EDUCATION
disbursed to 162 986 students. With effect from the 1998-99 academic year, textbook assistance will be extended to include needy students attending Secondary 4 to 7 in public sector schools.
Fee Remission
Needy Secondary 4 to 7 students in public sector schools may apply for remission of their standard school fees under the Senior Secondary Fee Remission Scheme. In the 1997-98 academic year, 92 175 students were granted fee remissions amounting to $310.3 million. Full time Secondary 5 and 7 students granted full fee remission under the Fee Remission Scheme are also eligible to apply for remission of examination fee if they sit for the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination and the Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination. The 1997-98 academic year saw $5.4 million disbursed to 5 222 students under this scheme.
Eligible kindergarten pupils may apply for fee remission through the Kindergarten Fee Remission Scheme. Such assistance is in the form of 50 or 100 per cent of the average of fees charged by non-profit making kindergartens. $285.6 million was granted to 63 020 kindergarten pupils in the 1997-98 academic year.
Local Student Finance Scheme
The Local Student Finance Scheme provides grants and low-interest loans to needy full-time students of UGC-funded institutions, technical colleges of the VTC, the Prince Philip Dental Hospital (PPDH) and the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA). The grant is intended to cover tuition fees, academic expenses and student union fees whilst the loan is to help students meet their living expenses. In the 1997-98 academic year, $1,034 million in grants and $960 million in loans (including $76 million in extended loans) were provided to 35 751 needy students.
With effect from the 1998-99 academic year, a package of improvement measures which include revisions to the assessment formula has been introduced to the Local Student Finance Scheme to enhance its efficiency, transparency, fairness and integrity.
Non-means Tested Loan Scheme
With effect from the 1998-99 academic year, the following four groups of students may apply under the Non-means Tested Loan Scheme to meet the payment of tuition fees:
(a) full-time students who are eligible under the Local Student Finance Scheme; (b) students of the Open University of Hong Kong;
(c) full-time students of the Hong Kong Shue Yan College; or
(d) part-time students pursuing publicly-funded programmes offered by the UGC-funded institutions and VTC-funded technical colleges, PPDH and НКАРА.
The new loan scheme is operated on a no-gain-no-loss and cost-recovery basis.
Student Finance Assistance Scheme
The Student Finance Assistance Scheme provides financial assistance in the form of grants and loans to eligible full-time students of the Hong Kong Shue Yan College
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