of grants to students reading for first degrees or Higher National Diploma courses in the UK.
Since 1986-87, HMG and
£2 million
HKG
The scheme is have each been
means-tested. contributing
p.a. to provide grants for eligible students. The total pool of £4 million p.a. is cash limited. When the assessed requirement for grants exceed f4 million, as is normally the case, each student will receive part of the assistance due to him as a grant and the balance as an interest-free loan provided by HKG.
LORAT
5
The means test is modelled closely on that for students seeking assistance
for studying in local tertiary institutions. The level of assistance is based on the
following formula which household circumstances
takes into account individual
Assistance
-
'Overseas' fee
-
'Home' fee
-
Disposable income as assessed by the means test
Annex
Since 1983-84, applications for grants have stablised at between 1,800 and 2,000
p.a. and, of these, 70% to 80% have been given assistance. Average assistance for the last three years was £2,822, £2,823 and £3,085 respectively. Loans were first given in 1987-88 and have since increased as a proportion of total assistance. For 1989-90, the average loan is estimated at £802, or 24.5% of total assistance. Details of past performance and projections for the future are
annexed.
6
The JFS has met the objective of helping Hong Kong students to study at the tertiary level in the UK, and maintaining Britain as а popular destination for local students.
It has operated smoothly over the past few years and students and parents have accepted the increase in the loan element without complaint.
Recent developments in the UK
7
Recently, we have been advised of a change in UK fees which has an important bearing on the determination of the level of assistance under the JFS.
8
For domestic policy reasons, the UK Department of Education and Science has decided to increase the undergraduate 'home' fee from £607 p.a. to £1,675 p.a. in