁College ▁West ▁respectively . ▁ ▁The ▁term ▁" univers ity " ▁is ▁used ▁to ▁describe ▁higher - ed uc ation ▁institutions ▁offering ▁locally ▁con ferred ▁degrees . ▁Institution s ▁offering ▁diplom as ▁are ▁called ▁" poly techn ics ",